Top 10 Best Free Things to do Outdoors in Manchester

When visiting any city as a family, you will be concerned with what activities to do with kids there are, after all shared fun family activities are what vacations are all about and if the weather is fine perhaps fun outdoor activities are preferred. In general terms, kids are usually happier with outdoor activities and also, as a family, cost is always a concern and so here is a list of perhaps the best top 10 things to do outside for free in Manchester. You can’t please any child all of the time but at least some of these free outdoor activities should appeal to some of the kids.

10. Piccadilly Gardens

Stretching south from the end of Market Street and across to the start of the London Road, Piccadilly Gardens provide a green patch in the middle of the city. These are paved areas within gardens and since its renovations in 2002, have a new Pavilion and water feature.

9. St. Anne’s Square

This square is regular transformed by a variety of markets each year. It can provide an excellent place for shopping and relaxing, whilst rarely appearing the same as it did on previous visits.

8. Manchester Ship Canal

A walk from the River Orwell near the city centre, through the old docks to Cornbrook where the Manchester Ship Canal begins, can provide some insight into the history of the world’s most famous shipping canal.

7. Fletcher Moss Park

This 21 acre park still contains some of the same rock and heather gardens it did when it was first presented to Manchester as a gift from Alderman Fletcher Moss in 1914 and remains a place of beauty and tranquillity.

6. Albert Square

This square is situated in the centre of Manchester and is surrounded by Victorian monuments and buildings, many of which are of lusted status.

5. Castlefield, Urban Heritage Park

Located between the bust Northern Quarter and Piccadilly Gardens, this oasis of tranquillity in the busy city offers walks where you can see parts of the old Roman Fort and also the oldest railway station in the world, plus spot Swans on the waterway.

4. Chinatown

Visiting any Chinatown is always interesting but when it is one of the oldest outside of China, it is even more so.

3. Market Street

This street is restricted for pedestrians only and stretches for several miles filled with street performers, vendors and shops.

2. The Runway Visitor Park

Here you can just spend the day watching some of the 600 daily air movements from elevated mounds or from a window seat in the restaurant. If you prefer you can take a guided tour of the famous Concord aircraft or the Royal Air Forces Nimrod or enjoy a new children’s play area that just opened in 2011.

1. Heaton Park

Run by the Manchester City Council, this huge family park has something for everyone from farm animals at the Animal Centre to a quirkily renovated 18^th century house. The park hosts many events and is easily accessible from the motorway or Metrolink.