Why Manchester?
Why Manchester? Manchester is a city rich in history, tradition, and culture. Home to numerous attractions and places of interest, Manchester has it all!
Whilst studying at MC Academy, students have the opportunity to explore the city with members of staff when attending the school’s weekly social activities. Trips include visits to Manchester’s famous landmarks, museums, art galleries, arcades, cinema, shopping centres and more.
Download our handbook if you would like to know more about Manchester and its history. Discover more of Manchester!
Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Manchester has a rich industrial history and this excellent museum combines the past and the present to create an action-packed day out for all the family. Based in the grounds of the oldest rail terminus in the world, the museum is home to huge steam engines, fighter jets, 19th-century textiles machines, scientific discoveries and lots of activities to keep the kids entertained! Just a few minutes’ walk from Manchester city centre, the ‘MOSI’ is not to be missed!
Fun fact: Did you know that the Rolls-Royce motor company started life in Manchester after a chance meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce at the city’s Midland Hotel?
Manchester Art Gallery
An amazing collection of British art, along with many European artists, is housed at this beautiful art gallery in the centre of Manchester. Here you can admire some of L. S. Lowry’s best work, one of Manchester’s most famous artists. There are permanent collections ranging from the 17th Century up to the present day, with temporary exhibitions showcasing the best of contemporary art.
Fun fact: The art gallery hosts fortnightly English conversational classes on the second Wednesday of each month from 1-2.30 PM.
Whitworth Art Gallery
Manchester’s second most important art gallery houses the best selection of historic textiles outside London, and has galleries dedicated to artists from Rembrandt to Lucien Freud and David Hockney. A recent £15 million development has transformed the gallery, which is set in lovely Whitworth Park. Catch bus 15, 41, 42, 43, 140, 143 or 147 from Piccadilly Gardens. There’s also a great café to rest your legs and relax.
Fun fact: The gallery often hosts free events from music, talks, screenings and performances.
Manchester Town Hall
Completed in 1877, Manchester’s most impressive building is best explored by an organised tour. The many grand rooms are illustrated with the history of the city. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of neo-Gothic architecture in the UK.
Fun fact: There is a pattern of bees on the mosaic floor in the Great Hall. The bee is a symbol of Manchester’s industrial history.
People’s History Museum
Here you can learn all about how the National Health Service (NHS) was formed, the struggle for equal rights from World War 2 up to the present day, as well as the history of many infamous protests. The museum aims to engage, inspire and inform diverse audiences by showing ‘there have always been ideas worth fighting for’.
Fun fact: This museum attracts a higher proportion of foreign visitors than any other museum in the city.
Media City UK
Home to the world’s longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street, this ultra-modern area also hosts six BBC departments and is the company’s northern home. Easily accessible by tram, there are restaurants, bars, a shopping outlet and a theatre close by, as well as the Imperial War Museum. Take one of the 90-minute tours of the BBC’s buildings to get an insight into the world of a British institution.
Fun fact: The BBC offer free tickets to sit in the audience for many of their TV shows.
John Ryland’s Library
One of Manchester’s hidden gems. In the middle of the glass jungle that is Spinningfields, sits this amazing library built over 100 years ago. Inside you’ll find one of the world’s finest collections of rare books and manuscripts. Spanning over five millennia, the manuscripts cover more than 50 languages and are printed on all types of medium including clay, papyrus, parchment, vellum, linen, palm leaves, copper, ivory, felt, bark and bamboo. The library is now part of the University of Manchester and is free to visit.
Fun fact: The building took 10 years to build and was open to the public on 1st January 1900.
National Football Museum
No trip to Manchester can be complete without visiting the famous football grounds of Old Trafford and the Etihad stadium. However, if you want an in-depth history of the great game, head no further than the only football museum in the country. Here you can find the world’s finest collection of football artefacts and archives, as well as memorabilia collected by fans all over the globe.
Fun fact: Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the Vice-Presidents of the museum.
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