Free Museums in Manchester Ship Canal

"Manchester is home to two world class Art Galleries - The Manchester Art Gallery in town and the Whitworth Art Gallery on Oxford Road, by the university. There's also the recently redeveloped and reopened Gallery of Costume in Platt Fields Park - which you'll pass most days on your commute from Fallowfield to the Uni. All of the galleries house impressive permanent collections (which are free) and regular special exhibitons (which aren't)."

"A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best assemblage of Pre-Raphaelite art as well as a permanent collection of pre-17th-century art, mostly by Dutch and early Renaissance masters. It also hosts exciting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. The gallery runs a free hour-long highlights tour from 2pm to 3pm Thursday to Sunday."

"Manchester Art Gallery always have brilliant temporary exhibitions. Thanks to these guys I discovered Raqib Shaw, who is now one of my favourite artists. Manchester Art Gallery also have great permanent exhibitions with an emphasis on the Pre-Raphaelites."

"Address: Urbis Building Cathedral Gardens, Todd Street, Manchester M4 3BG. I’m probably as good at football as a pregnant sloth, but Manchester is obviously famous for its two football teams; Manchester United and Manchester City. Guided tours of their stadiums come with a charge, but you can visit the National Football Museum in Manchester city centre for free."

"About: The National Football Museum is home to over 140,000 pieces of footballing memorabilia - including the FIFA Collection. The museum explores the beautiful game through world class exhibitions and displays, looking at football from every angle, telling the stories that matter the most. Address: Urbis Building, Manchester, M4 3BG"

"A museum built on the role of Liverpool in Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, the Merseyside Maritime Museum is perhaps one of the most heart-touching museums in the country. The exhibits all showcase the city’s rich sailing story with plenty of articles to read and interactive exhibits perfect for children."

"Tate Liverpool is the only place in the North to be for modern and contemporary art from the world over. Since opening its doors in 1988 Tate Liverpool has become one of the most visited art galleries outside of London and has a stunning array of work from the National Collection, as well as regular exhibitions of some of the finest art there has ever been, including exhibitions and events relating to Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Keith Haring, to name just a few."

"1 km from city center 6 out of 10 places to visit in Liverpool. Named after a Liverpool industrialist Henry Tate, the Tate gallery is the subsidiary of famous Tate gallery in London. Like its London counterpart, this one also has an amazing collection of classical and contemporary art."

"Opened in 2011, the Museum of Liverpool celebrates the city's unique geography, history, and culture using displays related to the port and its people. Collections include period costumes and decorative art, as well as objects representing the city's social and urban history, along with oral testimonies, archaeological material, and photos. The museum is also home to the famous Lion steam engine, built in 1838 and star of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt."

"The Museum of Liverpool, which is housed in a landmark building on the waterfront, opened amid much fanfare in 2011. Although the initial hype may have subsided, this museum, which celebrates the city's unique history and culture, has continued to win awards and to pull in the crowds. Within the museum, you'll find a "Little Liverpool" gallery, featuring hands-on activities to keep children under seven occupied and informed."

"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."

"FACT on Wood Street is hoping to open again from May 19 with three brand new exhibitions including Biennial artists. Soft Boys, in the foyer gallery, is a short film about queer and trans joy, specifically within the Somali culture and community. It’s free, no booking needed."

"Built in the early 19th century for Nicholas Robinson who was the Mayor of Liverpool then, the house later became the place of residence of George Holt in the early 1880s. Today the house is a museum for George Holt’s amazing collection of paintings along with the whole house as a museum for the famous Victorian merchant himself!"

"Sudley House is a stunning 19th century Victorian house in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool. The free-to-enter gallery and museum features a wonderful collection of Victorian period furniture and exquisite paintings, including some by Turner and Rossetti."

"Sudley House is a well preserved Victorian merchant house located just south of Liverpool city centre. With a unique collection of artwork, this house has been lovingly restored and is now dedicated to the people who lived there."

"Travel back in time to the industrial revolution at the Quarry Bank Mill. Oozing with heritage, you can experience the ‘sounds and smells’ of steam and water-powered engines, explore the cotton mill to learn about spinning, weaving, the production of material, and the history of the textile industry, tour the Apprentice House for a glimpse into the lives of pauper children, stroll the beautiful gardens, or walk the Styal Estate, filled with woodlands and streams. Interactive, engaging, and educational, the museum exhibits and friendly and knowledgeable staff make Quarry Bank Mill a great day out for all ages."

"Organised by the Ashmolean Museum, which holds a world class collection of over 200 prints made by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, it will present the artist as an unrivalled storyteller through a selection of around 50 outstanding prints, dating from 1630 to the late 1650s. Widely hailed as the greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt was also one of the most innovative and experimental printmakers of the 17th century, and the works displayed at the Lady Lever will cover a varied selection of subjects including intense self-portraits, atmospheric landscapes, intimate family portraits, biblical stories and confronting nude studies. June 1 to September 15, 2019"

"Okay, so it’s not strictly in Liverpool, but the Wirral is close enough. Founded by William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925), the Lady Lever Art Gallery is dedicated to his wife Elizabeth and still features a large offering from his personal art collection, including the best collection of Wedgwood Jasperware in the world."

"St Luke’s Church, or the Bombed Out Church to the locals, sits proudly at the top of Bold Street and is a great spot for a photograph, especially if you get to head inside. Known as the Bombed Out Church because it no longer has a roof, it makes for an interesting photo for the collection. View this post on Instagram"

"St Luke’s which is popularly known as the bombed-out church was destroyed during World War II. It has no ceiling and plants are growing inside. You and your loved one can find tranquility in the city center there. It also serves as a memorial to the people who lost their lives during the world war."

"More commonly known as 'the bombed out church' St Luke’s was destroyed during the Blitz of World War II. With no ceiling, and plants now growing inside, it is a real place of tranquility in the centre of the city and serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the war."

"If you love animals and a great day out getting to know one another, then why not visit Chester Zoo. If you do get tired walking around the vast space that the Chester Zoo offers, you can avail of a buggy ride or even a monorail. Orwhy not try experiencing a lazy river boat trip and get to know more about Chester Zoo’s aquatic friends."

"Chester Zoo is a zoological garden at Upton by Chester, in Cheshire. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family and it is one of the UK’s largest zoos. The zoo has 15,000 animals spread out over 125 acres of award-winning zoological gardens."