• Saturday Spectacular – Animal Prints and Book Making Fun!

    Performance Space

      Join us for a fun afternoon of free family activities. Have a go at letterpress printing with images from the archives. Create your own wonderful prints to take home. The Architectural School for Children will be visiting to deliver a book-making workshop. Free - no need to book - just drop in

  • Saturday Spectacular

    Performance Space

    Join us for animal prints and book making fun! Have a go at letterpress printing with images from the archives. Create your own wonderful prints or take part in a book making workshop. Suitable for families with children aged 12 and under. Free - just drop in

  • Family Sunday Funday

    Performance Space

    Grab your nearest and dearest, put on your dancing shoes and join us as we celebrate with free family fun. Heritage Open Days – as part of this festival we are offering two behind-the-scenes tours.  Find out how the North West Film Archive is saving the region’s filmed heritage and see their conservation and storage […]

  • Diwali lantern making workshops

    Performance Space

    Light up your Saturdays in October  - take part in the Diwali lantern parade. Celebrate Dashehra Diwali Mela at our family lantern making workshops. Everyone at the workshops can take part in the main procession on Saturday 14 October. The procession will lead into the spectacular finale performance and firework display in Albert Square. Don’t […]

    Free
  • Family Learning Festival: Animation Workshop

    Start your adventure here! This practical workshop introduces parents and children to the wonderful world of animation, and shows how to work together to create basic stop frame animation. What is the Family Learning Festival? It's a national celebration to mark and inspire a love of learning in family life. It takes place in October […]

  • Science@Central

    Central Library is a mysterious, secret-filled place. Who knows what hidden knowledge lies between the pages of its many books? Read up on the spirit of scientific investigation and come find out for yourself, discovering how science has affected the story-lined corridors of Manchester Central Library over the centuries. Get elbow deep in moonrocks and […]

  • Creepy Crypt Halloween Activity

    Darken the doors of Central Library for our spooky Halloween event. Dare to visit the creepy crypt and take part in a ghastly game, hear chilling rhymes from the creature in the corner and then take part in the trick or treat trail with your carefully crafted goody bag. Suitable for families No need to […]

  • Saturday Spectacular

    To celebrate Explore Your Archive Week, join us to celebrate 120 years of the Disabled Living charity. Join us as we find out how the charity has changed over the years by using their archive images in a range of fun activities for all the family. Free - just drop in

  • Sunday Funday: Enter the Magical Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

    Calling all Witches, Wizards and Muggles. You are invited to enter a magical wizarding world at Central Library! This Harry Potter inspired event includes: The Battle of the Wizards All is not what it seems as a Deatheater, an agent of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, has been seen stalking the library. Fearing that Voldemort has returned and is trying […]

  • Christmas Extravaganza

    Get your festive season underway with our annual family extravaganza.  Listen to a fantastic line-up of local choirs and bands and enjoy a mince pie with us. Create your own Christmas crafts. There will be performances and activities galore and Father Christmas will be here! For full details visit archivesplus.org

  • QUEER CONTACT ’18: Drag Queen Storytime

    Storytime doesn’t get more glamorous than this! Manchester Libraries are proud to be working with Queer Contact and The Family Gorgeous to present their first Drag Queen Storytime at Central Library. Drag Queen Storytime is exactly what it sounds like, drag queens reading stories to children in libraries. The aim is to capture the freedom […]