6 Best Sights in Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District, England

This offshoot of the London-based art galleries of the same name occupies a handsome conversion of Albert Dock warehouses by the late James Stirling, one of Britain's leading 20th-century architects. There is no permanent collection; challenging exhibitions of modern and contemporary art change every couple of months. There are children's activities, an excellent gift shop, and a dockside café-restaurant.

With a superb display of British art and some outstanding Italian and Flemish works, this is one of the best British art collections outside London. Don't miss the unrivaled collection of paintings by 18th-century Liverpudlian equestrian artist George Stubbs or works by J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, Frederic Lord Leighton, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Modern artists are included, too; on display is one of David Hockney's typically Californian pool scenes. Other excellent exhibits showcase classical Greek and Roman sculptures as well as china, silver, and furniture that once adorned the mansions of Liverpool's industrial barons. There are temporary exhibitions, including those focusing on photography, and a dedicated children's art space. The café holds center stage in the airy museum lobby.

This University of Manchester–owned art museum is beautifully—and uniquely—integrated into the surrounding parkland through its art garden, sculpture terrace, orchard garden, and landscape gallery. Some of the free events and activities take you into the park itself, including children's outdoor art clubs. The renowned collections inside the gallery embrace British watercolors, Old Master drawings, postimpressionist works, wallpapers, and an outstanding textile gallery befitting a city built on textile manufacturing. There's also a learning studio for families and a "café in the trees" overlooking the art garden, with a seasonal British menu.

The highlight of this venue is its "Wonders of the Peak" gallery with displays on Derbyshire's geology, archaeology, history, and art. It's a good place to see Blue John, a colorful, semiprecious mineral found only in the Peak District (the name comes from bleu jaune—literally "blue yellow"—a term supposedly coined by visiting French mine workers).

Behind an impressive classical portico, this splendid museum and its sparkling modern atrium houses an outstanding collection of paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites and their circle, notably Ford Madox Brown's masterpiece Work and Holman Hunt's The Hireling Shepherd. British artwork from the 18th and 20th centuries is also well represented. The second-floor Craft and Design Gallery shows off the best of the decorative arts in ceramics, glass, metalwork, and furniture. The Lion's Den (Clore Art Studio) is a creative space for families while the Derek Jarman Pocket Park pays homage to the eponymous artist's iconic garden in Dungeness, Kent.

This modern museum and gallery displays a 5,000-piece ceramic collection of international repute and is recognized worldwide for its unique Staffordshire pottery, as well as for a number of items from the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and metalworks ever found. Other highlights are an original World War II Spitfire plane and works by Picasso, Degas, and Dürer. You'll also find the area's tourism information headquarters here.