Stockport Attractions & Activities
Stockport boasts a great range of attractions and things to do. Unfortunately, given the proximity of Manchester, many of these are often overlooked.
Hat Works is the only museum in the UK dedicated to the hatting industry. Based in Wellington Mill it offers visitors the chance to see the country’s most extensive collection of hats plus live demonstration of working machinery.
Stockport Viaduct spans the town centre and is one of the largest brick structures in Europe. It was built during the Victorian era to carry trains from Manchester to London.
The Stockport Air Raid Shelters are one of the most unique tourist attractions in North West England. During the Second World War a labyrinth of underground passages was carved into sandstone cliffs in the town centre to provide shelter from German bombers. When the conflict finished the tunnels were abandoned and boarded up. They have recently been restored and reopened as a museum.
Grand Central is an entertainment and leisure complex next to Stockport train station. It is home to the Tenpin bowling alley and a Cineworld multiplex cinema. Grand Central Pools, home of the town’s famous swimming club, is also here.
Stockport Town Hall, known locally as ‘the Wedding Cake’, boasts a magnificent ballroom and the UK’s largest Wurlitzer organ. Other historic buildings in Stockport are Bramall Hall, Stockport Plaza, and Staircase House.
Almost half of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is made up of parks and open spaces. Vernon Park is the main municipal park and dates back to Victorian times. Other places to relax include Etherow Country Park and Reddish Vale Country Park.
Stockport County FC is the town’s professional football team. They play at Edgeley Park stadium, just south of the town centre.
Leaflets and further information about most of these attractions can be obtained from the Stockport Tourist Information Centre.