Not as big as I initially thought but still managed to spend there amazing 2.5 hrs. Really recommend the place if you happened to be near by. The staff is really very friendly and helpful. I got really very good chat about past and present with Lady and Man that were looking after rationing exhibition. Thank you very much !!

Free to enter but a donation will help them out a lot. Decent amount of exhibits and easy to spend 2-3 hours if you want to see all the exhibits in detail. There’s a cafe and gift shop in the building. It’s a 20min tram ride from the city center and just a bit of a walk after that.

Easily one of the best war museums we have ever stepped foot in. The design itself is masterful, even if the interior orientation is a bit confusing at times (the flow from one area to the next). The exhibits and material itself is thought provoking, visually stimulating, and highly informational. We only wish that we had more time to savor it all. For a FREE experience, this place must be on your list of things to do in Manchester.

This is both a fascinating and moving museum. The display follows a timeline from World War One to the present. I recommend purchasing the guidebook since it highlights items of particular interest to look out for There are regular film shows with the film shown on the walls in the main area. I found these to be very interesting. The one that I found to be most moving was about how children are affected by war There is a very good shop and also a cafe on site .

I liked this place. So much history in a single place. The decorations were pretty nice. They don't have any entry fee. If you want to spend some good time with loads of war mementos and war history you should definitely visit this place.

We decided to visit here last minute because I was able to get some time off week. Upon entering the museum, we walked over to a little table with some photos on it. A lovely man called Jay, who was in the US Navy, came over and told us his story. It was incredible to hear about his experience and even learn a little about his family. He's at the museum on Wednesdays, and I highly recommend you take the time to have a chat with him. The museum has a lot to look at, and the variety of what they have on display is amazing. Perfect place for families to visit as there's loads to learn about.

We visited the IWM North on a Saturday and pre-booked an 11am slot online for free. There is outside parking at the museum, which is about a £5 for three hours. This isn't bad by the standards of parking in the City and very convenient after tootling round the go-kart circuit that makes up the Media City environs. The museum, if you like War exhibitions is excellent. Lots of authentic items from the 1st World War onwards, an immersive video experience of the War and some jaw-dropping exhibits and very thought provoking pieces.

Deeply disappointing. A massive and beautiful space, housing a number of excellent items. Utterly spoiled by dreadfully low lighting rendering a large part of all the context and information panels unreadable. I dread to think how people with less than perfect vision will experience the museum. Also, every now and then you are blasted by audio-visual performances designed to drive home the horrors of war, which I felt completely destroy any sense of sombre contemplation such a museum should elicit. Terrible.

Smaller than expected but packed with information. Nice exhibits and a decent cafe. We spent 2 hours there.

View @ Imperial War Museum North. . This is 1 of 5 branches spread across the country. The 3,500 metres of exhibition hall runs chronologically across 6 thematic zones, design to be cavernous, dramatic, and sobering. . Highlights include a T-34 tank, a T-55 tank, a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II fighter jet, a Ordanace QF 13-pounder field gun, a barrage balloon, a Mark XVII naval contact mine, and a WE.177 nuclear bomb training round.

It was build to tell such unbelievable stories of over a Century of Conflict, gives you a chill as well and also makes me grateful to those who sacrifice their all at all cost. My Son enjoyed the visit so much. Staff are so helpful too, hats off to them all. I highly recommend.

There are some great things to see here nevertheless I felt it didn't have enough information on the item's there. I expected stories from the people that lived though it but, this wasn't there. I must say though a lovely old guy who worked there was very helpful and gave me lots of information on the 9/11 tower piece and the gun that started world war 1 which made the visit even better.

This museum is excellent. It shows the history of wars of this century and last, in a really engaging and interesting way. I particularly liked the hourly shows that they did in the main hall, and the fact it was free made it even better. I would definitely come back here.

Loved looking around the displays, interactions and hourly films projected onto the walls. The cafe and gift shop was lovely. I also loved the poppies! A spectacular sight. I purchased the guide book and tote bag when we arrived - especially as this is a free entry, more than happy to support the museums.

