Manchester City Galleries

Manchester City Galleries forms part of Manchester City Council’s Cultural Directorate, which also includes Cultural Strategy and the Renaissance in the Regions North West programme.

Manchester City Galleries operates two venues in the city:

·         Manchester Art Gallery

·         Gallery of Costume, Platt Hall

We care for the city’s internationally renowned and Designated collections of fine art, decorative art and costume.

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester Art Gallery is one of the region’s most popular cultural destinations, attracting over 400,000 visits each year. Between 1998 and 2002, a £35million refurbishment and expansion programme transformed the venue into a world-class gallery for Manchester. Since then, Manchester Art Gallery has won many awards and has developed a national reputation for its high quality, audience focused services.

Manchester Art Gallery houses many of the city’s most important fine and decorative art works, which have been Designated as being of national importance. Our collection covers over six centuries up to the present day, but we are especially renowned for our 19th century British paintings. Particular visitor favourites include our collection of major Pre-Raphaeliteworks and the impressionistic paintings of Adolphe Valette. 

Visitors can also enjoy a diverse programme of changing exhibitions, ranging from historic to cutting edge contemporary art, photography, design, decorative art and family friendly exhibitions. 

Manchester Art Gallery welcomes families and we offer a range of family-friendly facilities and a year-round events programme. To help visitors learn more about our collection or art in general, we also offer a wide range of tours, talks and workshops for adult learners, as well as programmes for schools and colleges and community groups.

Visitors can relax in our gallery cafe or browse in the shop for art related gifts and cards.

Manchester Art Gallery is available for venue hire, commercial filming, weddings and civil ceremonies and more. There are a variety of ways to get more involved with and support the gallery, from corporate membership to becoming a Manchester Art Gallery Friend.

Entry to Manchester Art Gallery is free. We are open Tuesday – Sunday 10am-5pm and Bank Holidays.

Creativetourist.com

Manchester Art Gallery is part of a group of nine museums and galleries in Manchester, which work together as the Manchester Museums Consortium. The group share a dual vision: the desire to stage intelligent, thought-provoking and outward looking exhibitions and events, and to celebrate the city in which we live, work and play. The Consortium produces Creativetourist.com, a monthly online magazine, as well as biannual insider city guides – uncovering not just galleries and museums, but shops, bars, events, restaurants and nights out that are distinctly, uniquely Mancunian.

Gallery of Costume, Platt Hall

The Gallery of Costume, based at Platt Hall in Rusholme, houses our Designated collections of clothing and fashion accessories, one of the largest collections in Britain. Following a major eighteen month refurbishment project it reopened in March 2010.