20 things to do in Liverpool

What is it?
A modern and comprehensive riverfront museum, which opened in 2011 on the Pier Head, honoring the northern England port of Liverpool.

Why should you go?
To find out about and appreciate Liverpool's diverse influence on England, Great Britain, and the entire world. The Museum narrates the history of Merseyside and highlights key events on the city's timeline, like the Blitz. Local pop culture and, yes, the Beatles are featured, too. Take your time to unveil obscure and endearing Liverpool-centric facts like why Liverpudlian post boxes have wide openings, what liver bird is, and what the 'dockers' umbrella' looked like. Hint: absolutely not like yours. Just outside, there is a cult Beatles sculpture you will surely recognize by a queue towards it.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, families, couples

What is it?
A natural history museum famous for its planetarium, aquarium, and rare objects from Ancient Egypt, ranking high among the best things to do in Liverpool with family and kids since 1853.

Why should you go?
At least to gaze at the X-rayed and CT-scanned animal mummies and royal clothing from Ancient Egypt. The Museum is what it says on the tin; it is packed with good things to do and learn about, from humans to animals. It boasts the first planetarium outside of London and one of the largest Egyptology collections in the U.K. Did you know that back in 1890, the Liverpudlian farmers fertilized their fields with mummified cats arriving from Egypt? Get ready for eye-popping insights into the collection's provenance. Not only mummies, stuffed animals, and fossils are on display here. What families rave about are the live creatures you can meet in the aquarium and the bug house, free to enter.

Specialization
History & Anthropology, Nature & Natural History

Perfect for
History buffs, families, kids, couples

What is it?
Tate's northwestern outpost on the 19th century Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, a gallery displaying modern and contemporary art, one of the four famous Tate museums in Great Britain.

Why should you go?
To contemplate head-turning art of the 20th century and onwards, British and international, in a former dock warehouse, converted into a lofty museum in 1988. It started with mural paintings by Mark Rothko and, since then, has displayed iconic controversial artworks like Carl Andre's 'pile of bricks' sculpture and Tracy Emin's My Bed installation. The gallery has become a major participant in the Liverpool Biennial, the U.K.'s largest festival of contemporary art, and hosted the Turner Art Prize two times, in 2007 and in 2022. It is closing for a large-scale revamp in October 2023 to reopen in 2025.

Specialization
Art & Design

Perfect for
Art lovers, couples, families

What is it?
Liverpool's much-loved performance venue that has extravagantly been a prison and a court throughout its lifetime since opening in 1854.

Why should you go?
To learn the city's less-obvious history by getting to know the history and architecture of a fabled Victorian building, inside and out. Be guided to the tremendous Great Hall with the Willis Organ, the underground prison cells, the courtrooms, and the Concert Room with its crystal chandelier, where Charles Dickens took the stage to deliver his Penny Readings. Get ready for some truly overawing splendor and subtle details like the Minton floor tiles and the sculptures. The cherry on the cake is Ringo Starr performing on St George's roof to open Liverpool's European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008. Behind the grand neoclassical venue, there is a tranquil garden.

Specialization
Art & Design, History & Anthropology

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, art lovers, couples, families

What is it?
An art gallery amidst Port Sunlight village, built by Victorian industrialist and avid art collector William Hesketh Lever in 1888 for his Sunlight Soap factory workers just outside Liverpool.

Why should you go?
To marvel at highlights of Lord Lever's eclectic private collection: the finest Wedgwood jasperware, paintings by some of Britain's most iconic painters like Joshua Reynolds, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, and Masonic items. He was a Mason himself, and there is a secret room used for initiation at the Gallery. Have you heard of Unilever? We bet you have. The man is behind this company. He made a fortune selling soap and washing powder, then assembled the collection and devoted it to his wife, hence the name of the Gallery. The original workers' houses are still in place, and the village is worth a ferry ride from Liverpool on its own.

Specialization
Art & Design

Perfect for
Art lovers, architecture lovers, couples, families

What is it?
An imposing Anglican cathedral, the largest cathedral in the U.K. and the fifth largest in the world, and the number one of all the tourist attractions in Liverpool.

Why should you go?
For the exceptional scale of the building and the 360-degree rooftop views from its 331-foot high tower. It took 74 years of slow and steady work to complete this soaring neo‐Gothic cathedral in 1978 despite two World Wars and the Liverpool docks bombings. Explore all the areas and admire the country's highest Gothic vaults and arches. Look up in awe at, fittingly, the largest pipe organ in the U.K. that comprises 10,268 pipes and occupies two chambers at once. On a clear day, see the elaborated stained glass windows at their best, lit and projecting colors onto the stonework.

Specialization
Cathedral, Art & Design, Observation deck

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, history buffs, families, couples

What is it?
A modernist Catholic cathedral, officially known as Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and nicknamed Paddy's Wigwam by the locals because of its conical structure, one of the most popular attractions in Liverpool since 1967.

