Science and Industry Museum
Working steam engines, the story of Cottonopolis, and hands-on galleries in the world's oldest surviving passenger railway station. Free, and the live demonstrations are the bit kids actually remember.
Flip Out Manchester
Manchester, Greater Manchester
Flip Out sits on Corbett Street in Openshaw, a short hop from the Etihad, and it is a lot more than a trampoline hall. The operator lists 16 attractions: trampolines, a kids arena, a climbing tower, a ninja obstacle course, a wipeout game, soft play and a little go-kart track.
Prices move around, so check the booking page. On our check an hour was £10 for 4 and under and £20 for 5 and over, and the two-hour ticket for 5 and over was also £20, so if that is still true, book the two hours. The real deal is Toddler Time, 11am to 4pm, at £8 for one under-5 and an adult. Several of the bigger attractions need children to be 1.2m or taller, so small ones get less of the building. Flip Out socks are compulsory and you buy them there. Weekday term-time opening starts at noon, and Thursday is closed.
What it costs: Prices page on 25 Sept 2026: Standard Jump (1 hour) £10 for 4 and under, £20 for 5+; 2 Hour Experience £15 for 4 and under, £20 for 5+. Toddler Time (under 5s, 11am-4pm) £8 for one toddler plus one adult, extra adult £8. ASD and Disability session £9 for an hour with a free carer. Family Saver for 4 guests £52 (1 hour) or £70 (2 hours). Go-karts £2 a ride. Walk-in fees apply on the door. Flip Out grip socks compulsory, bought on site.
Know before you go
- Arrive 30 minutes before your slot for check-in, the waiver and the safety briefing, or you lose jump time.
- Any ticket for a child aged 4 or under needs a paying adult ticket alongside it on standard sessions, so Toddler Time at £8 for the pair is far better value.
- It is closed on Thursdays in term time, and the adult and teen areas shut 11am-4pm on weekdays.
- Budget for the go-karts. At £2 a ride nobody stops at one.
Worth knowing: Some attractions need 1.2m+.
Looking for more soft play & indoor play near Manchester?
What visitors say
★★★★★ 3.9 across 1,131 Google reviews.
Read all 1,131 reviews on Google - filter by star rating thereAlso in Manchester
Manchester Museum
A T. rex skeleton cast, live frogs in the vivarium, Egyptian mummies and a genuinely good natural history floor. Free, university-run, and less overwhelming than the big London equivalents.
National Football Museum
Shirts, trophies and match footage across six floors, with penalty shootout and skills games that football-mad kids refuse to leave. If yours do not care about football, skip it - it is exactly what it says.
Runway Visitor Park
Watch jets take off close enough to feel them, with Concorde parked by the fence. Free in, pay for parking, and there is a play area and cafe for the wait between planes.
Heaton Park
One of the biggest municipal parks in Europe: a free animal centre, boating lake, adventure playgrounds and an actual vintage tram running on summer days. You will not do all of it in one visit.
Wythenshawe Park & Community Farm
A big south Manchester park with a proper community farm - pigs, goats, horses - a Tudor hall, and enough playground to earn the trip on its own. All free.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.