Imperial War Museum North
The Quays Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park
View on Google MapsPhoto: IWM North
About Imperial War Museum North
Discover how war has shaped lives and society at this striking waterside museum, featuring powerful exhibitions, family-friendly facilities and an onsite restaurant at Trafford Park's historic Quays.
What's nearby
- Media City Footbridge 200m away
- MediaCityUK 300m away
- ITV Studios 350m away
Distances as the crow flies, via Google
Good to know
Parking
- ✓Paid car park
- ✓Paid street
Accessibility
- ✓Accessible parking
- ✓Accessible entrance
- ✓Accessible toilet
- ✓Accessible seating
Payment
- ✓Contactless
Details via Google — worth confirming with the attraction before you travel, especially for access needs.
Photos
Photos via Google
Opening hours
- Monday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Current hours may differ from the usual schedule above (e.g. holidays) — check Google Maps for today's hours.
What visitors say
Imperial War Museum North in Media City is a very well-designed and powerful museum experience. The exhibitions are informative, emotional, and presented in a really engaging way with visuals, audio, and real historical artifacts. The building itself is architecturally beautiful and located in a lovely area by the water. Definitely worth visiting if you enjoy history or want an educational day out in Manchester.
· via Google
Definitely worth a visit. The museum is free and is really nicely laid out. There's a cafeteria and a shop on the lower level and the main gallery is upstairs. There's a separate gallery which at the moment is being used to show a presentation about Espionage and Spying which I found fascinating. There's just the right mix between two much information and too little, and the information is presented in a very clear way. The main gallery takes you through the history of conflicts starting with World War One and circling round to the present day. Again, the information is really nicely laid out and presented. There are plenty of video presentations to watch and lots of exhibits and artifacts from each period. The best bit was a presentation that was projected on all the walls of the main gallery which showed images and video from conflicts with an audio track with music and poetry which was really impressive and very moving. All in all, a great experience.
· via Google
This was an awesome interesting place! My son loves war machines and knows pretty much all there is to know about them and he was completely in his element! The staff were wonderful and knowledgeable the artifacts were great and the display was tasteful, also thought out carefully! I'd like to say a great family day out, but in order for my statement to be tasteful, ill say we really enjoyed our quality time whilst learning lots of interesting facts about the history of wars! *edit. Toilets were immaculate, which is hard to come by these days!
· via Google
Great Museum. It's definitely a more modern approach vs. Older Museums. I liked it. Especially the 360 degree show was special. Very cool. There is a decent cafe to refresh. Parkhouse nearby over the bridge. All you could want.
· via Google
Visitors say this museum offers engaging and informative exhibits, including immersive multimedia shows and interactive displays that bring history to life. They also highlight the free entry, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and the clean, well-maintained facilities, including the cafe and restrooms.
Summary via Google
At a glance
- Address
- The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1TZ Get directions
- Category
- Museums & Galleries
- Guest rating
- 4.6 / 5 (8,397 reviews)
- Suitable for
- Ages 9+
- Setting
- Indoor
- Good for children
- Yes
- Toilets on site
- Yes
- Destination
- Manchester