THE NORTHWEST - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 566

is open to the public Monday to Friday 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30-4:30pm; there are
also guided tours/talks Wednesdays in term time ( & 0161/838-7244 ). There's more
colorful local history on Newton Street on the edge of the Northern Quarter, where the
Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives ( & 0161/856-3287;
www.gmp.police.uk) offers up a fascinating survey of Manchester's hidden past within
one of the city's earliest police stations, restored to its late 1800s and 1900s appearance,
complete with cells with wooden pillows and an 1895 magistrates court, plus Crime
Room with displays on forgery and forensic science. It's generally open to the public
only on Tuesdays from 10:30am to 3:30pm, with free admission.
Manchester Art Gallery GALLERY Home to one of the best art
collections in the north of England, this central venue—vastly expanded between
1998 and 2002 to include an airy modern glass and steel atrium—is best known
for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings and its works by L. S. Lowry. It also houses British
and European art from the 17th century to the present day, and a strong craft and
design collection, from ceramics and dolls houses to contemporary furniture and
lighting. Kids get their own gallery (Clore Interactive), free activity backpacks, and
more.
The recently reopened Gallery of Costume , Platt Hall, Wilmslow Road
( & 0161/245-7245; Wed-Sat 1:30-4:30pm; free), located south of the center near
the Whitworth Art Gallery, is part of the Manchester Art Gallery.
Mosley St. & 0161/235-8888. www.manchestergalleries.org. Free admission. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Manchester Museum MUSEUM This university-owned venue is both
modern, with a focus on an interactive visitor experience, and old-fashioned, in that
it's all-embracing: Within its walls you'll find everything from mummies, dinosaur
skeletons, and stuffed animals to live amphibians and reptiles. The collections were
being reshuffled at press time: After the opening of a new Living Worlds gallery in
April 2011, new Ancient Worlds galleries will launch in 2012. Kids' amenities include
a Play+Learn (and picnic) area and free backpacks.
Oxford Rd., near Booth St. & 0161/275-2634. www.museum.manchester.ac.uk. Free admission. Tues-
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun-Mon 11am-4pm.
Museum of Science & Industry MUSEUM Another highly interac-
tive modern museum, MOSI has a Victorian sewer to crawl through (with authentic
smells and sounds), planetarium, 4-D theatre, and motion simulator ride, alongside
one of the world's largest collections of working steam engines, plus fascinating dis-
plays on printing, electricity, textile manufacture, flight, and aerospace exploration.
New in early 2011, the Revolution Manchester Gallery has sections on the city's role
in developments in transport, computer technology, energy, and more.
Liverpool Rd. & 0161/832-2244. www.mosi.org.uk. Free admission (small charges for some elements).
Daily 10am-5pm.
Whitworth Art Gallery GALLERY Rounding off Manchester's fine array
of free museums and galleries, the Whitworth, also south of the center, holds some
of the U.K.'s finest art and design collections, including modern and historic fine art,
prints, textiles, and rare wallpapers. There's also a busy program of activities, many
for families, and an award-winning cafe (p. 570). At press time, the venue had just
announced an upcoming £12-million redevelopment and expansion.
Whitworth Park. & 0161/275-7450. www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk. Free admission. Mon-Sat
10am-5pm, Sun noon-4pm.

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