Why should you go?
To experience the cathedral's unique single-space architecture and lighting by Frederick Gibberd. Basically, it is a giant tent of concrete and aluminum rising above an altar, for which a 19-ton single marble slab was delivered from Macedonia and put in the center of the space. Take a guided tour of the interiors and coincide your visit with a service, to get a special feel of this place of worship, designed for a better connection between worshippers and those who perform it. And notice tints of warm red and blue coming from the stained glass.

Specialization
Cathedral, Art & Design

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, history buffs, families, couples

What is it?
A sprawling top-notch docks complex and globally significant trading hub back in 1846, now a UNESCO-featured site and one of the ultimate places to visit in Liverpool and the whole North West.

Why should you go?
To experience modern dockside life and consider numerous things to do in Liverpool's famed historic dock, including premier museums, shops, bars, and restaurants. You can walk along the five blocks of restored brick warehouses and their formidable red-hued iron columns. They form a piazza around the inner basin or the Albert Dock pool, where old merchant ships would unload in the bygone centuries. From here, you can watch the modern ships and water taxis come and go and imagine how the Albert Dock pioneered in terms of technology and port management to become a ground zero for the British Empire's growth and migration to America.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, architecture lovers, families, couples

What is it?
The oldest Chinese migrant community in Europe, dating back to the mid-1800s and adorned with the largest gate outside China, built in 2000 in its heart.

Why should you go?
To steep yourself into Liverpool's Chinatown history, kick-started by the local and Britain's biggest Alfred Holt & Co merchant shipping company. They imported silk, cotton, and tea and employed Chinese seamen. The Chinese settled next to South Docks to cater to those on shore leave. As you enter through the iconic Chinatown Gate on Nelson Street, pass by The Nook pub, the seamen's former hotspot. The original street layout and lighting, bilingual signage, and ethnic grocery stores will transport you to the early 20th century when seafaring Liverpool was known as the New York of Europe for its cultural diversity.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, architecture lovers, families, couples

What is it?
A free museum on Liverpool's rich maritime history, located in one of the former red-brick warehouses of the Royal Albert Dock.

Why should you go?
To demystify two famous maritime disasters of the 20th century: the sinkings of the RMS Titanic and the RMS Lusitania. Be transfixed as you see objects collected from the Titanic wreckage at almost 4,000 meters below the Atlantic and spot a lifejacket that rescued her survivor on April 15, 1912. Unlike the Titanic, which was registered in yet never called Liverpool, the Lusitania had been a part of the local landing stage before it sank on May 7, 1915. Discover how an iceberg and a torpedo coming from a German submarine far beyond the city limits eventually affected Liverpudlians from detailed exhibitions.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, families, couples

What is it?
The largest museum in the world about the internationally celebrated British rock 'n' roll band on their hometown Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock.

Why should you go?
To explore the Beatles' phenomena and trace their illustrious history as a band and the subsequent solo careers of the Fab Four members. It is narrated via an audio tour and well-documented with the contracts. Learn about John, Paul, George, and Ringo as individuals and see their personal items like George Harrison's guitar and John Lennon's glasses, and the last piano. There is even a part of the Boeing 707 jet that made the unprecedented flight from Britain to America in 1964, followed by the band's legendary appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The on-site replicas of the Cavern, Mathew Street, and Abbey Road Studios are a treat for those obsessed with the 60s flair.

Specialization
History & Anthropology, Fun & Entertainment

Perfect for
Families, couples, kids

What is it?
An interactive part of The Beatles Story experience, aimed at children and open on Saturdays and Sundays perfectly for family outings.

Why should you go?
To introduce your little ones to the obnoxiously successful story of the long-haired local youngsters, a.k.a. the Beatles, via interactive timeline and hands-on activities. They can learn, have fun, and perform, pretending to be one of the Fab Four. The museum's highlights are singing their favorite Beatles songs on karaoke on the mini Cavern Club stage, composing music on the giant piano by pressing keys with their feet, listening to records in the period NEMS record store, and creating artworks inspired by The Beatles. Adults can join, too.

Specialization
Fun & Entertainment

Perfect for
Families, couples, kids

What is it?
A legendary underground nightclub where the Beatles performed for the first time and were scouted by manager Brian Epstein before they became world-famous and left Liverpool by 1967.

Why should you go?
To engage with the Beatles' Liverpool legacy and sneak into the local live music venue, where they played almost 300 early gigs. Liverpudlian revelers haunt in the 60s; the club was demolished in 1973 and rebuilt in 1984 using 15,000 bricks from the original building. Can you imagine the Fab Four's earlier look without the signature gimmicks of long hair, tight pants, and boots? Or their performance style, co-developed by Brian Epstein? Try to, and see the famous wall covered with names of all the bands who performed here in the 60s and 70s aside from the Beatles, including the Rolling Stones and the Kinks.

Specialization
Fun & Entertainment

Perfect for
Families, couples

What is it?
A museum on the transatlantic slave trade that Liverpool was infamously engaged in till March 25, 1807, when they abolished the slave trade in the country, and on contemporary slavery.

