Trafford & Old Trafford
South-west of the city centre, Trafford is best known for two very different sporting grounds that happen to share a name: Manchester United's Old Trafford football stadium and, a mile or so away, Lancashire County Cricket Club's Emirates Old Trafford — plus, out towards the M60, one of the country's largest shopping and leisure destinations in the Trafford Centre.
Old Trafford football stadium, nicknamed the "Theatre of Dreams", has been Manchester United's home since 1910 and is one of the largest club football grounds in England; the Manchester United Museum and stadium tours run on non-matchdays. Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire's cricket ground since the 19th century, has hosted Test matches and now sits alongside a hotel built into the redeveloped pavilion end. Further out, the Trafford Centre opened in 1998 as a large indoor shopping and leisure complex, with its own cinema, restaurants and the SEA LIFE Trafford Centre aquarium.
This isn't a district you'd necessarily wander on foot the way you would the city centre or the Northern Quarter — it's spread out, and most visits here are purpose-led: a match, a Test match or T20 fixture, or a shopping trip.
Where to Stay near Trafford & Old Trafford
- Hotel Football — directly opposite Old Trafford football stadium, owned by former Manchester United players.
- Hilton Garden Inn Manchester Emirates Old Trafford — built into the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground itself, with pitch views from some rooms.
- Premier Inn Manchester (Trafford Centre) — a budget option close to the Trafford Centre for shopping trips.
Getting there
Old Trafford football stadium has its own Metrolink tram stop connecting directly to the city centre, and Emirates Old Trafford is a short walk from the same line's Old Trafford stop; the Trafford Centre sits further out towards the motorway network and is more easily reached by bus or car than by tram.