Pre-booked the visit via website. The staff is friendly and nice, definitely helped with any questions we had. The whole exhibition is quite interesting and the layout of the museum is easy to follow. And of course, the poppy display is stunning, something you'd have to see it with your own eyes.

Purpose-built to tell the powerful stories of over a century of war. Not as big as I initially thought but still spent there amazing 2 hrs. Really recommend the place if you happened to be nearby. The bonus of the day was Free Entry. Great Cafe on site and not too expensive. Enjoyed a browse around the Shop and didn't spend too much. Great Place.

Enjoyed the regular short movie displays on the various walls during the visit. Thought the Jewish display would’ve been more substantial but a touching display of family stories from the wars were very good. It’s a developing museum and can sense there’s more displays to come.

Had a great school trip to IWM North as our class is studying World War One at the moment. The children had the opportunity to meet a couple of veterans and really enjoyed the Q&A session with them. The museum has some great exhibits and really captivated the children's imaginations. I would thoroughly recommend a trip there!

Interesting building design. The museum itself is well laid out with an easy to follow and chronological order from 1914- modern day. Whilst entry is free, consider making. A donation or buy a guide to support the ongoing work.

Visiting this site was like receiving a complimentary pass to a journey through history. Booking tickets in advance on their website ensured a hassle-free entry. The area was impeccably maintained, offering a poignant glimpse into the lives of war heroes through their letters and artifacts. From old uniforms to tanks and rifles, every exhibit seemed to tell a story of bravery and sacrifice. As you descend to the lower floor, you're greeted by a convenient cafeteria and clean restroom facilities, making it a well-rounded experience. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply curious, this place offers an enlightening and respectful tribute to our military past.

Educational, informative, sometimes a little sad reading the events and after effects of war. Bit dark to see and be able to read all of the information on display but perhaps this is the atmosphere they are going for? Free entry, parking a bit expensive, recommend a visit

Fascinating place with lots of history and exhibitions. Various audio/visuals at set times throughout the day. Also free entry (donations recommend). Has parking at site which is paid for and is gated. Has nice walks nearby as well as places to eat, although they do have a cafe inside as well, and toilets and lockers. The poppy exhibition is a nice touch too.

I prefer this one compared to the one in London. We really had fun. The exhibition was in a timeline so we were fully indulged in the reading. Totally recommend 🥰❤️

Superb story-telling woven from static exhibits, text, video, animation and audio. This is no celebration of war: it's a warning to anyone who thinks armed aggression is a viable solution. The museum is housed in a fascinating and dramatic building on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal.

I'd been wanting to visit for a while; great museum and a worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours. Exhibitions were really interesting, and the hourly immersive projection show that covered the entire exhibition hall was really impressive.

I struggled with the lighting in there so didn't get round it all. My 8 year old grandson loved it, my teenage granddaughter was bored, so its an age thing I think. We sat in the coffee shop with a coffee waiting for the others. Lovely gift shop, friendly and informative staff throughout, and its a great trip to view our history set within a stunning building. And all free too.

Just a great place! Was wowed by the architecture of the building and inside was just as good. Even though the museum is rather small on the grand scheme of things, it really does hold some real historical value. Staff were brilliant and we just had a really nice time. Would recommend to anyone visiting Manchester, transport links are plentiful and quick from the city centre.

This museum mainly consists of two floors. There are a cafe and a shop on the ground floor. The main exhibition is in the first floor. The exhibition space contains a lot of things from WWI to Cold War. We walked through there in an hour. Our favourite is the tank at the carpark entrance!

We always wanted to visit this place since we moved to its neighbourhood and were not left disappointed. The IWM North proves that museums don't have to be 'boring'. A wonderful collection of not only information and exhibits but also of narratives that take us back in time and allow us to see the past from different points of view. Highly recommend.

