Every place in Manchester

The Fusilier Museum

Bury

Two galleries of 300 years of military history, a shooting simulator to test steady hands, and a ticket that gets you back in free all year.

Café

The Garden House Marple

Stockport · ages 3+

Free-roaming pigs, alpacas and Shetland ponies to feed and a riverside walk, for £3.50 a head.

Blue badge parkingDog friendlyFood on siteOutdoor play+3 more

The John Rylands Library

Manchester

Free entry to a neo-Gothic library packed with rare books, manuscripts and a working antique printing press.

Accessible toiletCard onlyGift shopWheelchair accessible

The Light Stockport

Stockport

Films, bowling, pool, darts and karaoke all under one roof, with party packages for kids that bundle in food and a host.

Baby changeBirthday partiesBooking requiredBreastfeeding friendly+8 more

The Magic Burrow

Manchester

A calm, low-sensory play space with fairy lights, a fairy village and dressing up, built with SEN families in mind.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+5 more

The Monastery Manchester

Manchester

A free Gothic Revival building to wander with a zen garden, a café and a nave that looks nothing like a normal day out.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféFree parking+6 more

The Mystery of Banksy – Manchester

Manchester

A walk-through of roughly 200 recreated Banksy pieces, from graffiti to sculpture, in a slick indoor Manchester space.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredGift shopLockers+3 more

The Nook Saddleworth Play Cafe

Oldham · ages 0-8

A calm, Montessori-inspired play space in a Delph mill, best suited to babies and under-fives.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféFood on site+2 more

The Northwest Face Climbing Centre

Warrington · ages 6+

Fifty-odd climbing lines, a proper bouldering area and eight auto belays for kids to work their way up without needing a parent on the rope.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredCaféGroup bookings+3 more

The Oast House - Manchester

Manchester

A big beer garden and street food spot with live music every night, dog friendly until 8pm for the family sitting.

Dog friendlyIndoor seatingParty roomsRestaurant

The Pankhurst Centre

Manchester

A small suffragette museum where kids get a garden to chalk in and a photo op, not just glass cases to file past.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+6 more

The Place at Platt Lane

Manchester

Free drop-in sessions for every age, from baby rhymes to a Saturday LEGO club and a teens poetry project.

The Portico Library

Manchester

Free exhibitions of books and contemporary art in a Georgian library, with a café under a domed roof.

Blue badge parkingCaféGift shopParking+1 more

The Promise @ Leyland Farm

Manchester

Meet the chicks in the courtyard, wander past the bee-hives and grazing animals, then try a wreath making workshop if the timing suits.

Booking required

The Salafi Centre of Manchester

Manchester

Free clubs for kids covering football, a girls' youth group, a baby club and Qur'an school, all run from one community centre.

Toilets

The Singing Hive

Manchester

One-to-one singing lessons and studio performance work, with a monthly membership if you want to make it a regular thing.

The Ultimate Manchester Free Walking tour

Manchester

A free three-hour guided walk round Manchester city centre, starting at the Chinese Arch and ending near Free Trade Hall.

The Upper Room Cafe

Cheadle

A café with a small play corner for the kids and a proper menu for the grown-ups, open weekday daytimes only.

Indoor seating

The Whitaker

Rossendale

Free contemporary art exhibitions and family workshops in a park setting, with a café for afterwards.

Café

The Witchwood

Ashton-under-Lyne

Live gigs with tickets from a fiver, though age checks mean under-25s need photo ID on the door.

The Yard Manchester

Manchester · ages 14+

A live music venue for older teens, with some gigs strictly 18 plus and under 16s needing an adult with them.

Accessible toiletDog friendlyWheelchair accessible

Thompson Park Miniature Railway (BPMRS)

Burnley

A quick miniature train ride round Thompson Park, running whenever there's demand rather than to a timetable.

Treak Cliff Cavern

Castleton · ages 5-17

A 45-minute self-guided walk into a real cavern hung with Blue John stone, but it's steps and slopes, not a pram job.

ParkingToiletsCaféGift shop+1 more

Treetops Play and Party Cafe

Warrington · ages 0-8

Soft play with sensory areas and free weekday pre-school sessions, plus a cafe that won't let you sneak in your own snacks.

Allergy awareBirthday partiesIndoor playKids menu+2 more