Museum of Liverpool

About the museum

The Museum of Liverpool is the city's history museum, standing at Pier Head on the Liverpool waterfront. It replaced the earlier Museum of Liverpool Life, which closed in 2006. The new building was designed by the Danish architects 3XN, cost about £72 million and opened to the public on 19 June 2011 as part of National Museums Liverpool.

About 8,000 square metres of exhibition space across three floors tell the story of Liverpool as a great port, a global city and a place with its own culture. The galleries are grouped under themes such as The Great Port, Global City, The People's Republic and Wondrous Place, and there is a 180-seat theatre. The collections also include more than 200 vehicles, among them the 1838 steam locomotive Lion, and objects relating to the Beatles.

The museum is popular with families and has won the Large Museum category of the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Awards in 2019 and 2023. Little Liverpool is a hands-on gallery for children under six, and a disability history hub presents the stories of disabled people in the city.

Highlights

• Lion, the 1838 steam locomotive
• The People's Republic gallery on life in Liverpool
• Little Liverpool, a hands-on gallery for under-sixes
• Beatles-related objects from the national collections
• Disability history hub
• Views of the docks and the Liverpool skyline from the café

Permanent exhibitions

• Little Liverpool – A hands-on gallery for children under six, with a free timed ticket collected on the day.
• The People's Republic – A gallery on the people of Liverpool and their social and cultural history, with hands-on features in its waterfront window.
• Disability history hub – Stories of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people in Liverpool, told through the museum's collections and displays.

Founded

2011

Operated by

National Museums Liverpool

Visitors per year

approx. 949,762 (2025)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free and donations are welcome. Special exhibitions and events may have an extra charge, and exhibitions are free for National Museums Liverpool members. The Little Liverpool gallery needs a free timed ticket collected from the welcome desk on the day. Schools and large groups need to book.

Accessibility

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

Two lifts serve all floors. There are accessible toilets on every floor and a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor (the sink is at a fixed height). Six Blue Badge spaces about 30 metres from the entrance, opposite the Great Western Railway building, must be booked in advance by email, ideally three days ahead. Two wheelchairs can be borrowed at the information desk, and seats and folding seats are available. Most videos and interactive displays have subtitles or British Sign Language. Tactile objects with Braille labels, smell-enhanced displays and sensory tours on request are offered, and ear defenders and quiet spaces are available. Trained guide, hearing and assistance animals are welcome if they are supervised and kept with the visitor; other assistance animals should be discussed with the museum seven days before the visit. Drinking bowls are available at the information desk.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Little Liverpool is a hands-on fantasy world for children under six, entered with a free timed ticket collected on the day. There is a Liver Bird trail (printable), an activity pack for children aged 3 to 7 visiting with an older relative, and low-level objects on the History Detectives timeline. The café has a children's menu, highchairs and will warm bottles, and baby changing is on the ground floor. Breastfeeding is supported. The museum won the Large Museum category of the Family Friendly Museum Awards in 2019 and 2023.

Getting there & parking

Follow the signs for the Royal Albert Dock from the motorway and main routes into the city centre. Roadworks in the city centre can cause delays, so allow extra time.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Café and shop on the ground floor, open in line with the museum. Lockers and a buggy park are on the ground floor (£5, card only, with a £3 refund). A picnic area is on the ground floor, and a prayer room is on the first floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Venue hire is run by Hosted By National Museums Liverpool (venuehire@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk); the museum is licensed for wedding ceremonies.

Plan your visit