The poppy display was beautiful - but, in my opinion, it's all just about it. I couldn't find interesting the other displays - I don't think I'm the right audience. However the museum was clean and tidy - but the shop was only accepting contactless payments (they do have some interesting items - more on the detective side of things). To find the poppy exhibition, I had to ask the security guy (which kindly indicated me the way): it's behind the shop at the ground floor ✌

Such an amazing and insightful visit to the IWM north. Really recommend a visit here, and there is a car park on site that is reasonably priced for the location. The exhibitions and layouts are educational and informative too. Keep up the good work!

Great museum walking you through the awful events of the major wars. They setting is exceptional and they have some nice displays but some good shows as well. It's great to learn so much about these historical events through an engaging experience. They also have a piece of one of the buildings that was hit during 9/11.

A unique and interesting building surrounds a treasure trove of curiosities, celebrating the heroic and condemning the atrocities of war. The ingenuity of the cotton weaving machines are testament to the mechanics and designers of the past - even to this day they remain impressive. From a Harrier jump-jet to a world war two sea mine, everything is covered. There are volunteers on hand giving talks and guidance, and every hour a presentation covering a different topic is held in the main atrium, with dimmed lights and videos projected across the actual walls of the museum. Even the café and gift shop are awesome!

Definitely worth a visit to see what they have to offer. I personally expected to see more exhibits. However, there is a limited display. However, i can't complain when it is free to enter. There is a cafe downstairs with adequate food and drink choices with a gift shop.

Really fascinating museum. It's free entry do we bought a programme and made a donation. There's tons to see from WW1 and WW2, there's a tank and even remains from the World Trade Centre. Its a brilliant museum and the kids were really into the history and finding out about why things had happened the way they had. Fab day out.

Visually beautiful museum. The layout is in an easy to digest manner. A good day out for anyone who enjoys history. It’s was free entry at the time but I bought a programme as a donation. You can spend a few hours going through all the exhibits the museum has to offer.

Lovely friendly, helpful & welcoming staff. It was the first time I've ever visited here it was so nice to wonder round and ask queries about artifacts you were interested in. I especially enjoyed the video being played at 12noon it was moving and thought provoking.

A lovely modern venue with some truly great displays. Cafe and souvenirs available on site too! Highly recommend the Churchill whisky! 🥃

Such a good day out. Decided to pay a visit to the IWM during February half term. The museum is situated on Salford Quays and next to MediaCityUK. . Firstly, let's talk about practical stuff. The museum is easy to access by both road and public transport and it has its own NCP carpark onsite next to the museum. The carpark is pretty reasonable for Manchester/Salford with parking starting at £5 for 4 hours. Please be aware. If you park for 1 hour or 4 the price is still £5. Secondly, the payment machine at this carpark is card only but you can pay retrospectively online if you prefer. Alternatively there are plenty of alternatives close by including the MediaCityUK multistorey and the Quayside (former Lowry Outlet) multistorey. If you are using public transport the metrolink is a good option with stations close by and onsite. . The museum itself is totally free of charge to enter and you can reserve timeslots online in advance. We did this, however I think you would be fine to just 'walk up' as the venue is very large with a big capacity. . The museum itself tells the history of war beginning just prior to WW1 through to present day. The exhibits work on a timeline that is mapped out in a circuit around the venue. In addition within the centre of the venue are a range of additional exhibits focusing on a specific topic. Every hour an immersive film is played that is incredibly well produced and projected throughout the walls of the main space. These films were really interesting and I really enjoyed the poems. The entire exhibition is located on one floor, and accessibility is really good. . The museum also has a gift shop onsite and a really good cafe. The coffees and cakes were very reasonably priced and super tasty. The coffee was real coffee. . In summary, it's a great place to visit and perfect for children. However, it is better suited to children who are a little older. My youngest is 8 and whilst she liked the museum the vast amounts of reading would be too much for children who are under 7. However, all said this is a moving museum that's a must visit in the North West.

A good day out if you enjoy history, this place is packed to the rafters. I particularly enjoyed the section on the holocaust survivors, there were photos and stories of each and everyone, some sad and others celebrated their life. Café on site, very basic menu but ok. Small shop too with a varied array of goods.