Why should you go?
To discover Liverpool's notorious past as a major slave-trading city in the 17th and 18th centuries. Being not only a center of maritime trade and passenger travel, Liverpool also controlled 80% of the British slave trade and over 40% of the European slave trade in 1800. Bartering Africans for New World's tobacco, cotton, and sugar and forcing them into service in the Americas co-shaped the city's prosperity. Get profound insights into a lucrative slavery business, including the navy's role in it, pre-colonial West Africa, and the self-liberation of the enslaved people. And see evocative exhibits like shackles and the logbook of the Liverpool slave ship Unity.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, families, couples

What is it?
A majestic 250-acre public park known for its beautiful scenery and historical monuments.

Why should you go?
To take a stroll in the city's best-loved park and enjoy notable man-made fixtures. Discover the Old Nick's caves and waterfalls of the aptly called Fairy Glen and a boating lake inhabited by ducks, geese, and terrapins. Lurk into the stately Victorian Palm House nearby, a warm Liverpudlian home for exotic palms away from home, and don't miss the Peter Pan statue, unveiled in front of J. M. Barrie himself, who created the famous character. There is a Beatles connection, too: the bandstand reportedly inspired their song Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Maybe you will notice some of the Liverpool FC players running laps on the verdant grounds.

Specialization
Nature & Natural History

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, families, couples, kids

What is it?
A 50-minute ferry cruise along the River Mersey, one of the quintessential things to do in Liverpool's city center.

Why should you go?
To explore modern Liverpool and catch up with its history aboard the brightly colored, recognizable ferry from the 60s crisscrossing the glistening River Mersey. If the weather permits, you can sit back on the top deck and browse the waterfront skyline complemented by the running commentary. Meet the Three Graces or a stunning line-up of three landmark buildings on Liverpool's waterfront Pier Head. They are the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building. All three were constructed in the early 1900s and were among the areas granted the city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004, which it sadly lost in 2021.

Specialization
History & Anthropology, Fun & Entertainment, Observation deck

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, history buffs, families, couples, kids

What is it?
Viewing decks atop the historic clock tower of the Royal Liver Building, a part of the striking Three Graces architectural trio.

Why should you go?
To capture 360-degree views across Liverpool, get behind the scenes and up close with Bertie, one of the Building's two own Liver birds. The guided tour will take you up to the clock tower and show off hidden secrets, like the naming of the fixtures, layout, and legends. Behind the biggest clock faces in the U.K., you will explore the emblematic time-peace from within and see the clockwork and electronic chime in the mechanism room on the 15th floor. Right there, you will experience the building's history via an immersive audio-visual show. Turns out, its modest architect turned off the knighthood offer for this outstanding project back in 1911.

Specialization
History & Anthropology, Observation deck

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, history buffs, families, couples, kids

What is it?
An interactive permanent exhibition on the history of British rock and pop music at the Cunard Building, yet another part of the Three Graces line-up.

Why should you go?
To venture beyond the Beatles and the Liverpudlian musical scene, embrace the entire British Isles, and explore seven decades of British music in one place. See handwritten lyrics by Freddie Mercury and bizarre stage outfits worn by Dusty Springfield and Spice Girls and many more, all the stardom. Have a go at different musical instruments like drums, guitars of all sorts, synthesizers, and keyboards, and hit the dance booth in 12 iconic styles, no matter the skill. In fact, you can make a substantial throwback to any era of music and do anything they do on stage. It makes BME one of the best places to visit in Liverpool as a family. Book online to save; the ticket is valid for 12 months.

Specialization
Fun & Entertainment, History & Anthropology

Perfect for
Families, couples, kids

What is it?
An observation deck on top of the iconic Radio City tower, officially known as St John's Beacon, and, to make a play on its name, one of the top things to do in Liverpool.

Why should you go?
To enjoy a 360-degree panorama from the viewing area atop the 452-foot tower that has been a part of Liverpool's skyline since 1969, the then tallest building. It is now the second tallest one in the city and the home to the Radio City and Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool radio stations. They broadcast live from the studios on the tower's first floor while the viewers flock to the second one to observe Merseyside and Liverpool attractions from high above.

Specialization
History & Anthropology, Observation deck

Perfect for
Architecture lovers, families, couples, kids

What is it?
A top secret subterranean bunker that housed the headquarters of the Western Approaches Command ruling the Battle of the Atlantic, a museum since 1993.

Why should you go?
To have a hands-on history lesson on the longest campaign of World War II, running from 1939 to 1945, and see where and how the British plotted the strike back against German U-boats, surface warships, and aircraft. Explore rooms and offices and see the tools used by the staff, mostly women of the Women's Royal Naval Service, lovingly called Wrens, to defend ships arriving in Liverpool from the continent. In the vital operations room, see the large map of the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Approaches area they monitored to orchestrate and win the battle from under the ground.

Specialization
History & Anthropology

Perfect for
History buffs, families, couples