Manchester is a city that I often visit for gigs, and it almost feels like a second home because we go there so often. However, this was my football-loving nephew’s first trip to Manchester with us. What better way to show him the sights than with a Manchester City Stadium Tour and a visit to some of Manchester’s best museums?
So, if you are planning a trip of your own, read on for more information on where we stayed and the wheelchair accessible things to do in Manchester that we managed to tick off and that you might like to add to your list.
This post contains:
- A brief review of the wheelchair accessible hotel in Manchester where we stayed for two nights
- 5 wheelchair accessible things to do in Manchester
- Restaurant suggestions in Manchester that are wheelchair accessible
- Practical information on public transport and Blue Badge parking in Manchester
I hope this helps you plan an awesome wheelchair accessible trip to Manchester!
AD Thank you so much VisitManchester for hosting us and kindly arranging the following recommendations. As always, all views and opinions in this post are my own and 100% honest.
Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Manchester
We stayed at the Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre, a modern 4-star hotel located on Portland Street in the heart of Manchester. With its stylish and contemporary design, the hotel provides comfortable accommodation and excellent amenities for guests. Its central location offers easy access to the city’s attractions and convenient public transport links.
Our accessible room was lovely and HUGE, allowing the three of us to move around comfortably. We enjoyed stunning city views from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the sixteenth floor. The bathroom featured a roll-in shower and a roll-under sink.
The breakfast was amazing with lots of choices. We also had a lovely dinner at the hotel restaurant on our first evening and ordered a cheeky room-service pizza on our second evening while we relaxed watching a movie together.
I highly recommend the Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre for anyone visiting Manchester. Read my review of Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre here.
Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Manchester
There’s something for everyone in Manchester. On this occasion, our activities were centred around things my eleven year old nephew would enjoy the most. Here is what we got up to over three days in Manchester that are both kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible.
Be sure to let me know in the comment section what wheelchair accessible things to do in Manchester you’d add to the list.
1. Science and Industry Museum
When we arrived in Manchester, our first stop was the Science and Industry Museum. The museum is located in the heart of the city and is built on the site of the oldest surviving passenger railway station. It offers insight into the development of science, technology, pioneering inventions, and the city’s industrial heritage.
With a diverse collection of exhibits, including vintage machinery and interactive displays, it’s a great place to visit for all ages. My nephew particularly enjoyed the educational science experiences and hands-on demonstrations.
My nephew is also a big gaming fan, so we were fortunate to visit during the Power Up event. This event offers a hands-on gaming experience featuring the best video games and consoles from the past 50 years. There were over 150 consoles to try out with a wide range of games, including Sonic, Street Fighter, Minecraft, Spiderman, FIFA, and much more.
There was something for everyone. We enjoyed trying everything from the Atari 2600 to the latest virtual reality headset and everything in between.
As a keen gamer, I was excited to try out the Xbox adaptive controller for the first time and another accessible controller, which I think was for the PlayStation. However, I need to work on my technique and explore the best adaptive controller setup for me.
Details: Power Up is available on Saturdays and Sundays during term time and daily during school holidays. A Day Pass costs £8; Annual Pass: £15. Family discounts are available. Ages 3 and under go free.
Wheelchair Accessibility at the Science and Industry Museum
The Science and Industry Museum entrance is level-access and has automatic doors leading into a spacious area with wheelchair accessible throughout. I enjoyed the large open spaces to move around. The information desk had a low-level section, which was a good height for my wheelchair, so I was able to easily speak to the staff behind the desk.
There was a Changing Places toilet next to the restaurant on level 1. There is no parking at the Science and Industry Museum, but we found on-street parking on Great John Street, which was only a few minutes walk from the museum.
Find out more about accessibility on the Science and Industry Museum website.
2. Manchester City Stadium Tour
We went to Manchester primarily for a Manchester City Stadium Tour. My nephew is a huge Manchester City fan, so we wanted to surprise him with a tour of the stadium. Even though he had a suspicion that we would be visiting the Etihad Stadium, he was still thrilled when we told him the plans the night before in our hotel room. A bonus was he could see the stadium from our hotel room.
