White City, Greater Manchester facts for kids
White City is a place in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Today, part of this area is a big shopping center called a retail park. It's right next to Chester Road.
Long ago, this area was home to the Manchester Botanic Gardens. These gardens were near the docks and the Manchester United football stadium. You can still see the old gateway from the Botanic Gardens at the edge of the shopping park. In 1857, a huge art show called the Art Treasures Exhibition was held in these gardens.
Over the years, White City has also been an exciting amusement park and a sports stadium. Many different sports took place there, like athletics, greyhound racing, and motorsports.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name "White City" comes from a company called White City Limited. This company opened an amusement park in the area in 1907.
A Look Back in Time
The Botanic Gardens
In 1827, a group called the Botanical and Horticultural Society started in Manchester. Their goal was to help people learn about botany (the study of plants) and horticulture (the art of growing plants).
The society built a large botanical garden on a 16-acre site. A famous scientist named John Dalton helped choose this spot. He picked it because it was away from the city's pollution. The land belonged to Thomas de Trafford, who let the society use it for a very low price.
The gardens had many special buildings for plants, including a large conservatory. This building was 321 feet long, and its main dome was 40 feet high! Hot water flowing through pipes kept the buildings warm. The beautiful gateway you see today on Chester Road was the main entrance to these gardens. It is now a protected historic building.
In 1857, the gardens hosted the Art Treasures Exhibition. Prince Albert himself opened this important show. Over 1.3 million people visited the exhibition in just 142 days! Later, in 1887, another big exhibition was held to celebrate Queen Victoria's 50 years as queen. This event drew even more visitors, with 4.74 million people attending over 192 days.
Changes Over Time
By the late 1800s, fewer people were visiting the gardens. Wealthy families were moving out of Manchester city center. So, in 1907, part of the garden's land was rented to White City Limited. This company opened the "White City Amusement Park" on May 20, 1907.
The remaining 11 acres of the gardens were sold in 1927 to a company called Canine Sports Ltd. They bought the land to build the White City Stadium.
The Stadium Years
The White City Stadium first opened for motorcycle speedway races on July 16, 1928. After the stadium was fully built, greyhound racing began there in 1930. In July 1953, a special 6-lane track for athletics was added.
The stadium was used for greyhound racing from 1927 until 1982. Speedway races took place from 1928 to 1932, and stock car races from 1972 to 1982. At the end of 1981, the stadium was sold to a company that wanted to build something new. It was left empty, fell apart, and finally closed in 1982.
Shopping Today
The old stadium was eventually torn down. In its place, the White City Retail Park was built. This modern shopping area has many stores and restaurants. It also has plenty of parking for shoppers.
