The best free things to do in Manchester when on a budget - including the Portico Library and People’s History Museum

Here in Manchester, there's many things to get involved with if you're on a budget. The city-region is full of sites to see, museums to visit, and places to window-shop.

Here's a run down of the top things you can do in Manchester if you're keeping an eye on cost:

For the history and science lovers, the area boasts a number of free museums for you to take a tour of. Manchester City centre's Science and Industry museum is a perfect way to learn more about Manchester's history and try out a few interactive experiments. There are paid-for exhibits, but you can take a trip to the museum and see the city's involvement in the industrial revolution without paying a penny.

A short 20-minute walk from the Science and Industry museum is the People's History Museum - a place you can explore to learn about the history of working people in the UK. The museum has one of the largest collections of political material in the country and tells the story of how democracy evolved, and has hundreds of political banners on display and in its archive.

Manchester Museum is part of the University of Manchester and has recently undergone a huge 15 million pound transformation which has added new spaces including a South Asia Gallery and a Chinese Culture gallery.

If football is more your thing, you can take a look at Manchester City's famous Etihad stadium or Manchester United's Old Trafford. Both are free to observe from the outside, but a tour of the grounds will set you back at least £25 each for an adult ticket.

Back in the city centre, why not visit some of the beautiful historical landmarks such as the Grade I listed building Manchester Cathedral, and take a trip up a winding staircase to marvel at the Portico Library's tall domed ceilings and shelves stacked high with books.

For window shopping - or actual shopping - there's always the Arndale Centre or the Trafford Centre, which are easy to get to using our Metrolink tram network. You can browse the shops and maybe even stop for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and takeaway places dotted around Manchester.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with how much we have to do here in the city-region, you could always try Free Manchester Walking Tours for an stress-free explore of Manchester City centre. They operate daily from 11am in Sackville Gardens.