For a riveting museum afternoon in Manchester, England, head to the city’s Museum Of Science And Industry, where mesmerizing exhibitions explore the evolution of technology with particular emphasis on Manchester’s essential place in the global timeline. In the Air and Space Hall, the history of leading British aircraft design company Avro (the A V Roe and Company founded by Manchester native Alliott Verdon Roe) and its contribution to both World Wars is explored, along with the Rolls-Royce motor company, which was born of a chance meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce at local Midland Hotel.

Other exhibits include the Electricity Gallery, exploring the influence of the city’s electrical engineering companies. Displays include the English Electric turbo generator Big Jennie, early medical shock therapy machines and the British-designed differential analyzer — once considered the world’s most powerful calculator. Children are welcome, and interactive exhibits include Experiment, where kids can create their own tornado; Pi at the Platform for Investigation, with live experiments and a pop-up science lab; Experitots, with creative activity stations and science gallery geared for tots under the age of six; and Cravings, an in-depth and fun look at what tickles our taste buds and why.