Modern building, rather interesting exhibition. I won’t recommend this museum if the topic of war / terror is sensitive to you: there are a lot of potential triggers, such as sounds, videos, and things on display. Little kids also won’t find this amusing: there is not much to touch or climb, only a few objects to interact with. Who I could recommend this museum to are school kids. Please note that though the museum closes at 5pm, cafè inside closes some 30 minutes before that (which I personally found outrageous). Admission is free.

Had a good day out with the Son. Has a interesting and good selection of items ranging from ww1 to modern times and from all over the world not just England. Having said that We found the fact that the parking starts a £5 for 4 Hrs and is only payable with credit/debit cards on site or on the internet, also the cafe also only takes card payment and is not very good value (can Dr pepper £2.20 and I think all the cake started at about £3.20 and up) could have been better prices for today family.

First time visit and found it absolutely fascinating. Can't endorse this museum enough. Thought provoking, informative, tragic and sombre, all these emotions play out as you wonder around the exhibitions. A must visit.

Great museum! Very interesting new exhibit on the ethical scenarios facing aid workers.

A well curated museum on the impact of war, using multiple real experiences from the last 100 years. The building itself is very interesting. Some activities for the kids, but slightly sombre mood does mean less exciting than some museums for them. Good covid security measures.

Very good overall. The film projections are excellent, every hour on the hour. Exhibits are excellent but there just aren't enough of them for me. Shop good but expensive.

Fantastic experience. First time visit and cant wait to go back and take my time. This place does not glamourise war, but tells frank truths about the horror of conflict. The exhibits are so powerful. I would urge anyone to go

If u going to Manchester, thats wery interesting point of trip

Great museum. Very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended to visit. Thank you.

This is a comprehensive walk through modern western warfare. It is laid out in date format, which is great for those who learn chronologically. The displays are good and the didactics are quite informative. I'll definitely be visiting again. Like almost all British museums, entrance is free. However, parking is £5 for 4 hours.

Socially distances history trip on Sunday. Only main exhibition space open today, as preparing for new display. Doesn't judge the conflicts, just displays what happened. 1914 to present day. Even as someone born in 1969 and grew up with 'The Troubles', learned something today

Really good place to visit, better than I expected. More personal compared to the London exhibition. Less 'large' exhibits but the films are excellent.

Lloyd's bank brilliant service helped me a lot there should be ten stars

Excellent history museum

Britsh War History in a nutshell, focus on how ordinary people defend both humanities and UK during wartime. suitable for families.

Good day out.

Stunning exibits and thought provoking presentations...a must for all ages.

Excellent day out! Covid safe throughout. Not overcrowded and plenty of space. Activities for the kids and plenty of interactive bits to keep them entertained. Maybe more sanitizer stations by the interactive stations could be provided? I can't believe this is free?? Carpark fee goes to funding too. Shame cafe not open. Thanks for a fab day though.

Educational and very interesting

Excellent!

Amazing 👏

A small collection of items from WW1 to present day.

Loved the place. Rich depth, informative and factually accurate. Fantastic learning trove. Only down mark is car park system is stupid and doesn't work

Great experience

Great experience

Great information about our past for the kids and adults alike

Interesting yet depressing view of humanity and war

Excellent exhibitions

Amazing building, very interesting displays showing war history from WW1 to modern day. Lovely staff.

Amazing place. Even during the lockdown. We went and it was a sobering place to visit. We both have always been interested in learning about the wars that humanity has caused. A place everyone should visit.

It's a decent place but the huge space they have is very under utilised. It feels extremely empty and some of the stuff feels very out of place. Fill it more and start charging an entrance fee and it will be something to be proud of.

Good day out

Wonderfull

Great museum

Very informative, displays really interesting. Make sure you listen the the hourly shows, especially the one read by Tony Walsh at 12.00.

A bit dissapointed really ,thought there would be more there and expensive car parking

Am interesting way to see war. Great exhibits.

