CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED

Science & Discovery Centres in Manchester

If your family likes buttons to press and questions answered, Manchester does well by you. The Science and Industry Museum on Liverpool Road is free to get into, right in the centre, and has proper hands-on halls plus a cafe for when the engines have worn everyone out. Manchester Museum on Oxford Road is also free, close by, and mixes dinosaurs with living worlds, with picnic space and changing places if you need them. For something bigger, it is a drive out to Macclesfield for Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, the UNESCO radio telescope site with Space Dome films and trails. For a quick, budget-free visit, stick to the two free museums in town, both indoors and good for a wet afternoon. If you want a proper day trip with room to run about outside, Jodrell Bank has parking, free parking, picnic areas and cafes, which makes it easier with a packed lunch and younger children who need space between exhibits.

✓ 4 places★ 1 upcoming event✦ 2 free to visit