Liverpool museums: Guide to free museums and art galleries around the city including Museum of Liverpool

Home to seven museums and galleries across Liverpool and Wirral, National Museums Liverpool offers a range of exhibitions and activities, ideal for a family day out.

With free entry across all seven sites, National Museums Liverpool are perfect for those on a budget, and many of the venues are within walking distance of each other. From learning about the port of Liverpool’s history, to viewing beautiful fairy illustrations, there is something for everyone.

Here is everything you need to know about National Museums Liverpool’s venues, including parking, opening hours and refreshment facilities.

Opening hours

All of National Museums Liverpool’s museums and galleries are open from 10.00am-5.00pm, Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays, except bank holidays, and Mondays within Liverpool school holidays.

World Museum

• Where: William Brown Street, L3 8EN
• About: The World Museum is home to a number of wonderful displays and exhibits, from the Planetarium to an ancient Egypt gallery. Visit fish in the aquarium or learn more about dinosaurs and animal history.
• Parking: There is a pay and display car park behind the museum on William Brown Street.
• Food and drink: The café is open from 10.00am to 4.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with hot food and drink available.

Museum of Liverpool

• Where: Pier Head, L3 1DJ
• About: Learn about the first electric elevated railway in the world or discover more about the Liverpool City Region in years gone by. Explore photos of Liverpudlians throughout history or learn the story of how Liverpool’s Black community supported the anti-apartheid campaign in the 1980s.
• Parking: There is no onsite parking available, however, there is a paid car park in Liverpool ONE.
• Food and drink: The café is open from 10.00am-4.00pm, Tuesdays to Sundays, and a picnic area is available on the ground floor.

Walker Art Gallery

• Where: William Brown Street, L3 8EL
• About: The Walker Art Gallery is home to incredible paintings and sculptures from the 13th century to the present day.
• Parking: There is a pay and display car park outside the gallery on William Brown Street.
• Food and drink: There is a café on the ground floor.

International Slavery Museum

• Where: Royal Albert Dock, L3 4AQ (third floor of Maritime Museum)
• About: Exhibitions focus on the understanding of transatlantic, chattel and other forms of enslavement. The museum officially opened on Slavery Remembrance Day in 2007 and provides ‘opportunities for greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today’.
• Parking: There is no onsite parking available, however, there is a paid car park opposite, in Liverpool ONE.
• Food and drink: There is a café on the ground floor, open from 10.00am-3.45pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with drinks and snacks available.

Maritime Museum

• Where: Royal Albert Dock, L3 4AQ
• About: The Maritime Museum explores the port of Liverpool, the Battle of the Atlantic, the Titanic and more. It is is also home to the Maritime Archives centre, ideal for anyone with links to Liverpool researching their family tree.
• Parking: There is no onsite parking available, however, there is a paid car park opposite, in Liverpool ONE.
• Food and drink: The café is on the ground floor from 10.00am-3.45pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with drinks, hot lunches and snacks available.

Sudley House

• Where: Mossley Hill Road, L18 8BX
• About: Sudley House in South Liverpool is a hidden gem and houses the only surviving Victorian merchant art collection in Britain still hanging in its original location. Decorated in a Victorian style, it still has many original features.
• Parking: Free parking is available at Sudley House, but parking is limited.
• Food and drink: An onsite café is open 11.00am to 4.00pm Tuesday to Sunday, with drinks and snacks available.

Lady Lever Art Gallery

• Where: Port Sunlight Village, Wirral CH62 5EQ
• About: Lady Lever Art Gallery houses one of the UK’s best collections of fine and decorative art, including antiques, paintings and enchanting illustrations.
• Parking: There is free parking for more than 100 cars outside the gallery.
• Food and drink: There is a café and a shop in the basement, as well as an outdoor picnic area.