Liverpool sites: TOP Places to visit in Liverpool

When people think of Liverpool, they think The Beatles, the famous football club and of course the scouse accent.  However, there is a lot more to the city of Liverpool than The Beatles and the football club.

Liverpool is a maritime city which is located where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea in Merseyside, which is a county in North West England. Liverpool played an important role in the growth of the British Empire, its port was used for the mass movement of people, e.g. slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America.

The city also has something for everyone in today’s modern world. You only have to drive through the city to see beautiful historic buildings, numerous gardens, parks and museums.  Liverpool also houses the Philharmonic Hall which is one of the best concert halls in Europe.

Liverpool Tourist Attractions

Here we take a closer look at why this vibrant city is one of the best places to visit in England.  Below are some of  the most popular Liverpool tourist attractions and the reasons why.

Merseyside Maritime Museum

The Merseyside Maritime Museum is the most popular tourist attraction and gets the most visitors each year.  The museum is located on the Albert Dock which is where most tourists head when visiting Liverpool. The Royal Albert Dock in its hay day would house valuable cargoes including brandy, cotton, tea, silk, tobacco, ivory and sugar. Today it’s a UNESCO World heritage site and the heart of Liverpool’s historic waterfront with places to see, eat, drink and stay.

The International Slavery Museum within the Maritime Museum houses the most impressive and comprehensive information on the transatlantic slave trade between about 1500 and 1865. Very much worth a visit.

The museum contains lots of information on the world wars and how the dock played such an important part. You can see a number of objects relating to the history of the port. One highlight is an actual life jacket from a Titanic survivor. You can also view some old paintings and posters from the Docks history, ship models and even some full some full-sized vessels.

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/merseyside-maritime-museum

The Beatles Story

‘The Beatles Story’ is a permanent exhibition purely devoted to telling the story of The Beatles’ rise to fame. Located at the Royal Albert Dock, the exhibition takes visitors on a unique immersive journey through the lives of the world’s greatest band. You can learn how they gained popularity in Liverpool before going on to conquer the world.

At the exhibition you receive a headset and handset to information about all the exhibits as you walk around the museum. Lots key locations from the band’s career including The Casbah Club, The Cavern Club, and Abbey Road Studios have been recreated.

The exhibition has won numerous awards over the years and is a must for Beatles fans.

https://www.beatlesstory.com

If you want to visit the New Cavern head over to Mathew street. 

Liverpool Cathedrals

Liverpool housed not one but two immense cathedrals, one Roman Catholic, one Anglican (Church of England).

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

The Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is Britain’s biggest Cathedral and the 5th largest in Europe. It is also just known as Liverpool Cathedral.

The cathedral was built between 1904 and 1978. The total external length of the building is 189 meters making it the longest cathedral in the world. When looking at its volume it ranks as the fifth-largest cathedral in the world and also one of the world’s tallest non-spired church buildings. Grade I listed building is the third-tallest structure in Liverpool.

The cathedral is free to enter but you will have to pay to visit the tower and use the audio tour. A visit to the top of the tower will give you unrivalled panoramic views of the City. Being 500ft above sea level it the best spot to watch a Mersey sunset. The ‘Tower Experience’ is well worth extra cost. There are two places to eat inside the cathedral, the Mezzanine Cafe and Welsford which serves a roast on Sundays.

https://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral was built between 1962 and 1967. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King as its officially known is also nicknamed ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ by Liverpudlians due to the fact its conical shape and tower resembles a large tepee. The Paddy reference is down to the large amount of Irish Roman Catholics that live in the area.
It is Britain’s largest Catholic Cathedral and welcomes people from all faiths.

https://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is the UK’s oldest continuing professional symphony orchestra. Home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society. The building is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. With over 400 events a year and an award-winning learning programme, the Philharmonic Hall is well worth a visit.

https://www.liverpoolphil.com/

Liverpool Town Hall

Liverpool Town Hall is the home of The Lord Mayor of Liverpool. The historic building what built in 1749 and designed by John Wood. It is a Grade 1 listed building and recognised as one of the finest surviving town halls of the 18th Century. Located in the same site as the previous two town hall buildings means there is 500 years’ worth of history.
The beautiful building is a great example of Georgian architecture. Inside the walls are covered in murals which depict of the city’s history. It has an impressive staircase hall which houses a secret. When the building was lit using gas lamps the gas line was run inside the bannister and it is still there to this day.

https://www.liverpooltownhall.co.uk/

Anfield

Anfield has been home of Liverpool Football club since their beginnings in 1892.  This famous football stadium has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. Prior to that it was the home of Everton.

