Very interactive and interesting exhibits…read more FREE admission will get you into 90% of the actual museum. Variety of exhibits so it has a little something for everybody. The first floor was the Dive In! Aquarium. It had a very nice anemone tank and a variety of other tanks that had sea life. The second floor is the Bug space, and the beginning of the Natural History space. Both are very interactive and have plenty of kid friendly space. The Return of the Gods exhibit (which costs 8 GBP to visit) was on the third floor, but you could also see what I thought was the most interesting part of the museum which was the World Culture exhibit. The exhibits themselves are nice, but this museum has a novel approach to explaining how Liverpool got its items. Comedian Daliso Chaponda was narrating the process of how the museum procured the majority of its items through good ole colonization (kidding, not kidding). He brings to light the appropriation process through comedic discussion, novel and palatable. The 3rd floor also has the Egyptian Exhibit, which is very good. It's probably the jewel of the museum. The history of the pieces are well explained, and the mummies are displayed wonderfully, some in layers, some in narrative, and plenty of interactivity for the little ones. I didn't spend much time on the fourth floor (Dinosaurs) or fifth floor (Planetarium/Space). The fifth floor wasn't as impressive, but gave those genre's some space for those that are interested. It was the meh portions of the museum. If you have a few hours to burn, consider this museum a good choice for kids of all ages and interests.

Visited the museum especially to see the current special exhibition on the Chinese terracotta army…read morewhich was well worth the cost of the tickets. The building contains a large cafe on the ground floor that was well stocked with good quality food and deserts, this area also has access to free Wi-Fi. The next floor has the Aquarium and treasure house theater. The 2nd (3rd in US) floor has the special exhibition and the Bug House. Next floor contains World Cultures, Ancient Egypt and Western Discovery Center (only open weekends & school holidays. 4th floor holds Dinosaurs, Endangered Planet and Clore Natural History Center. Finally the 5th floor holds exhibits on Space and Time along with a Planetarium - tickets needed from the information desk on the ground floor. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and could not be more accommodating, well worth the visit. I should also add the this museum is free except for the special exhibit which needs tickets purchased either online or at the entrance with limited time slots available each day.

This museum is 1/2 of the slavery museum. For both, took…read moreus all day. All the types of ships involved in two wars.

I visited the maritime museum next and I was mostly interested in the titanic exhibition and…read morelearned about the Derbyshire ship still lost at sea. The titanic exhibition was fantastic, so fascinating and informative and mostly sad. I loved the full scale model of the titanic which I couldn't even fit all in a photo, I loved reading the profiles of passengers who were either lost or saved and the film feature of the tragedy and audio sound effects, I think just this exhibition alone makes the whole museum worth visiting.

Interesting museum showing history of Leyland trucks and commercial vehicles.read more

Excelent museum run by enthusiasts and retired truckers with stories galore. There is a good…read morearchive and many exhibits from the earliest days to modern commercial vehicles. Well worth a visit. Parking is free outside, and there are many cafes, supermkts,shops etc. in Leyland town centre next to it.

Highly ornate old building. If you have the chance to listen to a concert in here, it's worth it!read more

St. George's hall is the finest example of neo-classical architecture in the country. Visiting the…read moreheritage centre on St. Johns Lane brings the story of St. George's Hall alive with access to cells, crown court and a viewing gallery enabling visitors to experience the magnificent great hall. Throughout the year, there is a range of exhibitions, talks, markets, performances and events taking place. Full details can be found on their website. The stunning Victorian architecture of the great hall and the great organ are a must see. Entrance to this site is free for all and I would recommend visiting.

Ah, the Atkinson. Again, just another Southport landmark full of childhood memories for myself…read more Yep, my father used to bring me here regularly to ensure I had a lovely cultural upbringing, and it's a marvellous gallery housed in a terrific building right in the centre of the seaside town itself, opposite Lord Street and the band stand. Admission is free but donations are encouraged as every gift helps, no matter how small. And once you've walked around this spectacular yet strangely humble gallery you'd have to have a heart of ice not to want to give a little something. It has a varied and rather extensive collection, ranging from LS Lowry to John Piper, John Collier to Ernest Normand and many more. The Friends of the Atkinson Gallery are an organisation which helps to drum up even more interest for the gallery. It's currently closed for refurbishments but plans to reopen bigger and better than ever as part of a Southport cultural overhaul, so get involved as it's bound to increase in popularity after its makeover. Southport might not quite rival Brighton yet in the seaside artsy stakes, but it's getting there, and with the help of the Atkinson it'll get there a lot faster!

