Unusual things to do in Manchester
So: you’ve visited Manchester’s impressive museums, admired the city’s art galleries, and photographed its most famous landmarks. What next? Here’s our run-down of some of the best alternative attractions and more unusual things to do in Manchester.
Get a fresh perspective on the city of Manchester
The Manchester Wheel in the Millennium Quarter’s Exchange Square gives you a 60 metre ‘ride in the sky’, with great views of the urban landscape. If you’re celebrating and fancy splashing out, there’s even a VIP capsule with optional champagne.
Sip cocktails in luxury
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer impressive views of Manchester’s skyline at the luxurious Cloud 23 cocktail bar on the 23rd floor of the Hilton – and while drinks don’t come cheap, it’s well worth it for the stylish setting and the panoramic views.
Get arty
For some alternative culture, track down Cornerhouse, a well-respected contemporary visual arts centre and art house cinema in the heart of the city. With three screens, three floors of exhibition space, and a popular bar on the ground floor, there’s always something entertaining happening here.
Enjoy a free concert
Talented students from the Royal Northern College of Music put on free concerts for members of the public, including orchestral performances at the college’s concert hall, and lunchtime recitals by soloists and small ensembles in lovely St Ann’s Church.
Seek out one of the city’s oldest buildings
Founded in 1653, Chetham’s Library is Europe’s oldest English language public library, hidden away alongside the ultra-modern Urbis exhibition centre just off Millennium Square – yet open to those who seek it out. Containing the original collection of books, all chained to their shelves because of their high value, this is the spot where Friedrich Engels wrote the revolutionary book ‘The Condition of the Working Classes in England’.