Like a multistory car-park but without the ambience (The Imperial War Museum North (Manchester))

Member Name: Go to Duxford instead

Product:	The Imperial War Museum North (Manchester)
Date:	28/04/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free entry

Disadvantages: Ugly, ill lit, badly laid out and lacking in exhibits

Dreadful museum that's not worth the entry price.
Admission, I should add, is free.

The main problem is that there is nothing in it - which is a bit fundamental in a museum. Odd bits of uniforms, a Trabant car (why?), a 13pdr gun, a few small arms, some letters from POW's, soldiers and civilians which, I assume, are to show how terrible war is. Well I know how terrible war is. I want to learn something new and this museum fails miserably to teach you anything.

Secondary to the museums failure is the building itself. It's by an award winning architect so you just know it's going to be bad. And it is. Dingy and ill lit with bare concrete and some truly bewildering detailing. For example the main staircase has a hand rail running down the middle. Nothing odd about that except that if you go up the left hand side of the stairs you find that half way up the handrail moves across until it meets the wall and you have to go back down and come up the right side. Hilarious! I just laughed and laughed.

Summary: Buy a parking ticket for two hours and weep when you realise you've seen it all in 45 minutes.