The stadium has four stands: the Spion Kop, the Main Stand, the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand and the Anfield Road End. The stadium welcomes visitors and stadium tours are available. You can touch the famous ‘This is Anfield’ sign which was put there to scare the opposition. Take a look at their state-of-the-art dressing rooms and take pictures of the impressive pitch.  It is well worth a visit even if you are not a true footie fan.

https://www.thisisanfield.com/

The Pier Head

The Pier Head area of Liverpool is a riverside location which houses 3 impressive buildings known as ’The Three Graces’.  The Port of Liverpool Building, the Cunard Building and the Royal Liver Building. The Royal Liver Building has two Liver Birds which is the city’s signature landmark.  If you look carefully around the city, you will find them dotted across Liverpool’s architecture.  The story of the two Liver Birds goes back to the city’s maritime heritage. The Liver bird that looks over the Mersey River is said to represent the wives who stay at home and look out to their sailor husbands out at sea and the Liver Bird that looks over the city represents these sailors out at sea, looking back over to the city and their family.  This is the best place for views of Liverpool. 

https://www.liverpoolworldheritage.com/explore-our-world-heritage-site/pier-head/

St. George’s Hall

St. George’s Hall is another building that stands majestically over the skyline. The beautifully impressive building is a great example of a neoclassical building. As the city prospered in the 17th and 18th century, buildings like this became an expression of the city’s confidence and ambition. The city needed a music hall and a place for courts, so the council decided to combine both projects and St George’s Hall was born. The Hall opened in 1854 and it really is a work of art.
English architect Harvey Lonsdale Elmes took inspiration from the Roman and Greek empires clearly. The stunning neoclassical Greek-Romano building is classed as one of the finest in the world and now part of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Visitor Centre is free to enter but tours to the other parts of the building require a ticket.  This is a must visit when it comes to Liverpool tourist attractions.

https://www.stgeorgeshallliverpool.co.uk/

Victoria Gallery and Museum

The Victoria Gallery and Museum is a must for art lovers. The museum houses a huge collection of sculptures, ceramic and paintings. There is always a great program of educational lectures and workshops worth checking out. Plus there is the café and the shop.

https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk

Tate Liverpool

The Tate Gallery Liverpool is located in the Albert Dock. You can enter for free but there will be a small charge for exhibitions. Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day and international modern and contemporary art. The collection continues to expand its holdings of modern and contemporary art from around the world. There is always plenty to do for the whole family.

https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool

Walker Art Gallery

The Walker Art Gallery is another must visit location for art enthusiasts.  It houses an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures including works by Rubens, Rembrandt Gainsborough, Turner and Rodin.  The building is another impressive grade II listed Neoclassical building located on William Brown Street. Also known as the ‘Cultural Quarter’, the William Brown Street Conservation Area house a number of impressive public buildings.  The conservation area is a stones throw away from Lime Street Station and Liverpool Empire Theatre, Liverpool Empire Theatre, St George’s Hall, The Steble Fountain and St John’s Gardens to name a few

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker-art-gallery

Museum of Liverpool

The Museum of Liverpool is a new museum which opened in 2011. The striking building can be found on Mann Island at the Pier Head area. The museum tells the story of Liverpool and its people and the city’s global significance. The Museum displays are divided into four main themes: The Great Port, Global City, People’s Republic, and Wondrous Place. Lots of family friendly areas making it a great place for the whole family to visit.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Croxteth Hall

If you want to step back in time to the Edwardian age Croxteth is the place to visit. Croxteth Hall in is an impressive building in West Derby, Liverpool. It is the former country estate and ancestral home of the Molyneux family. In 1972 after the death of the 7th and last Earl the estate passed to Liverpool City Council. The council regards its as one of Liverpool’s most important heritage sites. The grounds including Victorian walled garden are set over acres which are open to the public. The Hall and grounds provide a perfect venue for weddings functions and conferences. It is also a popular location for filming and used as a back drop on the popular Peaky Blinders series. It was also use in the feature-biopic Tolkien, and Netflix’s The English Game.

http://liverpoolcityhalls.co.uk/croxteth-hall

National Waterways Museum

The National Waterways Museum looks after one of the greatest collections of boats and objects in the world. If your interested in learning what its like to live and work on the waterways this is the place to visit. You can learn about the last 200-year history and discover how canals and rivers are still making life better by water today. This is a great location for Peaky Blinders fans as the product crew did some filming at this location.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/museums-and-attractions/national-waterways-museum

Birkenhead Park

Birkenhead Park is a large public green area in the centre of Birkenhead. In 1977 the park was designated a conservation area and in 1995 it was declared a Grade I listed landscape by English Heritage. The park influenced the design of Central Park in New York and Sefton Park in Liverpool.
There is plenty to see and do with a visitor centre and café. This is the perfect location for a family day out. There is a children’s playground and play boulder, woodland walks and a fitness trail. There are also football pitches and bowling greens a Swiss Bridge, Roman Boathouse and the The Grand Entrance.

St John’s Gardens

St John’s Gardens is a beautiful open green space just to the west of St George’s Hall. The gardens are part of the William Brown Street conservation area. The area was formally known as The Great Heath until the middle of the 18th century. The garden is well kept with plenty of nice seating areas and memorial statues to admire.