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Provided by: John Rylands Library
Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.
*this will be downloaded as a PDF.Price
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John Rylands Library
The guide was updated:For those who set eyes on Deansgate's The John Rylands Library for the first time, 'library' might not be the first word that comes to mind. This masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture looks more like a castle or cathedral.
When John Rylands died in 1888, he was one of Manchester's most successful industrialists with a personal fortune of £2.75million. The library was commissioned in 1890 by his wife Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her late husband.
This world-class collection includes the oldest known piece of the New Testament, the St John Fragment. Other treasures of the vast, varied collection include magnificent illuminated medieval manuscripts and a 1476 William Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Useful Information
- Address: 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH
- Website: www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/
- Phone: +44 161 306 0555
- Email: jrl.visitors@manchester.ac.uk
Digital Travel Guide Download
Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.
*this will be downloaded as a PDF.Price
€4,95
The Manchester United Museum & Stadium Tour offers a behind the scenes look at the world's most iconic stadium: the Old Trafford.
Come and sit in the managers' seat in the dugout, walk through the players' tunnel towards the hallowed turf, and find the seat of your favourite player in the dressing room. Get a feel for life in the Premier League and immerse yourself in an unrivalled story, the greatest football story ever told.
Manchester United welcomes groups of all sizes, from all over the world every day to the home of Manchester United, from individuals and families to international group tours, providing the same world-class experience to all.
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Manchester City Football Club
Go behind the scenes at the world's fastest-growing football club.
On the Stadium and Club Tour, a professional guide will navigate an unforgettable and all-encompassing tour of the club and Etihad Stadium, which captures the very essence of Manchester City.
The tour will showcase the pride, passion, and heritage of the football Club. It shows how everything that happens on and off the pitch contributes to making Manchester City the club it is today.
Visitors can see how it feels to be grilled by the media in the press conference room hot seat, visit the inner sanctum of the City dressing room, and walk down the tunnel imagining the roar of 55,000 supporters cheering on their heroes. Finally, take in the view from new manager Pep Guardiola's seat in the dug-out - there's the opportunity to experience everything.
Outside of the football season, the stadium hosts major national and international football events as well as summer concerts. Stadium tours are available, and the club has an excellent museum packed full of football memorabilia.
Bookable
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Coronation Street Tour
ITV have opened their outdoor Coronation Street sets at MediaCityUK to the public, including the world-famous cobbled street. The experience lasts around 80 minutes taking in Coronation Street, Rosamund Street and the newly extended Victoria Street, with plenty of opportunities for photos. Visitors will walk in the footsteps of the famous residents, discover filming secrets and hear stories of their favourite characters.
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Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing
Known throughout the world as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Manchester has a proud history in science, politics, music, arts and sport. Discover the city’s heritage and how it has grown to be the progressive hub it is today with a 90 minute bus tour.
The 15 stop hop-on hop-off tour has been carefully planned to take you round some of Manchester’s key sights including Town Hall Manchester, National Football Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and Manchester United Football Club.
Your ticket is valid for 24 hours from time of purchase if on the bus or from the date chosen if online and you can board any Sightseeing Manchester branded bus during this time. There is one main tour route with recorded commentary in English. For other languages there is a free app which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
Bookable
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National Football Museum
Whether you’re a die hard football fan, planning a visit with your family or on a weekend break to the great city of Manchester, enjoy a visit to the world's biggest and best football museum. Delve into the social history and culture of the beautiful game, exploring football's past and present through the museum's extensive collection.
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Play Factore
Play Factore is the UK's leading family entertainment centre. With facilities that cater for children from 6 months to 16 years old, Play Factore is the only family entertainment arena in the UK where parents can play with children on age-applicable equipment — meaning you can join in the fun with your little adventurers too! Play Factore's state-of-the-art venue houses the largest play frame in the UK along with a host of other unique attractions that are second to none. Based in Manchester next to the Trafford Centre, Play Factore provides a complete day out for families shopping in the area and planning to entertain the children.
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Crystal Maze LIVE Experience
In the 90s, The Crystal Maze was one of the UK’s favourite television shows. Now it’s your turn to be the star of the show.
The ultimate team challenge, in which you and your friends face challenges testing your skill, mental and physical ability across four adventure time zones: Aztec, Industrial, Futuristic, and Medieval. For each challenge completed, your team will earn a Crystal. The more Crystals you earn, the more time you’ll get in the final challenge — The Crystal Dome!