The Manchester City Stadium Tour was really immersive and interesting. I’m not a football fan, but I enjoyed the experience and loved seeing my nephew so excited. The tour guide shared lots of interesting facts and behind-the-scenes stories that brought the whole experience to life.
My nephew’s favourite parts were getting his photo taken next to the trophy, sitting in his favourite player’s seat in the dressing room, experiencing the walk down the famous glass players’ tunnel onto the pitch, sitting pitchside, and getting a view of the stadium from the dug-outs, and virtually interacting with Pep Guardiola in the press room. And, of course, we also visited the City Store for a souvenir.
Wheelchair Accessibility on the Manchester City Stadium Tour at the Etihad Stadium
I was able to access almost every part of the Manchester City Stadium Tour because it was wheelchair accessible throughout. When there were steps, I took an alternative route via the lift and met back up with the group. The only part I couldn’t access was the walk down the stairs and through the famous glass players’ tunnel out onto the pitch.
While I took the lift and met them pitchside, Allan and my nephew did the walk down the tunnel, and my nephew absolutely loved it. Audio of thousands of chanting fans is played as you walk down, giving you a sense of what it’s like on match day. Amazing!
We loved the view of the pitch from the wheelchair accessible seating area. This gave us an idea of what it could be like if we brought our nephew to a Man City match one day.
A portable folding ramp was available to access the pitch side. It looked well-used and a little battered in areas, but it worked fine to access the three steps.
I didn’t visit the accessible toilets during the tour. However, there is a Changing Places toilet at Etihad Stadium in the South Stand on Level 1.
Further information on the Manchester City Stadium Tour and wheelchair access, including a video with details can be found on the Man City website.
3. Manchester Museum
I visited the Manchester Museum about five years ago and was keen to take my nephew along for a visit. I was also interested in seeing the changes made following a £15 million upgrade, including new gallery spaces and visitor facilities.
Manchester Museum is located in a beautiful Neo-Gothic, Grade II* listed building in the heart of the University of Manchester. It offers a diverse collection of exhibits including natural history, archaeology, and anthropology. The museum is renowned for its extensive Egyptology collection and houses over 4.5 million items from around the world.
When you’re visiting Manchester Museum, don’t forget to look up and say hello to Stan, the museum’s Tyrannosaurus rex, who lives in the Fossils and Dinosaur Gallery.
I particularly enjoyed the Living Worlds and Nature’s Library section of the museum, with its stunning oak panels and glass roof. Within this section, there is a display of natural history specimens, including the skeleton of a sperm whale that has been suspended from the ceiling for over 130 years.
This whale skeleton was discovered stranded on the sea ice in Massachusetts in 1896, purchased for £60, and transported in three large crates down the Ship Canal to Manchester docks before being prominently displayed in the hall.
There is a lovely cafe in the museum. Although we didn’t eat there this time, I did on my previous visit. I remember having a delicious lunch and the most amazing vegan brownies.
We couldn’t leave without visiting the gift shop and having a look at the unique gifts and beautiful pieces created by local makers. And of course, my nephew bought a souvenir to remember his visit to the Manchester Museum.
Wheelchair Accessibility at Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum is wheelchair accessible with ramp access at the main entrance and lifts inside to each floor. I found the wheelchair access inside the museum very good, and I didn’t have difficulties moving around the displays and exhibition halls.
A quiet room and Changing Places toilet have been installed as part of the museum’s recent redevelopment, which are fantastic additions.
There are three accessible parking spots on Bridgeford Street, next to the museum. You can access them by informing the attendant at the barrier next to UoM Car Park D on Booth Street West. Alternatively, there is accessible parking at the Manchester Aquatic Centre car park.
Find out more about accessibility at Manchester Museum.
