Western Approaches Museum

About the museum

When war broke out in 1939 the Royal Navy took over the newly built Derby House in Liverpool's Exchange Buildings and began work on a secret headquarters with a two-storey underground bunker of reinforced concrete. Western Approaches Command moved there from Plymouth in February 1941, and from here the Royal Navy and the RAF coordinated the escort of Atlantic convoys and the fight against German U-boats.

Nearly 1,000 naval and air force personnel worked in the building, about 80 per cent of them women of the Women's Royal Naval Service and the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, many aged between 18 and 21. They plotted ship and submarine movements on a huge wall map in the Operations Room, decoded signals and ran radio and teleprinter links. A tactical unit set up in 1942 used wargames to develop anti-submarine tactics and to train naval officers. The command was disbanded in August 1945.

Afterwards the bunker was mothballed and fell into disrepair. It reopened as a museum in 1993 and has been restored to its wartime appearance. The Operations Room is shown as it was when its doors closed on 15 August 1945. Visitors also see wartime radio equipment, documents and a network of small offices and hidden rooms, and the museum offers living-history accounts of the people who worked there.

Highlights

• Two-storey Operations Room with its wall map of the North Atlantic
• Preserved wartime offices and hidden rooms
• Wartime radio equipment and convoy documents
• Direct-line telephone to the London War Cabinet, one of two known to survive
• Guided tours for groups on request

Permanent exhibition

• The Operations Room and wartime bunker – The restored command centre of the Battle of the Atlantic, with its wall map, wartime offices, radio equipment and documents.

Founded

1993

Operated by

Big Heritage

Admission & discounts

People who served in the Second World War enter free and receive a gift bag. The museum takes card and contactless payments only. A combined ticket with a Mersey Ferries river cruise is sold through the ferry operator.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The two floors are linked only by staircases and some single steps. Visitors who cannot use stairs can reach some upper-floor rooms, though not on the intended route, and pay no entry fee. Seating is provided around the building. The only toilets are at the bottom of a ramp near reception; they have no steps but are not suitable for wheelchair users, and there is no Changing Places toilet.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Baby changing is provided. Children under 16 pay a reduced price, and youth groups such as Scouts and Cadets can book a private tour.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum is in the basement of Exchange Flags.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit