Amazing new free kids exhibition featuring Zog, Gruffalo and Stick Man sees RECORD crowds - as bosses share new spaces for families to explore

Record-breaking numbers of visitors are flocking to a new free family exhibition featuring a host of picture book favourites at The Lowry in Salford. The exhibition celebrates the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler featuring their hit characters like Zog, the Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man.

Lowry bosses say over 5,000 visitors attended Julia and Axel: Thirty Years of Favourite Stories on its opening weekend, breaking all previous gallery attendance records at the arts centre. Crowds have continued to flock to the Salford Quays venue this week at the start of the school summer holidays.

The exhibition features a host of magical exhibits celebrating the book characters, as well as exclusive insight into how Julia and Axel first created them. There are also themed reading rooms, a dress up section and interactive exhibits.

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The theatre has also now released images of some of the further spaces inside the arts centre that visitors can explore as well as the exhibition on the first floor. They are also themed around the books, so kids can complete a task at the "Zog Academy" to win a gold star like the famous orange dragon, or explore a Gruffalo kitchen play area.

There are also more reading areas across the ground floor of the theatre. You can now look out for the Gruffalo mouse standing proud helping to direct visitors to the exhibition areas too, alongside the sculpture of the Gruffalo himself outside The Lowry.

The exhibition celebrates the much-loved and longstanding partnership between writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Betwen them they created the likes of The Gruffalo, Zog, Room on