Interesting Things To Do In Liverpool

An Overview of Liverpool

Liverpool is a prominent maritime city found in the northwest portion of England, where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea. The city is famous for it’s scenic waterfront area, numerous world-class museums and being the home of the Beatles. Visitors often enjoy spending time in the World Heritage status city as it continues to develop. Liverpool’s ports once directed trade, shipping and international commerce throughout the entire world. There are many interesting things to do in Liverpool.

Interesting Things To Do In Liverpool

Royal Albert Dock Liverpool 

The docks of Liverpool are the dominating feature of the city, as they propelled global trade across the world throughout the 19th century. The Royal Albert Dock has significantly altered in the past century. Warehouses were fireproofed, tide-breaks were fortified and trading venues were installed. Now, the docks are the cultural epicenter of Liverpool and a major heritage site. Museums, tours, harbor walks, monuments and hotels make this the most interesting area in the city.

The Beatles Story Exhibition/Museum

This award-winning museum focuses on the century defining band, The Beatles. Learning about The Beatles from their hometown is one of the most interesting things to do in Liverpool. The museum uses various scenes, displays and props to tell the story of The Beatles, including their creative process, their founding and establishment as cultural icons.

Merseyside Maritime Museum

This free museum focuses on Liverpool’s massive shipping and sailing influences. The museum has numerous exhibits, models and displays within. It serves as an Anchor Point for the European Route of Industrial Heritage as well as a foundational part of the National Museums Liverpool project. The museum is easy to identify thanks to the HMS Conway Anchor in front of the brick building.

The World Museum

The World Museum is one of the oldest musuem and gallery venues in the city, opening in 1853. The building is full of extensive archaeological and natural collections preserved for guests and researchers. Entry to the museum is free. The World Museum is part of the National Museums of Liverpool Project.

The Central Library and Entrance Riddle

The Central Library in Liverpool is a major public building with a unique design. Sunlight pours in from a skylight above, rounded walls and straight staircases working gradually upwards. Part of the Library’s charm is the riddle written on the stones out front. There are white names written into the grey granite with a sprinkling of red letters scattered throughout the words. The red letters form a mystery code, though the library has purposefully never revealed the answer to the red-letter riddle.

Superlambanana

This is a bright yellow sculpture which is widely recognized as a beloved artwork of Liverpool. The sculpture, which is a strange, streamlined combination of a lamb and banana weights nearly 8-tonnes and stands just over five meters tall. There are other, differently colored recreations of the sculpture scattered throughout the city.

The Bombed Out-Church – Church of St. Luke

This church, devoid of a roof or sealed windows, is a former Anglican parish church in Liverpool. The church is more commonly called “The Bombed-Out Church” by locals. The structure was damaged during WWII after the May Blitz of 1941. The church was eventually reclaimed as a public venue, but it was never repaired.

Western Approaches HQ Museum – The Battle of the Atlantic Experience

This is another famous museum in Liverpool. The Western Approaches HQ Museum is a unique experience allowing guests to enter a series of rooms, following the actions of the British intelligence community. Visitors can see where commanders and WAAF personnel worked in the Operations Room, monitoring convoy routes, tracking shipping lanes and pin-pointing enemy locations.

Williamson’s Tunnels – Friends of Williamson’s Tunnels

Beneath the streets of Liverpool, there exists a vast network of subterranean excavations. The 30-year tunneling project was performed by eccentric tobacco merchant and philanthropist Joseph Williamson. Williamson’s motivations regarding the massive excavations was unknown. Theories include membership in an eschatological cult, a safety bunker or a search for something believed to be hidden. However, the most plausible reason is probably charity. Williamson perhaps had the tunnel system dug simply to keep his work force fully employed during a period of recession. Exploring the tunnel system is one of the most interesting things to do in Liverpool.