Build a team of 8 of your friends with a variety of skills to take on the challenge of the Maze.
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Chinatown
Manchester’s Chinese district is one of the largest in Europe. Top-class restaurants nestle side by side with real street food establishments. You will also find Korean, Thai and Indonesian shops and restaurants here.
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Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is home to over 21,000 endangered and exotic animals based in beautiful, award-winning gardens and is the nearest large zoo to Manchester. With over 500 different animal species in their 125 acres, visitors are sure to have an adventure discovering and learning about the amazing wildlife.
Conservation and education are at the heart of everything at Chester Zoo. They are committed to providing the highest standards of care for their animals as well as protecting native and international wildlife. Their team of expert and knowledgeable staff work hard to prevent extinction and are passionate about connecting visitors to the natural world. Chester Zoo has a variety of tours and hands-on experiences as well as daily animal talks to guarantee a day full of animal adventure.
Stop for a snack at one of their many restaurants, cafes, and kiosks - including their recently refurbished contemporary British pub, The Oakfield. It's a huge zoo, but there are plenty of options for getting around, including the Zoofari Monorail and the Lazy River Boat Trip on the Islands. Don’t forget to stop in at the gift shop on your way out for a souvenir of your trip.
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City Centre Cruises
Get a slightly different perspective of Manchester on a canal cruise. Flow along the Manchester Canals and see the most important and beautiful sights of the city while enjoying a buffet or drink on board.
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Ordsall Hall
Ordsall Hall is Salford's 'hidden gem'. Dating back over 600 years, it is one of the region's finest examples of an Elizabethan black and white half-timbered manor-house. Wander back through time soaking up the atmosphere of its fully-furnished Great Hall and Star Chamber Bedroom.
Get the low-down on Tudor lifestyles; maybe reminisce in its Victorian showcase and kitchen, or unearth the wealth of new discoveries to be made in its exciting and informative family events and exhibitions programme.
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John Rylands Library
For those who set eyes on Deansgate's The John Rylands Library for the first time, 'library' might not be the first word that comes to mind. This masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture looks more like a castle or cathedral.
When John Rylands died in 1888, he was one of Manchester's most successful industrialists with a personal fortune of £2.75million. The library was commissioned in 1890 by his wife Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her late husband.
This world-class collection includes the oldest known piece of the New Testament, the St John Fragment. Other treasures of the vast, varied collection include magnificent illuminated medieval manuscripts and a 1476 William Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Read more
Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
A beloved landmark in the Cheshire countryside south of Manchester, the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre is a reminder of just how important the city is to the world of science.
The University of Manchester's impressive radio telescope centre is a key part of the UK's astronomy research, scanning the skies to improve our knowledge of the Universe.
The Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre allows visitors to discover the Universe beside the world-famous Lovell Radio Telescope and explore the planet Earth in the beautiful 35-acre tree-filled gardens.
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East Lancashire Railway
With a storied history stretching back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the East Lancashire Railway is the steam powered heart of the Irwell Valley, pumping goods and people around the region for nearly 200 years!
The line runs for 12 miles through scenic Lancastrian Landscapes, from beautiful rural panoramas and postcard pretty villages to bustling Victorian towns and cotton mill dotted horizons. Each station offers something unique, from historical Heywood to relaxing Rawtenstall, scenic Summerseat and bustling Bury. Make the trip from Grandparent to Grandchild on a journey that spans generations on this heritage railway.
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Chill Factore
Looking for a family day out packed with excitement and bursting with fun? Look no further than Manchester's indoor real snow centre, Chill Factore.
Guaranteed to get the whole family away from their screens, Snow Park is the perfect real snow activity for all the family. Prepare for bumps of the Downhill Donuts, the twists and turns of the Luge Slip ‘n’ Slide, and the Snow Luge. What’s a fun day out without a bit of family competition? Choose your favourite sledge and race to see who’s king and queen of the slope!
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Imperial War Museum North
The IWM North is about people and how their lives have been, and still are, shaped by war and conflict. The building is by international architect Daniel Libeskind and is a symbol of our world torn apart by conflict.
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Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre
Hard hats at the ready! Standedge Tunnel is Britain's longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel, hidden deep beneath the beautiful Pennine countryside. One of the seven wonders of our waterways, this must-see attraction is located in Marsden, a charming Yorkshire village.
A great day out for all the family, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Discover the history of Standedge in the visitor centre which is free to enter. Learn the stories of the folk that built and navigated this tremendous tunnel. Meanwhile, the kids will be kept occupied in the indoor soft play area and outdoor adventure play area!