This is now an entertainment/cultural centre, with the art gallery, an auditorium, civic hall and…read morebotanic museum all within the grade 2 listed building. The entrance/foyer is welcoming and strikingly clean - statuary and paintings being the first things I saw. The bookings and information desks are unobtrusive, yet easy to find as the signage throughout is very clear. There are interesting display cases throughout. Up the impressive staircase are the toilets, the superb but expensive bar and the entrances to the auditorium. As I was there for a music concert, this is the area I saw best. A superb setting for Fairport Convention as they attract a fair number of fans, yet like to connect with their audience as intimately as possible. The seating was comfortable and gave us all a good view of the band. The sound was just superb.

A fascinating perspective on the contributions by the people of the Manchester area to major…read moreinnovations in science and industry throughout history. Numerous displays and examples of equipment and machinery large and small. Steam engines to electron microscopes on display, with emphasis on Manchester's relationship with the cotton industry, both good and bad. Something for everyone here, young and old. Free to enter, donations appreciated. Reservations will make sure that you don't need to wait for entry. A must-see if you are in the area.

Fantastic place for families with children! Adults can enjoy the many exhibits while young ones can…read moreenjoy the hands on displays. We liked watching the textile demonstration in the Textile area. This place has so much to see and do. And it's free! Contributions are gladly accepted to keep this fabulous museum operational.

On the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, this organization attempts to give voice and…read moreshare an honest version of slavery and its effects in the UK - in Liverpool, in particular. Once upon a time, Liverpool was the Trans Atlantic capital of the world so the trade of humans as a commodity put Liverpool dead center of the action. Probably want to leave about 1-2 hours to fully enjoy the museum and its impact. You need the undivided attention to ensure that you have the time to fully comprehend what you're looking at. The museum attempts to deliver the topic without guilt or preaching. It tries to show the many aspects of slavery and that many countries (to include African nations) were involved in the slave trade. Unfortunately, some of the audiophones weren't working, that's not helpful. Overall, the museum delivers good information describing the role of the English in the trade, its abolition, and the continued struggles here and around the rest of the world as a result of slavery. Entry is free, so no reason not to go learn some history. It's not big, but it's a big topic and context frames your reality.

This free Museum brings the world slave trade in to Focus…read more My past impression was , it was The US alone And slave needs for cotton and homes. But we ( America) were another cog in the giant wheel of all of Europe, England, Portuguese, and Cuba. Add Sugar,gold and silver mining, the war chiefs Taking prisoners from another village to sell over and over to traders, men,women and children. Sometimes A hundred miles and more inland. Slave traders reselling a group to another trader group until they made it to the sea for transport. A commodity To be handled. Every country on the map needed free labor and Africa had millions to draw from. A ten percent loss of life was anticipated and factored in. The slaves were made to dance for the ships company entertainment daily. . The women were raped by crew daily over a average 6 week voyage. Pregnant women were also taken and children were born under horrific conditions. Just a few things we learned. Liverpool itself was a trading hub and A Slave ship building powerhouse. Slaves layed down on a flat deck, a special level above more solid cargo, restrained. Depending on the captain slave trader, they might have been allowed deck time and a bucket wash of sea water tossed on them. The types of restraints and branding Rival early England. Punishment Masks and collars for disobeying. A wood yoke stick with restraint bar for managing a unruly slave was on display. 6 feet long, 3 inch diameter. Just a modified stick from a tree. Maybe Oak. Actually a shock day you will remember. A lot of personal reminders of how the Hawaii people were managed over sugar cane, and the American Indians over the land in the west. Profit and Profit

This is an amazing museum that chronicles the history of the great city of Liverpool…read more Great exhibition highlighting the people that made the city what it is. You can spend a lot of time at this museum... it has three floors, but my favorite was the third floor. it was about the people of Liverpool, who they were, the cultures they brought with them, and the many personalities that came out of the great city. One of my favorites was the film about the city's two football clubs, their history, and how, despite being cross park rivals, bring the city together over and over. Liverpool and Everton are integral to who the city is and football is the thing that binds them. The music section was just as good. The small film about the Beatles and how they became the global sensation that they are and the city the egg that spawned them. Alongside, the Fab4, you will find that many other stars have come out of Liverpool too... like Black to Bowie. Also, many stars have made their way from the Merseyside as well. Working your way downward, you find out more about the businesses that developed the town into a city, and the medieval to industrial booms. Sugar, timber, and people made their way through the city. I personally enjoyed the information about the city's military regiment. The museum is very interactive on all floors and is interesting for folks of all ages. We had a fun time. Look for the superlambananas! Tip: Work your way through the museum from the third floor then downward.

