Manchester Town Hall is the one building you can't miss in central Manchester. With its great clock tower striking nearly 90 metres up over Albert Square, it defines the city's skyline in much the same way that Big Ben does in London. It's a building that critics have called a 'Victorian Gothic masterpiece'. And most Mancunians would agree – they have repeatedly named it as their favourite building, no small thing in a city weighed down with monumental buildings.It was built in 1877, both to house the local government offices of a rapidly expanding city, and to act as a beacon of Manchester's growing wealth and power. Some see the strong resemblance between the Town Hall and London's Palace of Westminster as no coincidence – Manchester wanted to be compared to – and to outshine – the southern capital.Viewed from the outside, the six storey hall, with its grand sandstone spires, looks magnificent enough. But the architect, Alfred Waterhouse, paid as much attention creating something sensational on the inside of the Town Hall, as he did on the outside. And the two rooms that illustrate that most powerfully are the Great Hall, and the Sculpture Hall.The Great Hall is the better known. It sits on the first floor, and looks every inch like a medieval banqueting hall, with it stone-ribbed ceiling and tall stained-glass arches. Here, everything is symbolic. The adjacent landing has a mosaic floor of bees (for industry) and cotton flowers (for the plant that made the city rich). The ceiling shows the heralds of the towns that Manchester has traded with, while the walls are decorated with Ford Madox Brown's famous 'Manchester Murals'. They illustrate twelve joyful scenes from Manchester's long history.The Sculpture Hall is also splendid, but in a different way. It is arrayed with pink-and-black striped arches, veined-marble columns, intricately designed floors – and pristine white marble busts of Manchester notables in the arts, sciences and politics. But best of all, part of it serves as a tea room, decked out with the finest furniture. Only in Manchester can you sit in such opulence, at the heart of local government, sipping your tea, and sampling the delights of Lancashire hotpot.
Manchester City Hall Tours and Activities
Visit Manchester City Hall
Tours & day trips
See all 79 activitiesOpens in new tabSnowdonia,Chester&North Wales
Private & custom tours
See all 22 activitiesOpens in new tabHaunted Manchester Self-Guided Tour: The Pusher
Food, drink & nightlife
See all 17 activitiesOpens in new tabHard Rock Cafe Manchester Dining Experience
Attractions
See all 7 activitiesOpens in new tabMANCHESTER: Lake District Adventure Sightseeing Day Trip
Shows & concerts
See all 3 activitiesOpens in new tabManchester: Alcotraz Immersive Cocktail Experience Ticket
Popular places to visit
Manchester Christmas Market
During your visit to Manchester, you can do some window-shopping at Manchester Christmas Market. Experience the area's entertainment choices and acclaimed theatre scene.
St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Square may now be a peaceful space overlooked by historical buildings – but it was once the site of an atrocity that shook Manchester and Britain.
Albert Square
A fine square to observe one of Manchester's finest buildings – or a great gathering place for football triumph. Either way Albert Square is bound to please.
Manchester Art Gallery
For two centuries, this proud institution has mixed the best of Manchester's artists with fine examples of work from around Britain – and the world.
St Mary's The Hidden Gem
Find out about the history of Manchester when you take a trip to St Mary's The Hidden Gem. Make time to visit the area's shops or simply enjoy its top-notch restaurants.
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
A red-stoned 'cathedral' that's a treasure-store for some of the oldest and most important books and manuscripts from literary history.