"As exciting as new things can be, you’d be remiss if you didn’t also spend some time with the city’s architectural elders. As a place that grew rich and stately on the money generated during the Industrial Revolution, Manchester is filled with buildings that tend toward the very grandest of 19th- and early-20th-century tastes. Although it’s currently closed to visitors, the neo-gothic Town Hall is an impressive mass of spires and towers.Just next door you can visit the Central Library, whose giant domed roof is propped up by imposing stone pillars. Entry is free, and visitors can enjoy the silence between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Friday and Saturday. Just a 15-minute walk from the library, you can visit the Manchester Cathedral, a building that has only deepened in character as it has survived numerous wars, bombings, and remodelings. You can find out more of its story by visiting, for free, seven days a week. The Tourist Board runs a daily walking tour that takes you through the highlights for $12. The tour sets off at 11:00 AM each day from the Central Library." - MATADOR_NETWORK
