Dovestone Holiday Park

Gulliver's World is a theme park in Warrington, loosely based on the world of Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels. It is split into themed areas including Western World, Safari Kingdom, Land of Oz, Smuggler's Wharf and Lost World. Rides such as The Antelope, Desperado Drop and Apache Falls sit alongside play areas, both indoors and outdoors, designed for children between 2 and 13.

Tip: The website says booking tickets early can save money, so check online before you go.

AO Arena is a large indoor venue immediately north of Manchester city centre, partly built over Manchester Victoria railway station. It opened in 1995 and hosts concerts, comedy, family shows and sport, including ice hockey and boxing.

Tip: The arena sits partly above Manchester Victoria railway station, so it is easy to reach by train.

The People's History Museum in Manchester is the national museum of democracy. It tells the story of how democracy developed in Britain, and of ordinary people who came together to fight for their rights. It is based in a Grade II listed former hydraulic pumping station, linked by a glass walkway to a modern extension.

Tip: Check the museum's website before you go, as the exhibitions and activities change.

The National Football Museum is England's national museum of football. It is based in the Urbis building in Manchester city centre and is laid out over four floors, preserving, conserving and displaying important collections of football memorabilia.

Tip: Head for the Pitch Gallery first: it is the largest floor and holds the trophies and the Hall of Fame.

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester traces the city's role in the Industrial Revolution and the ideas that went on to change the world. It sits in Castlefield on the site of the original Liverpool Road station, the world's first inter-urban passenger railway station, with Grade I listed buildings including the 1830 Warehouse.

Tip: There's no on-site parking, so use public transport; the Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink stop is nearby.

The Rochdale Pioneers Museum is housed in the Grade II listed building at 31 Toad Lane, where the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society began trading. It is regarded as the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement. The highlight is a recreation of the original shop, complete with its basic furniture, scales and the items that were sold there.

Bury Transport Museum is housed in the restored Castlecroft Goods Warehouse, a Grade II listed building just across the road from Bury Bolton Street Station on the East Lancashire Railway. Inside, it takes you through the 20th century with full-size cars, trucks, buses and trains, and tells the story of how people in the industrial North West lived, worked and got about.

Tip: Parking is limited, so consider arriving by East Lancashire Railway train and hopping off at Bury Bolton Street Station, just across the road.

Imperial War Museum North sits beside the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford, in a striking aluminium-clad building by architect Daniel Libeskind. Its sharp angles and sloping floors are deliberately unsettling, echoing a globe shattered by conflict.

Tip: The main exhibition floor slopes gently and lighting levels vary across two floors, so visitors with mobility issues should take extra care there.