Top Liverpool Museums to Explore on Your Next Visit

When it comes to art and culture in England, London is the first place most people think of. However, the historic maritime city of Liverpool, in the north-west of the country, also has a thriving art scene. In particular, the city’s redeveloped waterfront area is now its beating heart, with the World Heritage-listed site, Albert Dock, home to a number of top museums that showcase Liverpool’s history, English culture, and art and heritage from around the world.

Visit Liverpool — voted as the fourth friendliest city in the world by Rough Guides — to find museums that feature top artwork from the 14th to 21st centuries, historical exhibitions that showcase war and slavery artifacts and displays, and centres that illuminate the stories of The Beatles or the Liverpool Football Club. Read on for the run-down on some of the city’s best museums you don’t want to miss.

The Beatles Story Museum

If you are a huge fan of The Beatles, you should book a flight to Liverpool via Flights.com and take yourself straight to The Beatles Story Museum. As you would imagine, this venue is the most popular museum in the city, and it is chock full of music memorabilia, all of which helps to depict the history behind John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr forming not just the most famous band to come out of Liverpool, but one of the most iconic music acts of all time.

Fans are sure to enjoy seeing the first ever guitar owned by George Harrison, now an incredibly valuable instrument. As well, you can check out a full-size replica of the Cavern Club, the Liverpool nightclub that was the birthplace of the band and which helped to launch their career.

Tate Liverpool

If you love modern art, on the other hand, then a visit to the Tate Liverpool should be in order. Housed within a former warehouse in Albert Dock, this gallery is the top home of modern art in the north of England and showcases a variety of work from prominent 20th-century artists. Visit this Tate venue (an off-shoot of the famous Tate Modern in London) and you’ll get to see both British and international pieces, plus regular exhibitions and events, lectures and more.

An upcoming touring exhibition not to miss is Works to Know by Heart: Matisse in Focus. Running from late November 2015 to early May 2016, the display presents a variety Henri Matisse’s work, including one of his most iconic pieces, The Snail (1953). This artwork is delicate, and therefore will not tour to any other venues outside of London in its lifetime, making the Liverpool exhibition one to remember.

The Liverpool FC Story

For sports fans, Anfield Stadium is the place to visit. Here you’ll find The Liverpool FC Story, the interactive museum that showcases the 120 years of history of the football club and that features state-of-the-art technology and fascinating football displays depicting football today and in the past.

You can take a tour of the Halls of Fame while you’re there, check out all five European trophies, and other silverware the club has won over the years, and listen to a multi-media handset that features personalized commentary (around 40 minutes’ worth) provided by club legend, Phil Thompson. During the tape, he shares his memories of starting out as a fan, then becoming first a player, then captain, and on to manager of one of the world’s most famous football institutions.

One of the newest exhibitions that football lovers will be keen to see at The Liverpool FC Story is The Steven Gerrard Collection. A former captain of the club, Gerrard decided to donate his personal collection of football memorabilia to the museum exclusively, so that fans from across the globe can get a glimpse of his shirts and caps, trophies, medals, awards and more.

International Slavery Museum

Liverpool is also home to a place where you can learn about the unimaginable horrors of slavery, and the city’s own role in the slave trade. Visit the International Slavery Museum to explore a series of multi-media displays, diary excerpts, and even first-person, personal accounts from those who were enslaved. Located in Albert Dock, the establishment sits only yards away from the dry docks where slave-trading ships were repaired and fitted out in the 18th century.

The museum doesn’t just focus on the past either. At the venue you’ll also find the Legacies of Slavery exhibit. This area of the museum explores the still-continuing fight around the world for freedom and equality for all.