Manchester

[noenergy]

Will be visiting Manchester next weekend with 3 teens/tweens.
Looking for things for them to do within an hour of Manchester.
DD wants to visit Chester oaks, is it worth a visit?
Also something fun for DS 12 to do?

And for me, which is the biggest TK maxx in Manchester or would have the best bargains?
Or anywhere else to get a bargain?

Cheshire oaks imo is not worth the visit and will probably take you over an hour to get there from Manchester.

Biggest TK maxx not sure but the arndale one is fine. Big enough. The others are way out of town and wouldn’t make a special effort to visit them.

Id go to the massive primark if you want a bargain. It’s HUGE and stuff you’ll never see in smaller stores.

Football museum for DS? Or old Trafford. MOSI is quite good. Or Manchester museum.

I haven’t been to Cheshire oaks in years so maybe someone else will know better :)

Theres a big TK Maxx on Market St/the Arndale. Teens/tweens might enjoy Afflecks palace/northern quarter - lots of independent quirky shops.

There’s a fun junkyard golf at First St, national football museum if anyone’s a fan, or tours of Man City/Man United. All the museums are free - MOSI, Manchester art gallery, Whitworth gallery, Imperial war museum, Manchester museum.

We went during Easter and did the 'tech infused' crazy golf in the Arndale centre, it was great, we all loved it including the grumpy 13yr old.
They had a The Cube experience there too, but we didn't have enough time and it was pricey.

The immersive ceiling in the print works is worth a look if you're in that area, very cool. We went to the tenpin bowling there, nothing special but passed the time.

If you have football fans there's loads to do I'm Manchester with the national football museum and the stadium tours.

Forgot to add! Theres some great parks if the weather is nice - Heaton Park, Tatton Park, Dunham Massey all worth a visit.

Liverpool is about an hour away either by car or train and there's several recent threads with great suggestions

12 year old should love a mooch around Afflecks Palace

Thanks everyone for your suggestions

By the Trafford Centre there's an indoor ski slope with indoor climbing place underneath. There's also a skydiving place with a massive vertical wind tunnel, a dinosaur themed crazy golf, laser quest, bowling etc.
The Crystal Maze experience is in town if you want to do something together, and the Northern Quarter is bursting with trendy "vintage" shops (Inc the aforementioned Afflecks Palace) if you want to shop for more individual clothing than TKMaxx or Primark.
There are a lot of escape rooms dotted around the city centre too.

We go to Cheshire Oaks sometimes and it's a further drive for us than Manchester. It depends on what you like to do and if you like shopping.

Can second the suggestion of Afflecks for the 12 year old.

The DC would probably like eating at Rudys.

How about the Manchester Art Gallery?

I'd stay in the city centre. 12yo will love kick air (trampoline and football/sports/adult softplay) type place at the back of Victoria Station opposite Manchester Arena. There is also a VR arcade off market Street near boots but down side street for entrance. Go to China Town for lunch Red Chilli is good. Head to northern Quarter and go to the manga and comic book stores (travelling man?) On Oldham Street near Afflecks palace.

For culture there is Manchester art gallery, ryalnds library, MOSI, the Whitworth just a short bus ride away is a fab contemporary gallery and you can eat at Cro or just the Whitworth cafe and there's a nice park next to it. The Manchester museum is cool. I love it. Its a well laid out natural history museum. My kids now prefer paid for delights rather than free museums.

Or do a trip to the trafford centre by tram. There is a Dino golf, ski slopes, laser quest, "paradise golf", namco station bowling and arcade, ifly, cinema, yo sushi or massive food court and tonnes of restaurants. There's also a massive primark.

Imperial War museum north has just been recommended by my 13yo who went 2 years ago. It's at the lowry which cam also be reached by tram and is a great spot to visit to walk around the quays, shop in the outlet mall (I don't rate it), and get food at the new swanky food court or stick to wagamamas, nandos, cafe rouge or alchemist. There's also coronation Street tour around there!

Don't forget the city or United football stadium tours (not for me but we are famous for football.

Liverpool is lovely but you're coming to Manchester so just do that!

Cheshire oaks is rubbish.

Ooh yes Rudy's. Book though! There's quite a few branches.

Almost Famous will appeal to teens for burgers (that is in the great northern).

My dc love the Tops world food buffet. I hate it because its really expensive and find all you can eat Rank. Prefer red chilli Chinese or koh samui Thai.

Tampopo in town and in the trafford centre is an independent wagamamas and fab food.

Thaikhun is fun chain for Thai food but I don't mega rate it.

I love Cheshire oaks but its certainly not in Manchester and I imagine is Hell in the run up to Christmas.
Loads of great suggestions here though, Manchester is a great city

I wouldn't bother with Cheshire oaks unless you specifically want to go to a particular shop there (the discounts aren't that great) it's also crazy packed even midweek near Christmas. Trafford centre would be better as there are things to do other than shop as a pp mentioned. Theres a cinema inside too if you want to see Wicked or anything. Also next to the Trafford centre is the Chill Factory which is great at this time of year if you fancy luging (sitting on a rubber tube to slide down the slopes) or you can ski/snowboard etc.

If you fancy Christmassy stuff there are lights trails at Chester Zoo and Heaton Park although you would have to factor in how long it takes to drive there. We've been to both though and they were very good. There's a show on called "fairytale of New York" at the opera house and Blood Brothers is on at the palace theatre. The Natural History Museum is great and Afflecks Palace is well worth a visit.