Zip World Manchester
Treetop nets, high ropes and forest tubing in the woods of Heaton Park, and it is outdoors, not indoors. The cheap one is Treetot Nets: an hour bouncing on nets in the trees for ages 1 to 5, from £5, with a grown-up joining in.
Museum of Illusions Manchester
- Cost
- Adults £25.50, children £21.50, under 5s free
- Ages
- 4 to 14
- Where
- Manchester, Greater Manchester
- Weather
- Works in the rain
- Booking
- Book online
Museum of Illusions sits on Market Street, across from the Arndale, and it is what the name says: more than 60 interactive exhibits built to fool your eyes. There are illusion rooms (Symmetry, Colour, Infinity), installations like the Cloning Table, Head on a Platter and the Beuchet Chair, a walk-in kaleidoscope, and wall pieces such as the Café Wall illusion and the Impossible Triangle. You touch and stand in most of it, and the point is the photos.
It suits primary age upwards best, when children enjoy being fooled and then having it explained. Children 4 and under go free but still need a ticket to hold a time slot, and every child ticket needs an adult with them. Prams are not allowed inside because of the layout, which is the main catch with a toddler. No food or drink inside either, and it is card only.
Prices only appear in the booking system: £25.50 an adult, £21.50 for a child aged 5 to 14, under 5s free, so a family of four is about £94. Tickets are final sale. You can buy at the door unless it is full, but the venue recommends booking. It opens 10am to 7.30pm Sunday to Thursday and until 8.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. From 2 to 31 October 2026 the Halloween package adds a 3D puzzle to take home.
What it costs: From the booking system, 12 Oct 2026: adults (15 and over) £25.50, children 5 to 14 £21.50, under 5s free (still need a ticket for the time slot), students, over 65s and Blue Light Card holders £23. A companion or carer goes free. Card only, and tickets are non-refundable.
Know before you go
- Prams are not allowed inside, so bring a sling or carrier for a baby or toddler.
- Under-5s are free but still need a ticket to book the time slot.
- It is card only and tickets are non-refundable, so book once you know the day.
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What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.7 across 2,847 Google reviews.
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