Greater Manchester is full of attractions for everyone to enjoy, but many family favourites have sadly disappeared over the years.
Whether you wanted somewhere to take the kids to keep them entertained all day, or a place to make memories with friends, the Greater Manchester of the past had it all - from Belle Vue Zoological Gardens which was a zoo and amusement park rolled into one, to The Water Place where you could splash around all day.
We’ve looked back at some of the lost attractions that many of you will have fond memories of. Some have gone on to become something else entirely, while others have been reduced to rubble.
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Granada Studios Tour
Telly fans rejoiced when it was announced the Granada Studios Tour was opening in Manchester in 1988. Visitors were taken on a guided tour which included walking along the Coronation Street cobbles and visiting some of the iconic sets.
The tour also allowed guests to take a trip along Downing Street, explore the Baker Street set from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and have a look around the lounge at Emmerdale ’s Home Farm. Granada Studios Tour sadly closed its doors to the public in 1999, but the Coronation Street set temporarily re-opened to the public in April 2014 until December 2015.
In August 2015, developers submitted a planning application to demolish the Granada Studios Tour, and the South Village project was approved – a new neighbourhood of shops, apartments and green space. A replacement Coronation Street tour opened at MediaCityUK in 2014 ahead of the permanent closure of the Granada Studios Tour.
Belle Vue Zoological Gardens
Having closed in 1977, Belle Vue Zoological Gardens is now a distant memory, but it’s safe to say many people would love the attraction to still exist. The venue was first opened in 1836 by John Jennison who owned a small collection of birds and wanted to show them off, but John had a much bigger vision for the attraction.
Not only did Belle Vue Zoological Gardens go on to be a huge zoo full of fantastic animals, visitors could roam the gardens, enjoy the amusement park's many rides, dine at one of the various restaurants and dance in the fabulous ballrooms. It truly was a spectacle for the whole family to enjoy.
The amusement park remained open on weekends during the summer until 1980, with the land being sold in 1982 and cleared in 1987. All that remained of the Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was the empty greyhound racing stadium which started being demolished in 2021, ready for housing and apartments to be built on the land.
The Water Place
Those who visited The Water Place in Bolton enjoyed a day of splashing around in the swimming pool, enjoying the wave machine and zooming down the two water flumes when you finally made it to the top of the rickety staircase.
Disco music played in the background, providing the soundtrack for hours of fun. The venue also had a gym, cafeteria and meeting rooms. The Queen opened The Water Place in 1988 and it went on to thrill families until 2002. Sadly, three years after its closure, the water park was demolished.
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Dreamieland
The smallest lost attraction to feature on our list is Dreamieland, which was based inside The Trafford Centre. Situated next to the UCI cinema, the interactive ride opened in 2002 and was loved by children who would escape the madness of the shops and eateries by getting lost in Dreamieland.
Kids would pay around £3 to ride their own “dream hopper” through nine fantasy scenes and would meet “Dreamies” and “Guzzlers” who would talk, sing and move. Children would have to use their Guzzler torch to zap as many Guzzlers as possible to score points which were shown on the leaderboard at the end of the five minute ride.
There was also a shop where you could buy a variety of merchandise featuring the characters from the ride. Unfortunately, Dreamieland didn’t last long, and evidence of the ride ever existing in The Trafford Centre has now gone.
Salford Mining Museum
The region’s mining history was celebrated at Salford Mining Museum in Buile Hill Park. The venue first opened in 1974, and later changed its name to the Lancashire Mining Museum.
Those who visited the Grade II listed mansion could view 5,000 photographs and 3,000 books all about mining, as well as 2,500 objects including banners, helmets, boots and clogs. You could also pop on a hard hat and pretend to push a cart down a pit.
Despite attracting around 28,000 visitors a year, Salford/Lancashire Mining Museum shut in 2000. The mining artefacts were sent to Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, as much of it related to the Manchester Coalfields.
Since then, the building has stood empty for many years, with restoration beginning in 2021. Several companies have proposed to turn the building into numerous things, including a hotel and a wedding venue.
The Paramount Theatre/Odeon cinema
The Paramount Theatre opened on Manchester’s Oxford Street in 1930 and became the Odeon in 1939. The cinema had seven screens and often hosted glamorous film premieres.
Moviegoers were able to catch the latest blockbusters at the venue until 2004 when it stopped being the Odeon and joined the list of Manchester's lost cinemas. The building was occasionally used as a church before being demolished in 2017 to make way for an office block.
What are your memories of the above attractions? Let us know in the comments section below where you can also tell us which other lost Manchester attractions you miss.
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