Feeling peckish? You’ll find the wonderful Watersedge Café in the old Tunnel End cottages. Enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake or visit for lunch on a lovely summer’s day by the canal. You may even see the resident ducks, Jemima and Duncan, float past the picnic tables.
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Great Northern
The Grade 2 listed Great Northern building, a former railway goods distribution warehouse is now a lively leisure and shopping development with bustling bars, restaurants, shops, health club, cinema, casino, bowling alley and an elegant landscaped public square. Located on Deansgate in the centre of Manchester, Great Northern offers the city centre destinations with a touch of class.
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Bramall Hall
This magical Tudor manor house is set in more than 50 acres of parkland with lakes, woods and gardens. The house contains 16th century wall paintings, fine Elizabethan plaster ceilings, Victorian kitchens and servants' quarters. Today, Bramall Hall functions as a museum, and its landscaped parkland is open to the public.
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Stockport Air Raid Shelters
Step back in time and experience the sights and sounds of Britain's Home Front. Wander around the original tunnels, authentically re-equipped, which provide you with first-hand experience of daily life in 1940s wartime Britain.
Enjoy the displays and the state-of-the-art audio-guide which tell the stories of local people who shared the experience of the war.
Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country designed to provide shelter for up to 3,850 people. They were extended in 1940-41 to accommodate 6,500.
In 1996 Stockport Council re-opened the shelters as a visitor attraction and this unique, award-winning museum became one of Stockport’s most significant attractions and educational facilities. Excavated into the natural sandstone cliffs of the town centre, the mile-long network of underground tunnels offers visitors a direct and exceptional insights into life on the Home Front.
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Heaton Park
At Heaton Park, the largest and most beautiful park in the area, you can find plenty of family activities, such as an animal centre, tram museum, bowling greens, golf course, boating lake, and horse riding. If you haven't brought your picnic basket, there are cafes to solve that problem.
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Victoria Baths
The Victoria Baths complex was designed by Manchester's first City Architect Henry Price, and opened in 1906. No expense was spared — the façade has multicoloured brickwork and terracotta decoration, the interior spaces are clad in glazed tiles and most of the windows have decorative stained glass. At the opening ceremony, the Lord Mayor described Victoria Baths as 'a water palace of which every citizen of Manchester is proud'.
For 86 years the baths provided both essential and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry were housed there alongside three swimming pools and Turkish Baths. In 1952 the first public Aeratone (Jacuzzi) was installed. Even though the baths were closed in 1993, the Grade II listed building is remarkably intact with most of the stained glass and original tiling remaining.
Victoria Baths opens from March/April to October/November each year for weekly guided tours, public open days and special events.
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FC United — Broadhurst Park
FC United of Manchester is a community benefit society and a not-for-profit organization based on the outskirts of Manchester City Centre.
They pledge “to develop strong links with the local community” and our volunteers and supporter base make us what we are and by doing so make a positive difference in Manchester and help change football for the better. Whatever your background, story or beliefs, you are always sure of a warm welcome at Broadhurst Park.
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Hall i' th' Wood Museum
This Grade 1, 16th-century half-timbered hall is one of the northwest’s most important buildings.
Visitors can enjoy displays of 17th and early 18th-century furniture, objects and artefacts, learn more about the life and work of Samuel Crompton, and discover all about life in Stuart and Tudor times. The rooms have been accurately refurbished to retain their homely atmosphere.
Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum started life as a rich merchant’s home during the mid-17th century. Years later, the building was split into several rented dwellings and, whilst living in one of these with his family, Samuel Crompton famously invented the Spinning Mule in 1779.
The mule went on to be one of the most significant spinning machines used by the textile industry. The house and grounds were presented to the people of Bolton in memory of Samuel Crompton and opened to the public as a museum in 1902.
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Manchester Opera House
Opening all the way back in 1912, the Manchester Opera House hosts a constantly evolving lineup of theatrical and musical performances, from timeless operas and ballets to more contemporary concerts and artists.
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Lake District National Park
The great outdoors is just around the corner, and The Lake District National Park in Cumbria is England’s largest national park. The Lake District offers some of the best scenery and outdoor pursuits in one of England’s few mountainous regions. With more than 3,500 kilometres of walking and hiking routes through the lakes, there’s a trail to suit everyone. For the daredevils there is also hang gliding, paragliding, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, rock scrambling, abseiling, hot-air ballooning, paintballing and much more.
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