Very nice place

Amazing

Some very rare items to see in this museum and very friendly and helpful staff

Great

Love it

If the history of world conflict is your thing then this needs to be on your list of places to visit. A great building housing some very though provoking and evocative displays. The displays have obviously been well thought out and some of the items on show are quite incredible (the wall of evacuee suitcases from WWII to the mangled steelwork of the World Trace Centre). There is something of interest for everyone here! If you want to peruse at leisure and read all about the items on display you could quite easily fill a whole day! We only had a couple of hours but managed to see just about everything. Definitely on our list of places to visit again in the future. One last thing, the staff and volunteers were great, knowledgeable and informative and very friendly. Highly recommended!

Nice to see a good museum up in the North of England instead. Shows a good representation of our history during the war years and between

Its Free entry to the IWMN and you won't be disappointed,....you can spend a good hour here...mainly focused around WW1 and WW2 great theatre experience every hour on the hour with projectors, films and music.

A good snapshot of modern warfare. Exhibitions are well presented and the layout is easy to navigate. There's a shop and cafe in the building. Car park is reasonably priced. Staff all helpful. Would recommend to those who have an interest in modern history.

Very informative and interesting experience!!! 12 year old son fascinated by the exhibitions and enjoyed the free experience until he reached the souvenir shop. Very helpful and friendly staff. In all a very enjoyable family day out!!

This museum,.part of the IWM family is amazing with so much on display and to offer. I highly recommend a visit.

I’ve had the pleasure of performing here for a number of corporate events. The events team are great and the Museum itself is staggering. So much here to see, definitely worth the trip

The museum has excellent exhibitions and the shows sharing experiences of war are informative and thought provoking. We visited today to see the poppies which have recently arrived in their forever home. They're a wonderful sight and definitely worth a visit.

Enjoyed the experience, a well run museum with good parking and cafe facilities. Was slightly disappointed with lack of content in comparison to the IWM London or the royal armouries in Leeds. Having said that, still well worth a visit, some very interesting exhibits and free entry so can't really complain. Right in the middle of media city and next door to the home of ITVs Coronation Street. Had a walk around the surrounding area which was very pleasant, with plenty of eateries and attractions. Overall a good day out.

I love the whole place. The exhibits and information are impressive. You can gwt a sense of people lived and survived, aswell as lost their lives in service to their country. Free admission and a great history lesson for the family

Excellent displays, full of detail, covering all the major conflicts. Very poignant and moving in places.

One large room detailing the various conflicts down the years concentrating on the First and Second World Wars. A lot of good detail with regular shows beamed across the main displays every so often. It's free so why not expand your knowledge, The tram is a great and easy way to get to there from the city centre. For me though the Churchill War Rooms albeit focusing on WWII is the best out of IWM offerings.

Just popped in to pass an hour on. Been in before and find it very interesting. Sat and watched a film show on children in wartime, very interesting. Not overly busy, most had masks on, can recommend it.

A really good exhibition that makes you think “why war”. Some of the exhibits and signs need updating to include the invasion of Ukraine by the belligerent neighbouring state (believe was last updated around 2015 or thereabouts). All areas accessible without too much difficulty. The poppy display is impressive. Could have stayed longer.

I went with my kids, they hated it so its definitely better suited to teenagers/adults. Its only small so you don't need to allocate that much time. There are some interesting pieces, i love history particularly WW2 and i just feel like i was expecting more

A Museum more about stories told through objects rather than about the objects themselves. Great cafe and excellent gift shop. Free to enter but donations appreciated. The current photos illustrating the war in Ukraine ate very thought provoking. All in all well worth a visit - the building itself is an architectural curiosity. Taking a walk away from the Museum to take it all in is time well spent.

We spent around 2 hours on the IWM North. It was interesting to learn about war history and what people have sacrificed over the years. The entry it’s free. There is a cafe and a shop. You can have a coffee or buy something nice! I will recommend this if you’re passionate about history

Pretty good for a quick visit. Although it has a few big ticket items (1 tank, 1 jet) don't go expecting tonnes of them.. I guess I was & ended up slightly underwhelmed. There is enough to see in about 1.5hrs, and the staff are friendly & knowledgeable. I'd not say it was worth a visit to the area just for this, but if you combine it with other things it's good to drop in.

