Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Rufford

"Housed in an iconic aluminium-clad building designed by Daniel Libeskind, the IWM North houses several fascinating exhibitions which tell the story of how a century of wars have affected people’s lives in Britain. The main exhibition space shows a timeline of the wars that Britain has been involved with since the First World War. The Big Picture Show uses the latest HD projection technology to tell people’s stories of war in a vivid and captivating way."

"Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Imperial War Museum North is situated 400 metres west of Lowry Outlet Shopping. Photo: pit-yacker, CC BY-SA 2.0."

"Take a walk right down to the end of Oxford Road and you’ll find The Whitworth. An impressive and ornate red-brick structure, this popular Manchester art gallery certainly looks the part from the outside – and once inside visitors will find over 60,000 internationally important artworks to explore. Everything from weaving to sculpture is included within its recently refurbished walls – and best of all, much of it is free to explore."

"With an eclectic collection that includes historic fine art and contemporary art works, a fine collection of textiles from across the world, sculpture, prints, wallpaper and more, there’s lots to enjoy at the Whitworth Art Gallery. Cornelia Parkers Exhibition, Whitworth Art Gallery. A highlight of the fine art collection is work by famous pre-Raphaelite artists including Holman Hunt, Rossetti, Millais and others."

"CFCCA is the UK leader in Chinese visual culture, with a reputation for debut solo exhibitions and a roster of internationally-renowned artists; impressive considering that, three decades ago, it was just a series of events in Manchester’s Chinatown. As Manchester’s Chinese population is second only to London’s, the centre’s heritage is particularly important; now represented in a new archive and library. Best feature: A vibrant events schedule, spanning film screenings to workshops and even Mandarin lessons"

"CFCCA reopens with a duo of exhibitions investigating and unpicking themes of belonging, identity and citizenship in a globalised and hyper-connected society. Housed in CFCCA’s Northern Quarter galleries, the exhibitions are just a few minutes’ walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. Multiplicities in Flux brings together works by contemporary artists Grace Lau and Eelyn Lee in a dialogue around identity and belonging."

"Manchester's Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art will reopen both of its galleries on Wednesday May 19. Exhibitions Multiplicities in Flux and Autopsy of a Home, which originally opened in October, will be back until June 13. Booking is advised at cfcca.org.uk but walk-ups are welcome."

"Contemporary Six – The Gallery is a leading independent art gallery located in the heart of the city centre of Manchester opposite the beautiful Town Hall. Established in 2010 by Alex Reuben, the gallery is known for offering a warm and friendly welcome to art enthusiasts, collectors, and new visitors and explorers to the city. Specialising in original paintings, landscapes, portraits, abstracts handmade prints, sculptures, and ceramics."

"From Darrell Evanes’ scrap metal sculpture to Matthew Bourne’s natural abstracts, Contemporary Six’s repertoire is all encompassing. Having outgrown its former location of Royal Exchange Arcade, the gallery - founded by Alex Reuben in 2010 - now occupies an airy space on Princess Street, where it represents around 40 artists. Best feature: Contemporary Six offers the Own Art Scheme, which allows buyers to pay in monthly instalments"

"King’s Gardens is a 17-acre garden located in the centre of Southport Town Centre, on the Promenade. The gardens are a hive of activity all year round and are a busy tourist attraction on the Southport seafront. The gardens have been restored to their former glory with Victorian shelters and the Venetian Bridge showcasing the beauty of the park, the gardens have sprung to life with an array of colourful flowerbeds and displays, lovingly maintained by the community."

"Ordsall Hall is a large former manor house in the historic parish of Ordsall, Lancashire, England, now part of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester. Ordsall Hall is situated 1 km east of Lowry Outlet Shopping. Photo: Nev1, CC BY-SA 3.0."

"You can walk along the canal, through the Castlefield Urban Heritage Park on your way to the Museum of Science and Industry. Castlefield Urban Heritage Park. Admire the old industrial buildings, soak up the atmosphere of the canal, and see how Manchester used to be in years gone by."

"Manchester Opera House is the Palace Theatre’s little sister. It’s located on Quay Street, near Spinningfields. It is smaller than the Palace theatre however, there are still some amazing productions to see here."

"Since opening their doors in November 2015, Hope Mill Theatre has become one of the most successful independent venues in England. Located in Ancoats, they produce full scale musicals from their Grade II listed former mill. The theatre will be reopening this summer, as well as hosting Hope Fest, an outdoor arts and culture festival."

"This wonderful independent venue, located out in New Islington, was one of the few theatres that managed to reopen last year after lockdown. It'll be back again with a reduced capacity and socially distanced seating for a Meet Me At Dawn, from HER Productions. You can get tickets at hopemilltheatre.co.uk."