Imperial War Museum North

The Imperial War Museum North isn’t just a museum with relics of wars from the 20th century in Europe on display, it also displays the emotions of war. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the museum’s shell in itself takes on a part of the museum – its shape is that of a globe split to pieces and interlocking in three shards. Each shard represents one of the main forms of war; air, water and land. The air portion is the entrance to the museum, leaving guests exposed; the earth is home to the exhibits; the café can be found in the water section.

One of five museums of the same name in the UK, this outfit explores the impact of war on society. The exhibits here are intense and thousands of artifacts from wars where the UK played a role are on display. Included inside are tanks from WWII, jets, guns, even artwork from the time of war. To gain a better understanding of the impact of war, there are multimedia presentations which incorporate old film clips, news and documentaries to bring the stories of the pain and tragedy of these times to life.

Its location, overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford Park, is historic in itself. During WWII, the area was a key industrial center that was bombed heavily in 1940 during the Manchester Blitz.

Practical Info

Located adjacent to The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North is very accessible via public transit. Using MetroLink, take the Eccles line tram and stop at either Harbour City or Media City. Via train, exit at Oxford Road or Piccadilly Station and then board the Eccles tram. By Salford Quays Link, take the Number 9 bus. There are also a number of buses that can take visitors to The Lowry. The buses that drop off the closest are 290 and 291 – Flixton – Manchester (no weekend or bank holiday service). Other buses include: 69, 27, 25, 33, 63, 51 and 52 and are all about 20 minute walks.