First visit recently, I was a little disappointed as there wasn't as much on display as I expected for such a big building, also its only the history from 1914 through the end off world war 2 in the majority, a little on the years up to now. It's definitely a museum which glorifies war rather it being something we should be avoiding. The staff were really enthusiastic especially the man who knew the history of the ukulele. Ok overall but i wouldn't visit again

Visit today. The museum is free and needs to be paid only for a car park. The staff is extremely nice and helpful. The exhibition is very interesting even if you don't really like the war stuff. Today was a special treasure hunt for kids. Obviously it's not an all day activity but easily can spend here minimum 2 hours. From the movie part I was a bit scared that it wouldn't be suitable for kids but it was very interesting and nothing scary was shown. ( My kids age is 6 and 9 ) . The shop is not overpriced at all and the toilets it's cleaned as well.

AMAZING - i would only change the name in to 20th Century War Museum as there is nothing before than 1900s. The nuclear bomb is really impressive, the Matilda tank is in perfect conditions. Totally worthy and Free!!! I'll be back

Excellent collection of objects and stories that document conflict from 1900 to present involving the UK and their allies. Great recognition of the role that other countries have played in these conflicts including the famous story known to all Australian school children of Simpson’s Donkey. At 11:00 the lights were dimmed and a short film was played throughout the exhibition space. Good selection of Cold War and modern conflict information. Only a few pieces of large equipment on display.

My 12 year old daughter was dying to go here! We all attending our family of 5 and what a brilliant day we had. A variety of exhibits and we were wowed by the 'big picture show'where there was projectors on the walls, lights went out and was amazing! There was one every hour too! Also had to thank the first aider who attended to my daughter who fell outside on the way in injuring herself in multiple places. He was caring and gentle attending to her. My only issue so to speak was the food it was very expensive and wasn't the best. But for a free day out we can't complain. The car park was a reasonable price too, right opposite media City so had a nice stroll over that side.

I had pretty high expectations, especially when you see the building from a distance. Externally it's visually impressive. The entrance was small, with very nice security staff. They were friendly and exemplary. Once inside, you find the café, fairly standard, and overpriced with friendly staff. Toilets were well maintained. They had a large gift area but I didn't look it over. This all took up most of the visible ground floor space. Now, the building looks great from the outside, but this doesn't lead to a useful interior space. Style over substance leaves some very high ceilings that don't really offer anything and the floor plan isn't the most straightforward. The exhibits are good but not amazing. It felt lacking. You could listen to audio (although some of the headphones were broken) and interact with a few things. Inside it's all very dark and sombre, but I did hear an elderly couple commenting that it made it harder for them to navigate and I'd definitely concur with that. All in all, I found it worth looking round, but not worth a specific journey to visit. If you're already in the area, great. If not, don't bother. Once again, very impressed with how nice the security staff were there.

My experience here was educative and I learnt a lot. Getting here I believed we had to get tickets to enter but it came to my surprise that it was free admission and the only things you might pay for is your food cause they have a cafeteria and a guide which they sell . I learnt a lot about the British wars and survivals generally and I saw a lot of artifact from centuries ago and it was a wholesome experience. They have slide shows that play every one hour but you’re not allowed to take videos of the slideshow but generally you can take photos of the museum and the structures in it.

An important museum for the region and well worth a visit. Nice and knowledgeable staff. Parked for 4 hours which was £5, it has a decent cafe and located next to media city which is worth a nose also.

Excellent selection of historic artefacts focusing on the UK's involvement in conflicts of the 20th century, with a primary interest in the two world wars. Plenty of space to walk around and view. Could have been more about pre WW1 stuff (Boer war? Crimea? Napoleonic wars?) and imperial oppression...

Great collection of relics from WW1 to present day. A 2 to 3 hour visit would be reasonable.