Discover the powerful, thought-provoking exhibitions at Imperial War Museum North

Imperial War Museum North is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary people are given a powerful voice.

The building is a multi-sensory experience in itself. It was purpose-built by world-renowned architect, Daniel Libeskind, who decided to place the destructive reality of war and its impact at the very heart of the design.

It offers an immersive experience to complement the emotions of the stories you will find in the exhibition spaces.

The brand-new artwork ‘Poppies’ is now open and sees the iconic hand-crafted, ceramic sculptures that toured the UK until 2018 returned to Manchester.

Re-imagined into a new sculptural form, 'Poppies' cascades down and pools within the unique architecture of IWM North’s AirShard. The poppy sculptures were conceived by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper.

Immerse yourself in a sensory, thought-provoking 360-degree cinematic experience with the Big Picture Show.

These shows include footage from Peter Jackson’s BAFTA-nominated ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ and acclaimed Mancunian poet Tony Walsh’s poem ‘Mightier Than War’.

Using surround sound, projected digital moving images and photographs, the Big Picture Show brings to life people’s experiences of war on the 27-foot-high walls of the Main Exhibition Space.

See Tolkien’s First World War revolver and a piece of twisted steelwork from the World Trade Center in New York, amongst over 2,000 objects on display. Using personal stories and objects, the six silos are inspired by the themes that surround all wars from 1914 – from the role of women, to science and technology and more.

Throughout February, families can learn about the global impact of conflict, from the First World War and Second World War to today