4. National Football Museum
The National Football Museum, located in the iconic Urbis building, is a must-visit for football enthusiasts. It houses an impressive collection of football memorabilia, interactive exhibits, and engaging displays showcasing the rich history of the sport. From legendary players and historic matches to the cultural impact of football, the museum offers an immersive experience for fans of all ages.
The museum features a Pitch Gallery (ground floor), a Match Gallery (level 1), a Play Gallery (level 2), and a Score Gallery (level 3).
Like my nephew, children (and adults) will enjoy the interactive displays and games, along with the opportunity to have their photo taken next to a replica Premier League trophy.
From taking penalty shootouts and saving goals to doing crafts, testing your skills and knowledge, and having a go as a football commentator.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without exiting through the gift shop and leaving with a souvenir. My nephew picked a Manchester City Caption Armband, which he was happy with. It was too big for his arm, but Gran to the rescue stitched it so it could fit his arm.
Wheelchair Accessibility at the National Football Museum
The National Football Museum is wheelchair accessible throughout with a step-free entrance with an automatic door and a lift to access each level.
But it’s not just a standard lift; it’s called an inclinator which ascends and descends at an incline rather than vertically like a standard lift. We had never been in an inclinator before, so it was a cool experience for my nephew. It reminded me of a modern funicular. Like this one we went on in Scarborough.
Accessible toilets are available on all four levels of the National Football Museum.
Find out more about accessibility on the National Football Museum website (at the bottom of the page).
5. IKEA Manchester
We made a quick stop at IKEA Manchester before heading home because our nephew loves an IKEA store as much as we do. We had dinner there before beginning the long drive back.
Wheelchair Accessibility at IKEA Manchester
I was happy to discover that IKEA Manchester has a Changing Places facility. Initially, I checked the IKEA website to see if the store had one, but it said it didn’t.
However, when we used our Radar Key to open the door to the accessible toilet, we were surprised to find a Changing Places toilet inside. There were no signs in the store or on the toilet door indicating that it was a Changing Places facility. Hopefully, they will install some signage soon.
Wheelchair Accessible Restaurants in Manchester
Are you looking for restaurant suggestions in Manchester? Here are a few recommendations.
Caravan
Caravan is a restaurant, bar and coffee spot in Manchester’s St John’s district. It’s open all day, seven days a week serving a ‘well-travelled’ menu spanning breakfast through to dinner. This could be a great dining experience after visiting the Science and Industry Museum as it’s less than a 10 minute walk or 5 minute drive away.
Corn Exchange
The National Football Museum is in the middle of Manchester city centre, so there are many restaurants and places to eat nearby. You’ll have plenty of choices. I recommend eating at Corn Exchange Manchester. It’s a beautiful Grade II-listed Edwardian building with twelve restaurants under one glass-domed roof. It’s just a short walk from Manchester Arndale.
Hello Oriental
Hello Oriental Oxford Road is a new street food dining experience in Manchester! The food hall spans three levels and features an Asian-inspired bakery and cafe, a Vietnamese restaurant, as well as Downtown Oriental, a food hall offering street food from the Orient.
Franco Manca
Franco Manca on King Street is a popular pizzeria known for its sourdough pizzas baked in a wood-burning brick oven. Located in Manchester’s city centre, it offers a relaxed atmosphere and a menu featuring a variety of traditional and inventive toppings.
Public Transport and Blue Badge Parking Information
Using the Wheelchair Accessible Metrolink Trams
The tram system provides step-free access for wheelchair users at every tram and tram stop. Currently, there are no trams operating between the Market Street/Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square tram stops. You can find the complete list of tram improvement works here.
Blue Badge Parking
Information on parking for blue badge holders can be found on the Manchester City Council website. You can find parking bays in the disabled parking search section on the website.
Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Manchester with Kids
I hope you feel inspired to plan a weekend trip to Manchester. If you have visited any of these attractions or plan to add them to your list, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
I look forward to sharing more wheelchair accessile trips with you in future blog posts, so be sure to subscribe to join the Simply Emma community and be updated with new posts. You can also follow me on social media at the links below.
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