Spent there almost 2.5 hours! Variety of exhibitions, exploring history of the town from ancient…read moretimes to nowadays, also touching on important social subjects such as slavery and discrimination. Fascinating and informative look into the past. Added bonus - views from the upstairs are great! The museum is free of charge, although donations are welcome.

This was excellent and a lot of new war facts. Russia and…read moreEngland joined hands to fight Germany? Yes. German battle pilots had detail maps of Liverpool? Streets and reference buildings. Yes. The 30 foot war room wall showed all the battle areas on the seas on two walls. Churchill was here often enough To bathe here. Claw foot. Tub. Still here. The back up generator for the building was from a scuttled German u boat. Reuse every thing. The merchant navy ships were as active as the British Navy ships,& acted as decoys and sunk u boats with hidden deck guns under tarps till Sub was in range. Originally, U boat would surface, challenge. After a few decoy events, they torpedoed first, at night and in packs. AKA Wolfpacks of 3-6. They would Actually chase a convoy during daylight, come up at night. Fire on the surface. The answer to that was the Liberator airplane with field lights a torpedos. They took the subs at night and found the German Battleship Bismarck on a training flight. Bye bye Battleship. Millions died in WW2. There is a little store. We got British Cloth napkins showing British Enlisted Sailors. I and my father were both USN enlisted. Lots to see here. Military discount and we stayed over two hours. Easy to find. Flags out front. Come on down!

I'll admit now I had no idea this place existed. Formerly the headquarters for the Western…read moreApproaches Command, a supreme Royal Navy authority responsible for keeping Atlantic shipping safe during World War II, the building is now open to the public and displays the subdued manliness of 1940s Britain with withering expertise. These people had no time for Facebook and iPlayer. They were too busy saving the world, by golly A complex underground bunker decorated with all the original wartime furniture and machinery, the building looks unnervingly like its hundreds of employees have simply got up and left. I kept forgetting it was a museum. The atmosphere is striking. One highlight was the Operations Room, with its models of WRNs pushing models of ships round a big map of the Atlantic. A hidden tape player fills the room with sound effects of what it would have sounded like- all chattering teleprinters and barking admirals. Other points of interest include the 'hotline' telephone booth that was connected directly to the War Cabinet and the Cypher Room, where decoded messages were received from Bletchley Park. Both of these things were protected by armed guards. I loved this place, not least because I was the only visitor there. Being on my own meant I could do what most other museums will slap you for trying. I attempted to lift a huge unexploded bomb (I couldn't) and almost wound one of those howling air raid siren things before I realised the woman on the front desk might get annoyed. Towards the end of the museum there was a table piled high with helmets, caps and gas masks that you were allowed to try on. I say 'you' when I actually mean 'children' but that means nothing because I still did anyway. I wouldn't have lasted five minutes in a war.

In 1966, three years after the release of the legendary "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and two years…read moreafter their sensational US tour that started Beatlemania, the Beatles were World famous. It was also at this time when Paul McCartney started writing about his days that he shared with John Lennon in their hometown, Liverpool. For Paul, it seemed like he was taking a step back from the limelight of the Beatles' phenomenal success and taking the time to reflect upon his childhood memories. Paul said in a documented interview: "I still want to write a song about the places in Liverpool where I was brought up. Places like The Docker's Umbrella ..., and Penny Lane near my old home." There were a lot of fond memories for Paul when he wrote Penny Lane. This was where he had to change buses to get to John Lennon's house. This was also the district where he hanged out with many of his friends. Paul explained that Penny Lane was not only a street, but also a district, and the lyrics of the song were all based on real places - the barber shop, the bank, the fire station. "It's part fact, part nostalgia for a great place..., as we remember it, and it's still there." Paul recalled that as he was writing Penny Lane, John came along to help him: "We were writing childhood memories: recently faded memories from eight or ten years before, so it was a recent nostalgia, pleasant memories for both of us." Penny Lane is one of very few Beatles songs that were written about real places and real lives and is probably the only one that is about the childhood of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It's been over 50 years since the release of Penny Lane and almost 40 years since the Beatles broke up, but numerous tourists still visit Penny Lane every day. Yours truly included. And its road sign still gets stolen by Beatles fans. The latest version of the road sign when I was there was bolted down into a concrete wall with temper-proof screws, screws that cannot be unfastened with a screwdriver or most tools. Let's see how long this one gets to stay. I am just guessing... but this must be the most often stolen road sign in the World... "In Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs Of every head he's had the pleasure to know And all the people that come and go Stop and say, 'Hello'..."

Another place to visit if you are checking out Beatles landmarks in Liverpool. Penny Lane is a real…read morestreet in the suburbs of Liverpool. The song "Penny Lane" is named after this street of course. You can see the street signs and take a pic. Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit, and meanwhile back Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies