Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Warrington

"Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M17 1TZ - Visit now. IWM North was designed by Daniel Libeskind, whose beautiful waterfront building was based on a globe shattered by war and houses a permanent collection, special exhibitions and events that consider the many ways conflict shapes society. The museum is open again now with a number of changes in place to ensure your visit is safe and enjoyable."

"From personal survivor accounts to common conflict themes, the Imperial War Museums explores the human aspect of war and the effect it has on everyday life before, during and after. Featuring one-off exhibitions as well as a main showcase and connected to other similar museums around the UK, the IWM shines and light on the conflicts Britain and the Commonwealth have been involved in since World War I. Focusing on the many changes war has brought to the UK, from the role of women in society to technology and science advances."

"Extended due to lockdown, this extraordinary exhibition features 200 photographs of Liverpool, the north and international conflict, captured over the last 60 years of Don McCullin's career. Liverpool Biennial exhibition. Featuring new commissions and existing works by Ines Doujak and John Barker, Linder, Jutta Koether and Ebony G Patterson, alongside works from Tate’s collection including Judy Chicago, Nicholas Hlobo, Martine Syms, Anu Põder and Ithell Colquhoun."

"If you’re looking to get your art fix, you can’t beat the Tate. Housed in the Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool has been home to modern and contemporary art for over 30 years. Since opening, the Tate has held over 150 exhibitions and displays from a huge range of artists."

"Over the past 125+ years, the Whitworth has seen many transformations but none so much as its recent £15 million development, resulting in accolades such as RIBA National Award and Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2015. Now home to an internationally important collection numbering 60,000 works - blending high-profile names like Blake, Spencer, Rembrandt and Moore with fresh new talent - the gallery’s principal aim remains the same: ‘the perpetual gratification of the people of Manchester’."

"From 19 May – 1 July, The Whitworth is open for film screenings of its new exhibition, Imran Perretta: the destructors. The Whitworth Café, Art Garden and Collections Care Centre are also open from 19 May to 1 July. The rest of the gallery remains closed while the next exhibitions are installed, following COVID-19 safety guidelines."

"Travel a bit outside Manchester's city center to the Salford Museum and Art Gallery, which is situated int heart of Peel Park. First opened in 1850, the museum features both permanent displays and changing contemporary exhibitions, with free admission for all visitors. One of the museum's highlights is Lark Hill Place, a recreated Victorian street that lets visitors experience what life was like in Victorian Salford."

"Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Peel Park, The Crescent, Salford, Greater Manchester, M5 4WU - Visit now. A family friendly city museum that stakes a claim as the UK’s first free public library. Explore the historic Lark Hill Place street installation then let loose in Peel Park."

"The Victoria Gallery & Museum is run by the University of Liverpool. The building itself is a beautiful, classic red brick Liverpool building and boasts many stunning weddings. The exhibitions range from the weird (false teeth) to the wonderful, and it is definitely worth a visit."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user JohnShipley89 used under CC BY 4.0. Warrington Museum & Art Gallery is Warrington’s premier art gallery and houses over 200,00 exhibits and objects, covering everything from local history to numismatics, from archaeology to ethnology. Located right in the centre of town, the Warrington Museum & Art Gallery is very easy to find and well worth a visit."

"Key to the redevelopment of the Ropewalks quarter of Liverpool, and catering for the needs of film and art lovers since 2003, FACT was founded on a remit to "use the power of creative technology to inspire and enrich lives". Tucked behind the bohemian Bold St, this futuristic-looking space – made up of three floors of galleries, cinema screens, a cafe and a bar – celebrated a decade since its launch, in which time it has played host to pioneering work from Pipilotti Rist, Nam June Paik, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Kurt Hentschläger. 88 Wood Street, fact.co.uk."

"Arts space and cafe LEAF was included in Guardian Travel's first "budget eats" guide to Liverpool, in 2008, and is still going strong, albeit at a new address. In the meantime, owner Natalie Haywood has branched out at the media arts centre, FACT, and at Oh Me Oh My, a weekday cafe in a grand, Grade II-listed property opposite Liverpool's totemic Liver Building. LEAF and FACT are natural allies – way beyond their preference for upper case logos – and last year cemented their union when LEAF opened the Garden cafeteria at the centre."

"Liverpool's much-loved independent cinema and arts centre holds the title of the UK's leading organisation for the support and display of film, art and new media. FACT hosts a wide range of activities, screening and events for the whole family, including a Kids' Club film, accompanied by games and activities for young movie fans, on Saturdays. The weekly Big Scream Club is exclusively for parents and babies under one year old."

"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"

"Centre For Chinese Contemporary Art is a unique art gallery with a year-round programme of socially engaged exhibitions, events, and artist residencies. They have over 30 years experience of working with emerging and established artists to provide a space for conversation, debate, and cross-cultural exchange. They are the go-to place to discover new artists and explore relevant global issues from different international perspectives."

"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."

"Located just down the road from our Peel Park campus, this lovely little place combines art with coffee, tea and cake. The tea room offers a very relaxed atmosphere, as well as daily home-baked cakes, while the upstairs gallery is home to six week long exhibitions with work by local artists, including some from Salford students. Hot drinks are reasonably priced and the decor is stunning."

"Yvette Fielding opened this tearoom and even pours the tea herself – so if you want a dining experience with a difference then this is sure to be it. The venue itself is set next to the famous Manchester Cathedral with views that look across towards Salford. It is virtually impossible to walk past without being tempted to go inside and enjoy a slice of cake or an afternoon tea."

"Although situated just outside of Manchester city centre, on Wilmslow Road, this restaurant definitely deserves a mention on this list. Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen offers so much more choice than your usual vegetarian restaurant. With veggie prawns, beef, and even duck, this restaurant has gone all the way with creating the perfect Asian dishes with bursts of flavour all suitable for all palettes."

"For those seeking vegetarian and vegan options, Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen is the perfect venue. Not only does this restaurant avoid using garlic, onion and leeks, it also caters to any sort of dietary requirements customers might have. The owners are a couple from Hong Kong who want to introduce healthier meal choices to the community."

"We were totally chapati about Bhaji Pala when we popped over to Cheadle to review it when it first opened. This entirely vegan Indian restaurant is sure to please everyone, plant-based or not. There are classics here, of course, like chana masala and tadka dal but less familiar dishes from the subcontinent’s culinary treasure chest abound as well as creative adaptations like tandoori broccoli, gram flour ‘omelettes’ and pinwheel spinach samosas."

"Gatley restaurant Bhaji Pala in Gatley has a full menu of vegan Indian dishes including Tandoori Broccoli, Basil Tofu Tikka, Avocado Chaat, Walnut and Corn Tikki and a wide range of curries filled with tofu, chickpeas, soy, aubergine and lots of other plant-based ingredients. Available to order via Just Eat and Deliveroo."

"If you’re looking to convert a meat-loving mate to the vegan lifestyle, take them to The Allotment. Originally located in Stockport, this award-winning venue now sits in Manchester’s city centre and proves just how good vegan food can be. Browse the à la carte menu, and you’ll find ‘fish’ and chips or rhubarb and lentil stew, or pop by on a Sunday for the delicious vegetarian roast."

"At the more sophisticated end of the plant-based spectrum, The Allotment Vegan Eatery is where cruelty-free meets fine dining. Tuck into beer-battered banana, or spicy jackfruit Kofta. Whatever you choose, we bet you’ve never tasted anything like it before."

"Focussing on locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices, the Lloyd Street spot has garnered quite a few awards. Taste your way through 7-course, 10-course and signature menus and you'll never go back."