Places to visitManchesterAttractions

IWM North

4.5
(7607)
•
4.5
(2917)
4.5
(7607)
•
4.5
(2917)
•#25 on "Top 50 things to do and attractions in Salford"
War museum
Museums
Art museum
History museum
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Specialty Museums
Map
Address
Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ, United Kingdom
Website
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north
Phone
+44 161 836 4000
Hours
SuSunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
MoMonday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
TuTuesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
WeWednesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
ThThursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
FrFriday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
SaSaturday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ, United Kingdom
Tuesday: 10AM–5PM
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
SuSunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
MoMonday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
TuTuesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
WeWednesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
ThThursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
FrFriday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
SaSaturday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
People typically spend 2 hr here
+44 161 836 4000
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north

About

IWM North, the first Imperial War Museum in the North, offers a comprehensive look at the impact of war through both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum provides a family-friendly experience with weekend activities that engage younger visitors by exploring historical objects and photographs, as well as sharing real stories about wartime strategies. Situated on the Manchester Ship Canal, the museum's unique architecture is designed to disorient visitors with its sloping walls and sharp angles.
Why you should go
    1
  1. Experience the striking architecture by Daniel Libeskind symbolizing a world torn by war
    2. 2
  2. Explore deeply moving exhibitions with personal stories and powerful artifacts
    3. 3
  3. Engage with interactive features like the 360-degree Big Picture show

Highlighted reviews

Slide 1 of 3
The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester is incredible! Its striking architecture by Daniel Libeskind symbolizes a world torn by war. The exhibitions are deeply moving, from soldiers’ personal stories to powerful artifacts like a World Trade Center fragment. Interactive features, like the 360-degree Big Picture show, immerse you in the history of conflicts from WWI to today. I especially loved the Northern Ireland exhibit—informative and touching. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and free entry makes it accessible to all. Great for families, with engaging missions for kids. Allow 2-3 hours to fully experience this powerful, educational gem! Highly recommend!
It's a great place. Nicely organised, friendly staff, and a great cafeteria. I think they show some documentaries every hour. We loved one which was on 1st World War. But we didn't like the other one (which was based on memoirs of an army personnel from a recent war (and there are lots of allegations of war crimes committed in that war). Maybe they should emphasize decolonisation of narratives, and reflect on that Wars are never wanted and it is the poor innocent souls who always lose the most. But, this place is definitely worth a visit if you are in Manchester.
Its a free attraction in the heart of UK Media City. There is a restaurant and exhibition centre along with the Museum. Few of the remarkable collections that deserves a visit are a crashed steel column of the former World Trade Centre in New York and a piece of the aeroplane that crash landed in Scotland carrying German Deputy Commander Rudolph Hess.
The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester is incredible! Its striking architecture by Daniel Libeskind symbolizes a world torn by war. The exhibitions are deeply moving, from soldiers’ personal stories to powerful artifacts like a World Trade Center fragment. Interactive features, like the 360-degree Big Picture show, immerse you in the history of conflicts from WWI to today. I especially loved the Northern Ireland exhibit—informative and touching. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and free entry makes it accessible to all. Great for families, with engaging missions for kids. Allow 2-3 hours to fully experience this powerful, educational gem! Highly recommend!
It's a great place. Nicely organised, friendly staff, and a great cafeteria. I think they show some documentaries every hour. We loved one which was on 1st World War. But we didn't like the other one (which was based on memoirs of an army personnel from a recent war (and there are lots of allegations of war crimes committed in that war). Maybe they should emphasize decolonisation of narratives, and reflect on that Wars are never wanted and it is the poor innocent souls who always lose the most. But, this place is definitely worth a visit if you are in Manchester.
Its a free attraction in the heart of UK Media City. There is a restaurant and exhibition centre along with the Museum. Few of the remarkable collections that deserves a visit are a crashed steel column of the former World Trade Centre in New York and a piece of the aeroplane that crash landed in Scotland carrying German Deputy Commander Rudolph Hess.
See all reviews

Know before you go

  • Allow at least 2-3 hours to fully experience the museum's powerful exhibits
  • Visit during off-peak hours or weekdays for a quieter experience
  • Check out temporary exhibitions and events hosted at IWM North for added enrichment
  • Consider donating voluntarily as it helps support the museum's operations despite free entry policy

Reviews

IWM North in Manchester is highly recommended for its striking architecture symbolizing a world torn by war, deeply moving exhibitions featuring personal stories and powerful artifacts, interactive features like the 360-degree Big Picture show, informative Northern Ireland exhibit, friendly and knowledgeable staff, free entry making it accessible to all, engaging missions for kids, and a diverse range of thoughtfully curated displays that shed light on the impact of conflict on people's lives.
Review score
4.5
out of 5
Wonderful
7607 reviews
From Google
Review score
4.5
out of 5
Wonderful
2917 reviews
From Tripadvisor
5 stars
5185
4 stars
1681
3 stars
540
2 stars
132
1 star
92
5/5Dmitrii C
•
May 4, 2025 from
Google
The Imperial War Museum North in Manchester is incredible! Its striking architecture by Daniel Libeskind symbolizes a world torn by war. The exhibitions are deeply moving, from soldiers’ personal stories to powerful artifacts like a World Trade Center fragment. Interactive features, like the 360-degree Big Picture show, immerse you in the history of conflicts from WWI to today. I especially loved the Northern Ireland exhibit—informative and touching. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and free entry makes it accessible to all. Great for families, with engaging missions for kids. Allow 2-3 hours to fully experience this powerful, educational gem! Highly recommend!
4/5M U
•
May 8, 2025 from
Google
It's a great place. Nicely organised, friendly staff, and a great cafeteria. I think they show some documentaries every hour. We loved one which was on 1st World War. But we didn't like the other one (which was based on memoirs of an army personnel from a recent war (and there are lots of allegations of war crimes committed in that war). Maybe they should emphasize decolonisation of narratives, and reflect on that Wars are never wanted and it is the poor innocent souls who always lose the most. But, this place is definitely worth a visit if you are in Manchester.
5/5Wahid
•
May 4, 2025 from
Google
Its a free attraction in the heart of UK Media City. There is a restaurant and exhibition centre along with the Museum. Few of the remarkable collections that deserves a visit are a crashed steel column of the former World Trade Centre in New York and a piece of the aeroplane that crash landed in Scotland carrying German Deputy Commander Rudolph Hess.
4/5Frank
•
Jun 1, 2025 from
Google
An effort for a new approach for a war museum. For example, there is an hourly Big Picture short film shown across the gallery to bring it to life. Nice building. As this museum is free, worth checking out.
4/5Aimee S
•
Mar 14, 2025 from
Google
Free museum, interesting to look around they have short films playing periodically where the area goes dark, interesting but unfortunately not enough seating so have to be quick to sit down and you can't really see until the lights come back on if you're not watching the shirt films. There's also a different exhibition that was nice to visit
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Map
Address
Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ, United Kingdom
Website
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north
Phone
+44 161 836 4000
Hours
SuSunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
MoMonday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
TuTuesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
WeWednesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
ThThursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
FrFriday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
SaSaturday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1TZ, United Kingdom
Tuesday: 10AM–5PM
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
SuSunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
MoMonday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
TuTuesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
WeWednesday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
ThThursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
FrFriday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
SaSaturday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
People typically spend 2 hr here
+44 161 836 4000
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north
OSZAR »