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The port city of Liverpool is fast becoming one of the key visitor attractions in the United Kingdom. Not only does it have the Beatles, but it has a number of top class museums and two majestic Cathedrals. It also has the added bonus of being very coach friendly with the Albert Dock and the UNESCO listed riverfront being the perfect base from which to branch out.
ALBERT DOCK: The grade one listed dock was opened by Prince Albert in 1846. It closed in 1972 and following the civil unrest in the city in 1981 it became the focus for the continued regeneration of Liverpool. Arrival: The Albert Dock can be reached along The Strand and Wapping with entrances at Hartley Quay or Gower Street. Groups can be dropped off and picked up on Gower Street. The coach can be parked on far side of the Liverpool Arena. Toilets: Restrooms are located in the bottom left hand corner of the inner dock as you enter from Gower Street. Restaurants: The Albert Dock has numerous restaurants and cafes which range in price. Try and encourage a group to spread about so as to minimise loss of time. Attractions: The Albert Dock has a great range of attractions which are outlined below:
TATE GALLERY: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1900-1700. Free Admission. Café: Open all day, contact 0151 702 7400
BEATLES STORY: Entrance located on Gower Street, Albert Dock. Details outlined on the Beatles page.
MERSEYSIDE MARITIME MUSEUM: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1000-1700. Free Admission. An excellent museum that has exhibits that range from the Titanic to the Battle of the Atlantic.
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM: Located on the third floor of the Maritime Museum. Open/Contact: Same as Maritime Museum. Museum focuses on historical and contemporary aspects of Liverpool. Liverpool was a key member of the Slavery Triangle.
YELLOW DUCKMARINE: The Yellow Boat Cruise offer tours of the Liverpool Dock System. Open: All year, departure times vary according to demand/24-30 persons.
The Albert Dock has its own dedicated tourist office which is located in the Anchor Courtyard, close to where coach drop off and pick up is. The Albert Dock has a very extensive website: www.albertdock.com
LIVERPOOL PIERHEAD WATERFRONT: The Liverpool waterfront is not only the Albert Dock, as it continues along to the Museum of Liverpool and the Three Graces.
MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1000-1700. Free Admission. Café: 1000-1645. Museum concentrates on the history of Liverpool.
THREE GRACES: The Iconic images of Liverpool. Left to Right. Liver Building: 1911, with the Liver birds looking out to sea and into the heart of the city. Cunard Building: 1916, Built as the home to the Cunard Line. Port of Liverpool Building: 1907. Liverpool was able to expand its dock system as the city bought out the rights to the riverfront. There is a fourth grace tucked away on the Strand and this is the White Star Line House, home of the White Star Line who owned the Titanic. It is the red and white brick building on the corner.
ST NICHOLAS’S CHURCH: Situated on the Strand and known as Liverpool’s seafaring church. Rebuilt post World War II as Liverpool suffered heavy bombing. Original church built 1257.
LIVERPOOL TOWN HALL: Situated on Water Street. Magnificent 18THCentury construction. Only open on heritage days.
Other Liverpool Attractions: Liverpool is not just the River front but also has a number of other attractions. There are the civic buildings outside, the very impressive, Lime Street train station and the two cathedrals which are linked via Hope Street. It is worth remembering that Liverpool is a hilly city and it is a fair walk from both the Albert Dock to the Cathedrals. All these attractions have suitable drop of points for coaches.
ST GEORGE’S HALL: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1000-1600. Free Admission. Heritage centre with views of great hall included. Café: Monday to Saturday, 0830-1600, Sunday, 1000-1600. One of Britain’s most impressive civic buildings, modelled on the Parthenon.
WALKER ART GALLERY: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1000-1700. Free Admission. Café: Daily, 1000-1645. The Walker has a fine collection of Art collected by the Traders, Ship Builders and Ship Owners of 18th and 19th Century Liverpool.
