Whether it’s atmospheric light trails, engrossing museum exhibitions, show-stopping festive theatre, trips to Santa’s grotto or bracing winter walks through the region’s spellbinding scenery, Greater Manchester’s festive schedule boasts a countless array of family-friendly days out to satisfy Christmas-crazed kids and cheer-dodging Scrooges alike.
Open until the end of the month, the magical annual festive light show Glow returns to Worsley’s botanical jewel with thirteen new features across a luminous winter trail filled with colour, sound and seasonal atmosphere.
Visitors are invited to explore the garden after dark, winding through illuminated woodlands, waterside reflections and sparkling garden installations, before enjoying a range of comforting festive treats at the Stables Cafe, including hot chocolate, mulled wine and more.
Father Christmas is making his annual rounds around Greater Manchester and Cheshire once again, and families can deliver their lists to the man himself across a host of unforgettable grotto adventures spanning immersive experiences to charm-filled meet-and-greets.
This year’s major highlight takes over Capesthorne Hall, where LaplandUK Manchester invites visitors on a four-and-a-half-hour journey that includes helping the elves in the Toy Factory, decorating gingerbread with Mother Christmas and exploring the Elven Village before meeting Santa in his snowy woodland cabin.
In Chadderton, Christmas on the Farm returns to Lancaster Park with letters to Santa in a log cabin, marshmallow toasting by the fire pit, a petting barn, quad bikes, rides and a playful appearance from Mr. Grinch before a final visit to the grotto.
The Trafford Centre’s grotto remains one of the region’s most popular choices, and families can set off with the Cheer Task Force through Gingerbread Lane, the Enchanted Forest and Santa’s Study during a 15 to 20 minute adventure that ends with a private meeting with Father Christmas.
Fans of The Polar Express can hop aboard the East Lancashire Railway for a Santa Specials voyage, which run through the Irwell Valley with brass bands, a cast of festive characters, soft drinks and gifts for children with boozier options on hand for adults.
Check out the full list of unmissable Santa’s Grotto experiences below.
Set across sweeping uplands, wooded valleys and serene deer lawns, the National Trust’s winter landscapes in Greater Manchester and Cheshire offer some of the region’s most atmospheric cold-season escapes.
At Lyme, vast skies, rugged moorland and the short climb to the Cage provide a stirring setting for bracing walks with wide views across Manchester and the southerly plains, while Quarry Bank pairs the River Bollin’s silvered waterside paths with sheltered woodland routes and the rich heritage of its historic mill, making it an ideal seasonal day out for families and history enthusiasts alike. At Dunham Massey, expansive parkland, ancient oaks and roaming fallow deer offer a gentle, bucolic winter wander, with easy loops and calm corners that suit relaxed strolls in the outdoors.
Find out more below.
From classic yuletide favourites to blockbuster arena productions, Manchester’s family theatre and pantomime season brings a dazzling assortment of colourful sets, slapstick hilarity and seasonal joy for audiences of all ages.
At Bolton’s Albert Halls, The New Adventures of Peter Pan offers bright scenery, energetic performances and plenty of audience participation, while the Opera House presents Robin Hood, bringing Jason Manford and Ben Nickless together for a traditional panto packed with hapless hikings. The Lowry’s staging of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe transforms the theatre into a snowy Narnian realm, and the AO Arena hosts the Wicked Wizard of Oz Cirque Spectacular, a high-flying adaptation featuring show-stopping aerial acrobatics and larger-than-life characters.
Check out the best pantomimes around Manchester HERE, and check out the full family theatre round-up below.
Throughout the festive season and into the new year, Jodrell Bank invites visitors to embark on a celestial celebration of science, wonder and imagination, with a dazzling programme of festive shows, creative workshops and breathtaking night-sky adventures marking 80 years of discovery at the world-famous observatory.
Younger visitors can join the museum’s furry interstellar guide for a musical, rhyme-filled journey through space with the dome show Ted’s Space Adventure, while What Santa Sees brings a festive twist to the constellations as Santa and his reindeer travel across the world on Christmas Eve, with each child receiving a mini hot chocolate and gingerbread treat. Families can also enjoy All in a Mouse’s Night, a charming wordless puppet show full of delightful humour and starlit imagination.
The wider programme also includes Gemini and Mercury Remastered, an exhibition of beautifully restored NASA photography that captures the earliest years of human spaceflight.
Evening events welcome the new year, with astrophotography workshops led by Dr Anthony Holloway and the popular Astro Nights, which lets visitors get hands-on with star-gazing and hear expert talks on the foundations of astronomy.
Find out more below.
From shadowy science and gooey experiments to seasonal excitement and engine-powered adventures, the Science and Industry Museum makes it a Christmas of curiosity with their action-packed festive programme running from Sat 20 Dec – Sun 4 Jan.
Visitors throughout the half-term break will have a final opportunity to experience the gleefully gross exhibition Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, where budding biologists can get stuck into the senses with an interactive adventure through a super-sized human body. Uncover intriguing facts across rooms dedicated to the senses, before being sneezed out of an enormous nose and collecting a small gift.
Throughout the holidays, museum explainers lead free activities that explore optical illusions, audio tricks and surprising sensory challenges.
Families can also get creative with shadow play and colourful projections as part of the museum’s festive programme, while the newly reopened Power Hall brings Manchester’s engineering past to life with working engines and locomotives. Younger visitors can build their own engines in Revolution Manchester, and the museum’s free galleries remain open throughout the season, including the Textiles Gallery, the hands-on Experiment and even a display featuring objects from Stephen Hawking’s office. Gamers can also revel in play across the generations with Power Up, with over 150 consoles and classic titles spanning fifty years of digital entertainment.
Find out more below.
For a dose of wintry wartime intrigue, IWM North’s free and family-friendly exhibition Spies, Lies and Deception uncovers the cloak-and-dagger world of espionage from the First World War to the present day.
Families can get up close with ingenious spy gadgets, discover stories of daring deception and visit the Mission Room, where young guests can solve clues and test their undercover skills.
The exhibition includes real artefacts, from hollow batteries used to hide film and pencils concealing blades to matchboxes designed for secret messages and more.
Find out more and plan your visit to the five-star exhibition below.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Fri 11 Dec 2020
On Sun 14 Dec, the ever-popular RNCM Christmas Family Day welcomes guests of all ages for an afternoon of festive tradition and immersive yuletide enchantment. This year’s highlight, a live orchestral accompaniment to The Snowman and the Snowdog (© Snowman Enterprises Ltd.), offers a tender, uplifting movie experience that vividly captures all the nostalgic warmth of the original animation with enchanting new musical dimensions, alongside creative workshops and seasonal activities throughout the day.