Walker Art Gallery

This is an art gallery in Liverpool which hosts one of the largest art collections in England outside of London. The Gallery is another point on the National Museum Liverpool group. Admission into the museum itself is free, though special exhibitions may require a purchased ticket.

Pier Head

This is a riverside location in the operational center of Liverpool. The Pier Head was once part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, though this status was eventually revoked. The status revision was due to construction projects drastically changing the Liverpool waterfront skyline. Currently, the area is still a prominent culture and tourist hub. One popular feature includes the bronze statues of The Beatles walking down the street. It is also a good location for various tours and ferry rides.

The Cavern Club

Widely considered the cradle of British Pop Music, this foundational music venue has remained operational for many decades. The Beatles are intrinsically tied to the Cavern Club’s immortal fame and references to their early days in Liverpool can be found in the venue’s legendary cellar.

Tate Liverpool

This free entry art gallery and museum is part of Tate Network of Galleries. The gallery has a distinct cultural and stylistic identity, promoting various visual art forms within it’s walls.

The RopeWalks

During Liverpool’s shipping heyday, this was the area of the city where rope-making for sailing ships occurred. In the modern era, RopeWalks is a creative Victorian warehouse district, repurposed to host vintage shops, small cafés, the Bluecoat Arts Centre and large music venues. The RopeWalks has easy access to Liverpool’s famed Chinatown, accessed through a huge, Asian-styled archway.

Crosby Blitz Beach and the Another Place Iron Men of Crosby Beach

Crosby Beach is a wildly unique aspect of Liverpool The beach itself is part of the beautiful Merseyside Coastline, just north of Liverpool in the Borough of Sefton. The Crosby Blitz portion was once a residential area of over 6.500 houses which was flattened during a bombing campaign. The rubble of the city was dumped onto a portion of Crosby Beach to prevent coastal erosion. Now, the remains of thousands of houses are sea-smoothed stones of odd colors and textures embedded in the shore. Also interesting is the forlorn art feature officially called “Another Place.” This modern sculpture piece is made of 100 cast-iron figures gazing out towards sea. With the history, beach features and artworks, visiting Crosby Beach is one of the most interesting things to do in Liverpool.

Strawberry Fields

Strawberry Fields was once a Salvation Army children’s home near John Lennon’s place of residence. The field was appreciated by Lennon, who would often frequent the area. Now, Strawberry Field is a small heritage site with a gift shop offering unique and authentic merchandise from the area.

Penny Lane

Penny Lane, made famous by The Beatles song of 1967 is a street in Liverpool turned into a musical pilgrimage site. Visitors can find independently owned businesses and a barber’s shop throughout the narrow lane.

The Law Oak

This fenced-off tree is a majestic bohemoths that’s remained alive and thriving for over 1,000 years. The tree gained it’s name from it’s history as a debate venue, where crimes and punishments would be discussed, predating the construction of courthouses. The tree is also seeped in local folklore. Though it looks like it was once struck by lightning, the tree’s unusual crater was allegedly caused by a gunpowder explosion. A gunpowder ship in the Mersey more than a mile away exploded, somehow damaging the ancient oak.

The Calderstones

These are six megaliths which are the final remains of a Neolithic burial chamber found at the edge of the Harthill Estate. the Harthill Estate was eventually converted into the publically accessible Calderstones Park. The name of the stones comes from the Welsh word “Caled” meaning “Hard.”

Toilets at the Philharmonic Dining Rooms

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms are a unique Victorian pub seeped in Liverpool history. The pub is richly appointed with wood paneling, fine leather sofas, stained glass and sparkling chandeliers. The building is also home to a series of Victorian toilets which are incredibly well-preserved and beautifully rendered.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

While Europe and the United Kingdom have many churches, there are none quite like this one. The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, nicknamed “Paddy’s Wigwam” is a strangely shaped conical tower with 16 concrete trusses. The cylindrical interior rotating around a skylit altar is another strange feature.

International Slavery Museum

This museum focuses on the history and legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Entry into the museum is free.

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