Free Museums in Rufford

"Manchester Art Gallery is the original useful museum, started in 1823 by artists, as an educational institution to make sure that the city and all its people grow with creativity, imagination, productivity, and health. It is free and open to all people as a place of civic thinking and public imagination, it promotes art as a means to achieve social change. It has been at the centre of city life for almost 200 years, created as the Royal Manchester Institution for the Promotion of Literature, Science and the Arts."

"I love the Art Gallery and have the Gallery a great place to visit with children and offers something a little different to enjoy with your children. The Gallery has several exhibits which are free for the public to enjoy. I love that the Gallery have tried to be really child friendly and for those with younger children, there is explorer tool belts for family groups with children aged three to six."

"Standing proud for almost 200 years, Manchester Art Gallery was created as a gallery for everybody and for life. It features British and European art from the 18th and 19th century, as well as contemporary art. And the best part is that it’s always free to visit!"

"National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 3BG - Visit now. Learn all about the history of the beautiful game in the world’s largest football museum with optional Football Plus experiences to put your penalty shootout skills to the test. The clever folk at the museum even help pocket money budgets go further with free weekly Match Attax swopsies sessions."

"If your kids love football then you can’t miss the National football museum. Throughout the museum, there are interactive objects, games and displays that will appeal to all ages. Their current activities and events programme is temporarily on hold but you’ll still find trails to take part in during your visit or you can download somr trails here before your visit."

"Six storeys dedicated to the beautiful game, taking in footballing greats, the history of the game, the chance to lift some trophies, games and football challenges, an exhibition about the 1966 World Cup and a learning zone. Guided tours are available…"

"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."

"A visit to Madame Tussauds Blackpool is guaranteed to leave you feeling more than a little star struck This engaging and interactive attraction grants you an audience with some of Britain’s best known celebrities; from Olly Murs to Keith Lemon, Bear Grylls, Mo Farah to Jack and Vera from Coronation Street and even HRH Queen Elizabeth II as well as a multitude of other stars from the world of music, sport and entertainment. Key accessible facilities include step-free access, lifts for public use and a clearly signed route for wheelchair users. Madame Tussauds Detailed Access Guide"

"We really wanted to visit the waxworks but weren’t expecting to stay long as we thought the kids would be bored, especially as they were quite young."

"You might recognise The Horror Crypt from The Killers music video for Here with Me, but this quirky spot on the promenade has recently undergone a facelift - transforming it into an exciting walk-through attraction. You'll find genuine props from horror movies & TV shows, terrifying special FX, animatronics and life size displays based on some of your favourite scary movies and histories most feared murderers - complete with many an unexpected surprise. A must-visit for any horror fan and definitely not for the faint hearted."

"Lurking amidst the retail shops on Birley Street lies the UK's only horror-themed tea room. The Crypt is a hangout for horror lovers and people who love the spooky season all year round. The walls are dripping with horror movie props, merchandise and memorabilia."

"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."

"Located near Preston Dock, the Ribble Steam Railway museum invites you to hop aboard a heritage train ride on one of their working steam trains. The museum makes a fantastic and interactive day out for all the family, delving into Preston's historical links to steam trains and Preston Dock. See their Diesel Locomotives, Steam Locomotives, miniature railway, and much more."

"Kelvin Mercado, also known as Peg Man, breaks the record of how many pegs one person can put on their face with 163, at the launch of Ripley's Believe or Not 2014 annual. Ripley's is home to a unique collection of strange and extraordinary exhibits in eight galleries across two floors. It's the only place in Blackpool where you'll find authentic shrunken heads, a fertility statue that has helped with over 1,000 pregnancies, and a two headed calf and see the world's largest and smallest men."

"Now, this is definitely one of our favourites and up there for best value, it’s equally fun for kids (We’d say from 7ish and up) as adults (we’d say 80 and down ;-). Ripleys is world famous so shouldn’t need much introduction but in case you’ve not heard of it…. ‘Ripley Believe it or not’ showcases oddities which are so strange, some may question the claims that they are indeed real….."

"Situated inside Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, is the city’s very own Ripley’s Believe it or not!. That’s right, the franchise famous around the world for dealing in everything strange, unusual and downright bizarre has a museum right in the heart of Blackpool’s biggest tourist attraction. Spread across 2 floors and 8 thrilling galleries, the museum features oddities like a...Read more"

"The collections at the Grundy Gallery boast an eclectic programme of historic and contemporary exhibits, housed in a beautiful Grade II listed Edwardian building. The collections feature the work of both established and emerging artists from the UK and abroad, as well as historically important works loaned from major UK institutions and objects from its own permanent collection. The gallery aims to cater to a wide audience with an ambitious and varied year-round programme that draws on the unique and invigorating context and heritage of Blackpool, for instance exploring the space between contemporary art, entertainment and popular culture."

"A post shared by GrundyArtGallery (@grundyartgallery) on May 20, 2017 at 6:48am PDT. A trip to any town is not complete without a visit to its local art gallery. In Blackpool, the Grundy Art Gallery is a place worth visiting."

"People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER - Visit now. The national museum of democracy couldn’t have a better home than the radical city of Manchester, birthplace of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and universal suffrage. PHM is now open, to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, they have introduced an online registration system for visitors to select a date and time to visit."

"The story of Britain's 200-year march to democracy is told in all its pain and pathos at this superb museum, housed in a refurbished Edwardian pumping station. You clock in on the 1st floor (literally: punch your card in an old mill clock, which managers would infamously fiddle with so as to make employees work longer) and plunge into the heart of Britain's struggle for basic democratic rights, labour reform and fair pay."

"People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER - Visit now. The national museum of democracy, couldn’t have a better home than Manchester, the birthplace of the British Labour Party and universal suffrage."

"This is another opening that will be the talk of the town when it reopens, as the Manchester Jewish Museum unveils its £6m transformation to the public for the first time. You'll have to be patient though - the Chetham Hill venue won't open until July 2, when it kicks things off with a MIF co-commissioned installation. General admission tickets will be available soon at manchesterjewishmuseum.com."

"Daily tours guide you through the lives of Jewish Mancunians in 1912. Guest exhibitions focus not only on the Jewish community but also the wealth of ethnic diversity in industrial Manchester. The only Jewish Museum outside of London, it allows you to explore the life, culture and contributions of the Jewish community to the city."

"Popular Blackpool DJ Jason Fubar has spent quite a bit of time in the Caribbean and ploughed in his life-savings to create the wonderfully-themed Marley's rum bar. A fan of the genre, Jason originally wanted his first bar to be reggae-themed. Deciding that was too niche however, he decided to make it themed around the Caribbean and named it after one of his all time music heroes, Bob Marley."