Free Museums in Tockholes

"Fresh from a £35m renovation, Manchester Art Gallery is well worth a visit for art lovers, and the merely curious. Manchester Art Gallery Exterior. With more than 25,000 objects in their collections, including 13,000 pieces of fine art, and another 13,000 in the craft and design collection - there’s certainly lots to enjoy."

"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."

"Everyone knows about Manchester’s history and continuing relationship with the world’s most popular sport, football. Manchester United and City are two of the most successful clubs on Earth, whilst also being two of the biggest brands. The former in particular has a rich history dating back to earlier in the 20th century, resulting in their current standing as one of the biggest – if not the biggest – sporting brands."

"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"

"Home to some of the UK’s best football teams, Manchester is also home to a museum dedicated to the nations favourite sport. Now that Maya has her heart firmly set on football, I am sure we will be visiting all the time. Located in the coolest museum building (Urbis) the museum is in the very heart of Manchester city centre."

"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’."

"The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester has a very Instagrammable restaurant. With all glass walls it feels like your in the middle of nature. You have beautiful views over the park in which you can find the Whitworth Gallery."

"The Blackpool branch of the world-famous wax museum features over 80 wax figures of famous celebrities, film and television characters, athletes and musicians. Alongside the collection of British and international stars, guests can now take to the floor and meet the stars of Strictly, with Tess and Claudia and judge Craig Revel Horwood in the new Strictly Come Dancing experience, which includes a Strictly inspired dancefloor, replica glitterball trophy, and score paddles on the judges' desk. There is also a real treat for fans of Coronation Street, as Madame Tussauds Blackpool has created a replica of the iconic Rovers Return, with classic characters such as Ken and Deidre, Jack and Vera, Bet Lynch and Hilda Ogden."

"Check out the most popular tourist attractions and fun family activities along the Promenade!. In addition to the ‘uniquely Blackpool’ things to do mentioned above, there are also so many other fun activities and tourist attractions along the Promenade. You won’t know what to choose first!"

"1 km from city center 5 out of 10 places to visit in Blackpool. A museum of wax replicas, this place consists of about 150 wax figures of eminent personalities including film stars, TV personalities, sports persons, pop singers and royalty."

"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."

"Popular permanent attractions of The Victorian Gallery and Lark Hill Place (re-creation of a typical northern street during Victorian times), as well as an ever-changing exhibition programme. The Museum also provides activities for children during the…"

"A museum of oddities built across two floors and based on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Situated along Ocean Boulevard."

"Stood high on Castle Hill dominating Clitheroe’s skyline for over 800 years, Clitheroe Castle Museum is now open after a complete makeover and offers a day of exploration for all the family. Explore the hands-on galleries, collections and displays which reveal amazing stories and take you on a journey through 350 million years of history."

"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."

"This attraction features well-maintained locomotives that date back more than 100 years. A preserved railway, it is now also the home of the collection from the Southport Railway Museum and was opened to public access in 2005. It also operates passenger services from Preston Riverside to and from Strand Road Crossing."

"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"

"An unassuming little house on Nelson Street, this spot was the birthplace of the Suffragette movement. The home of inspirational leader Emmeline Pankhurst, the first Women’s Social and Political Union meeting was held here in 1903. Nowadays, the place has been converted into a museum detailing the battle for women’s equality in Britain and celebrating its great former occupant."

"An important chapter in our shared history, the Pankhurst Centre is the only museum in the country to highlight the struggle for the women’s vote. Housed in the ancestral home of the Pankhurst Family, the museum has a number of exhibits showcasing the fight for the right to vote and holds a number of fascinating workshops throughout the year."

"The Pankhurst Centre is easily one of the best indoor activities in Manchester. Discover the story of Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist whose family lived in the house from 1898 to 1907. The centre was where the first meeting of the suffragette campaign for votes for women took place!"

"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."

"Popular permanent attractions of The Victorian Gallery and Lark Hill Place (re-creation of a typical northern street during Victorian times), as well as an ever-changing exhibition programme. The Museum also provides activities for children during the…"

"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."

"The award winning museum explores how our lives have been shaped by war, from a soldier’s last letter home, to the fall of New York City's World Trade Center. Address: The Quays, Wharf Road, M17 1TZ. Telephone: 0161 836 4000"

"Walk through a timeline of history from the First World War to the present day. Again, although tickets are free, they must be booked in advance. Find out more and book here."

"My Cookie Dough has a seriously committed following, judging by the crowds at its Manchester Arndale stall (it recently opened another at the Trafford Centre too). Big dollops of dough are baked until warm and crispy, but still soft enough to dip into with a spoon, then loaded with various sauces and toppings. Indulgent flavours include red velvet and Nutella, white chocolate and raspberry, Oreo, fudge and honeycomb, Biscoff, and coconut chocolate."

"Taking the humble traybake to new heights, My Cookie Dough is among the best dessert shops in Manchester. Their Slutty Brownie stacks are a mouthwatering mess of chocolate brownie, crushed Oreos and their house cookie mix, served up as chunky slabs and coated in a hefty drizzle of Nutella. With locations at both the Trafford Centre and the Arndale, you won't have to travel far to get your hands on these bad boys."

"🍰 Seriously gooey hot cookie dough, with tons of topping options to choose from including Nutella, Biscoff, Red Velvet, Kinder and even Strawberry Cheesecake."

"Bright, friendly, and with stacks upon stacks of homemade doughnuts: there aren’t many places we’d rather spend an afternoon than Siop Shop. If you can drag your gaze away from the perfectly plump sweet treats – the dreamy flavours include millionaire shortbread and chai topped with pecan nuts – then there’s a stonking coffee selection to explore, too."

"Serving up coffee, doughnuts and more, Siop Shop has made the decision to offer a collection of outdoor tables for walk-ins only on a first-come-first-served basis from this week, so you can find menus, opening times and more information on the website here."