Stockport has one attraction that children remember for years: a mile of air raid tunnels cut into the sandstone under the town centre, which sheltered thousands of people during the Second World War.
Around that there are good parks, a Tudor manor house and one of the largest brick structures in Europe running straight over the middle of town.
Free things to do in Stockport with children
- Vernon Park — A Victorian park above the River Goyt with a play area and views across the valley. Free.
- Bramall Hall grounds — Seventy acres of parkland around a black-and-white Tudor manor house. The park is free; the hall charges.
- Stockport Market Place and the Produce Hall — A hilltop market with a Victorian glass market hall. Free to wander and cheap to eat in.
- The Stockport Viaduct and the riverside — Twenty-seven arches, built in 1840, and free to walk under and photograph.
- Reddish Vale Country Park — River valley, ponds and open country on the edge of town. Free.
Worth paying for
Not free, but cheap enough to be worth it, and all reachable without a car:
- Stockport Air Raid Shelters — A mile of tunnels under the town centre, presented as they were in wartime. Small admission charge and easily the highlight.
- Staircase House — A restored medieval townhouse where you are encouraged to touch things. Modest charge, often combined with the shelters on one ticket.
Getting to Stockport by train
Stockport station is a short walk from the market place and the air raid shelters, under the viaduct.
Going by train also means nobody has to find a parking space, and children can move about, look out of the window and eat crisps for the whole journey.
Click here to book train tickets to Stockport
Opening hours, admission prices and booking requirements change, and some attractions close on certain days or for refurbishment. Always check the attraction’s own website before you set off. This page was written in August 2026.
Disclosure: the train ticket link on this page is an affiliate link. If you book through it I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
