20 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Manchester - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Manchester

Manchester, England

John Rylands Library

A Victorian Gothic masterpiece housing a world-class collection of rare books and manuscripts.

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Manchester, England

Chetham's Library

Dating back almost 400 years, the oldest public collection library in the United Kingdom was once the study hall of Karl Marx.

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Manchester, England

The Washhouse

This Manchester laundromat is hiding something.

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Manchester, England

Manchester Museum

19th century museum with an eclectic mix of curiosities, from Egyptian artifacts to items on archery history to the skull of the world's oldest horse.

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Manchester, England

Victoria Baths

These lovely Turkish-styled baths were brought back to life after winning a reality show competition.

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Manchester, England

Victoria Arches

Hidden on the urban banks of a Manchester river are a series of abandoned waterside industrial sites.

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Manchester, England

Alan Turing Memorial

Have a seat with the father of modern computing at this Manchester monument.

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Manchester, England

Portico Library and Gallery

A 19th-century time capsule of travel, fiction, and historic texts still available to the public.

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Folklore and Magic of Southern England

Nov 2—Nov 7, 2019

Mythical castles and ancient witchcraft, ecological biomes and fairy-tale forests, sea tractors and flaming tar barrels—all this awaits you on our one-of-a-kind exploration of southern England's historic haunts and eccentric traditions.

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Unique
Food & Drink
in Manchester

Vimto

Gastro Obscura

Vimto

This British temperance tonic is now a Ramadan favorite.

Gastro Obscura

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Explore Manchester, England

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andreajgaul has been to A Monument to Vimto

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Stories
About Manchester

An Ordnance Survey worker points his arrow at a revision point, while laughing children look on.

How Arrow-Wielding Men Mapped Britain in the 1940s

Recently unearthed photos show beleaguered surveyors in suits holding pointy wooden markers.

Alan Turing in 1930, long before computer music was even imaginable.

Listen to the First Computer-Generated Christmas Carols, From Alan Turing's Lab

"Jingle Bells" and "Good King Wenceslas" haven't sounded like this in a long time.

by Natasha Frost

December 20, 2017