The Lowry

About the museum

The Lowry is an arts centre on the waterfront at Salford Quays, designed by the architect Michael Wilford, who carried on the project after James Stirling, the winner of the design competition, died in 1992. It opened to the public on 28 April 2000, and the Queen performed an official opening in October of that year. The total cost was about £106 million, with over £21 million from the National Lottery.

The building houses theatres and about 2,000 square metres of gallery space. The galleries show the permanent collection of works by LS Lowry, around 400 oil paintings, pastels and watercolours, most of them gathered from the 1930s onward by Salford Museum and Art Gallery. They also host changing exhibitions, and a free permanent immersive experience is built around his painting Going to the Match.

Lowry was born in 1887 near Manchester and studied painting in the evenings at the Municipal College of Art and Salford School of Art while working as a rent collector. He is best known for his scenes of mills and industrial landscapes, and had his first one-man show in London in 1939. The Lowry is run as a charity, and its mission centres on the people and the city of Salford.

Highlights

• Andrew Law Galleries with a large collection of LS Lowry paintings and drawings
• Going to the Match and other well-known industrial scenes
• Free permanent immersive experience LOWRY 360
• Free changing exhibitions and a family space called The Lookout
• Three theatres and views across Salford Quays

Permanent exhibitions

• LS Lowry’s collection – Many of the painter’s well-known pictures, including Going to the Match, alongside works borrowed from private collections.
• LOWRY 360 – A free permanent immersive experience around the sights and sounds of the painting Going to the Match.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Charitable trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The galleries are free to enter and donations are welcome; the LOWRY 360 immersive experience is also free but can be booked in advance. Theatre performances are ticketed separately.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The building has step-free access to the box office, toilets, theatres and galleries, lifts to all floors and accessible toilets throughout, although the ground floor has a slight incline. There is a Changing Places facility. Two reserved Blue Badge spaces are on the service road, and the Quayside car park has 80 accessible bays, with the first four hours free for Blue Badge holders. Assistance dogs are welcome in all public areas. Audio-described, captioned, BSL-supported and relaxed performances and touch tours are offered for shows, and the galleries run relaxed sessions for visitors with access requirements. An access line is available on 0161 876 2183.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The Lookout is a family space where young children can create and play, open for drop-in without booking, and there are weekly sessions for babies and under-fives. Free exhibitions such as Wild Things are aimed at families. Buggies are allowed in the galleries, but not in the theatres except for access reasons, and baby changing is in all accessible toilets.

Getting there & parking

A passenger drop-off point is at the front of the building, less than 30 metres from the main entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Lowry has a coffee shop, a restaurant, bars and a gift shop. Toilets, including baby-changing, are available throughout the building.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The centre offers spaces for conferences and events, weddings and Christmas parties.

Plan your visit