Manchester City centre for 2 days - what can we do?

[Nudgethatjudge]

DS3 (young teen) and I have 2 days in Manchester.

Ideas what to do, especially in an evening.

Looked at shows for Feb and there's Hamilton which I think he'd like, but it's booked up.

And hotel suggestions please.

DS3 doesn't do football so the football museum is not of interest.
Does like Anime.
Does like Japanese food.
Likes a museum.

Definitely the Manchester museum and the museum of science and industry. X

Pan Asian restaurant Tattu for the evening 😋

Afflecks Palace for a mooch and an ice cream.

People’s History Museum is good, as is the city art gallery.

I wouldn't recommend Tattu. Very expensive and Instagram worthy but not that good. Japanese food I'd recommend Sapporo teppanyaki on Liverpool Street and Samsi and yuzu in Chinatown for sushi.

Manchester museum is natural history. Personally I love it.

Walking the canals can be quite a good way to see the city.

Getting a tram to the lowry is a brilliant area to walk around and can go and see the building and the permanent collection of art. Look and see if any shows on there? Often book up. Not great for independent food places. Loads of chains around media city/lowry.

Def head to Afflecks palace for a look around during the day, Fab Cafe if they are old enough to go in. I don't know whets on at the Royal exchange theatre but its a very interesting building.

The museums are free, Manchester Museum, Science and industry museum and peoples history museum.

If no shows available, you could see what’s showing at the Everyman cinema - it’s a nice cushy way to watch a film.
Home and Aviva Studios will have stuff on too.

Pizza at Rudy’s in Ancoats or Ply in the Northern Quarter.

Ooh I forgot to say. If he likes Manga head to the travelling man on Dale Street. Comics graphic novels etc. My ds loves it. There's another comic store around there. Its near Affleck's. Moose for breakfast over that side of town. It's nit far from Breakout Manchester if he likes escape rooms.

There's some new urban play thing in the arndale which I expect is pricey and geared to adults playing kids games.

Over by first Street check out HOME independent cinema, eat at Indian Tiffin Room and there's a junkyard golf.

Oooh you should really go to freight island (massive but book a table) if its open when you are there. Its a big depot full if world food stalls ( including sushi).

Mackie mayor a good food hall too. Northern Quarter.

DOG BOWL ON Whitworth Street also good for teens. They have bowling, artisan overpriced fried chicken and a retro games section. Offer price on a Monday I've been meaning to take Ds.

Thank you!

These suggestions are great (but we need more days!)

This is MNet being brilliant.

Japanese food id recommend kitten https://www.kittenrestaurant.com/

MOSI and manchester museum are good. Also John rylands library on deansgate is a beautiful building. Very Harry Potter esq.

As pps said afflecks and wander round northern quarter would be good for a teen maybe see what’s on at the Lowry if there is any good shows there if you can’t get tickets for Hamilton. Or see if there are any gigs on if they like music

The cube at urban playground is brilliant. It’s not the cheapest (it was £35 each when we went) but it’s basically playing the TV show. It was almost 2 hours and it was 7 different games

look At wakuwaku restaurant.. amazing cartoon design and good Japanese/ sushi style food .. needs to be seen as unique .. kids love it

If he likes steam trains check if the East Lancashire Railway is running. You get there by tram to Bury.

A Guided tour to the https://library.chethams.com/ is amazing!

Consider staying at Roomzzz in Corn Exchange (proper name Roomzzz Victoria) that end of the city is far nicer than all the hotels by Piccadilly which is horrendous plus restaurants on your doorstep.

I would add:

Whitworth Gallery
Jonathan Schofield walking tours - can’t recommend these enough
Art and Craft Centre in the Northern Quarter

Pasta Factory and sister pizza restaurant Noi Quattro for food.

If you want a really authentic cheap as chips Manchester meal, go for a rice & three - rice and three different curries. This n That is the most well-known and I go regularly!

Went last Feb half term. Museum of Science & Industry a must. Would recommend staycity aparthotel right next to piccadilly.

All of the above museums and galleries. But also:

Imperial War Museum North - just across the bridge from The Lowry at Salford Quays. (Media City worth a stroll for gawping.)

The Royal Exchange Theatre - amazing space, theatre in the round and historic building.

Find out if there’s a performance at RNCM during the time you’re there.

The Cathedral, of course.

Not read the thread but the People's Museum is my all time favourite museum - really interesting look at social history, and the lives of real people.

We went to a fab escape room and did an Alice in Wonderland theme. It was brilliant. It's the one by the football museum.

There's a cool art shop in the northern quarter called Fred Aldous. Lots of nice Japanese style bits.

We went to the Cube place. We didn't play but enjoyed watching others playing.

Have fun!

The People's Museum is fab. So is the Lowry Centre. I'm a HUGE Lowry fan....
Chinatown???

I love Lowry, was worried it would be disappointing, so now adding to the list (which is very long now).

My sushi loving DS is going to love this.
Thanks all - I googled earlier this week what we can do, and I wasn't enthusiastic. Now cant wait. Obviously personal recommendations don't replace Google

The Manchester Museum is amazing! So much to see!

And that's on the list!

All great suggestions so far. One I haven’t seen mentioned yet is Immersive Gamebox in the arndale. Really good fun.

Absolutely NOT disappointing. It's closed one day a week so check! I saw them in the old Salford Gallery many years ago and was worried I wouldn't like the new gallery but I was almost in tears walking in. Lovely Lowry merchandise in the Gift Shop too. There are some Lowrys in Manchester Art Gallery in the city centre too.