WORLD MUSEUM: Open: Monday to Sunday, 1000-1700. Free Admission. Café: Daily 1100-1600. A revamped museum which is great with young children.
LIVERPOOL METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL: Open: Daily, 0730-1800 (1700 in winter). Free admission but donation appreciated. Café: Monday to Saturday, 1000-1700, Sunday, 1000-1600. Paddy’s 1960’s Wigwam is built atop Lutyen’s impressive crypt.
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC HALL: Liverpool’s Art Deco Philharmonic Hall has a downstairs café. Open: Monday to Friday from 1100.
LIVERPOOL ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL: Open: Daily, 0800-1800. Free admission but donation appreciated. Liverpool’s 20th Century Cathedral is very impressive. Tower trips available, depending upon weather. Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio premiered.
Liverpool is home to two of England’s most successful football clubs, Everton FC and Liverpool FC. Both stadiums, Anfield and Goodison Park, are located in the north end of the city. Everton are relocating to Stanley Dock in 2025. From the city centre follow Scotland Road and Kirkdale Road (A59, turn right onto Everton Valley (A580). Follow Walton lane (A580) for Everton and turn right onto Walton Breck Road for Liverpool. Both Everton and Liverpool have city centre club shops located next door to each other in the Liverpool One shopping quarter. They are known as Liverpool 1 Everton 2.
LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB: Formed in 1892 after Everton’s departure for Goodison left the owner with a stadium but no team. Museum and Tour Centre: Open 0900-1700. www.stadiumtours.liverpoolfc.com . Stadium tour combined with museum visit runs from 1000-1500 daily. Liverpool in 2018 introduced self guided tours. Museum only, last entry at 1600. LFC advise to arrive fifteen minutes before stadium tour, museum can be visited before or after tour. Museum contains an original European Champions Cup trophy. Entrance: Walton Breck Road. varied menu. Tours, museum and café have limited access on match days. The LFC club shop is located opposite the Museum and Tour Centre. Open: Monday to Saturday, 0900-1700, Sunday 1000-1600.
EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB: Formed in 1878 by members of the local St Domingo Methodist Church. Name taken from a local village. Club moved across Stanley Park to Goodison in 1892. Stadium Tour Office: Open 0800-1800, Monday to Friday. www.evertonfc.com. Tours are not daily. One hour. Tours do not operate on a match day or the afternoon before a Saturday game. The EFC megastore is located on Walton Lane, next to the stadium. Open: Monday to Saturday, 0900-1700, Sunday, 1100-1700.
THE BEATLES.
The majority of visitors associate Liverpool with the ‘Fab Four’ and the ‘The Four Lads Who Shook the World’. These pages will highlight the places and attractions associated with John, Paul, George and Ringo.
BEATLES STORY: The main Beatles attraction in Liverpool, housed at the Albert Dock. Open: Daily, 1st April to 31st October, 0900-1900 (last admission 1700)/1st November to 31st March, 1000-1800 (last admission 1700). Group Visit discounts are available: groups@beatlesstory.com . Shop and exit are a little further along Gower Street from entrance and perfectly placed for coach pick up. Café: Starbucks have a café within the Beatles Story. Store: Extensive shop at located at exit.
MATTHEW STREET BEATLES QUARTER: This is the place where you can gain an experience of Liverpool at the time of the Beatles. Matthew Street is ten minute walk from the Albert Dock. Cross over Wapping, through the Liverpool One* shopping complex to Paradise Street and turn left. This becomes Whitechapel. Turn left onto Harrington Street and right onto the bottom of Matthew Street. Directly in front of you will be the Beatles Shop, there is another store at the west end of Matthew Street. Matthew Street has many Beatles associations. The original Cavern Club is now under the Cavern Walks shopping centre, which houses a great statue of the fab four on the spot where the stage was located, but there is a new Cavern Club further up which is part of the same basement
system and is, more or less, exactly the same as the original club. The Grapes pub is where the lads had a drink. There is a John Lennon statue, a Liverpool music wall of fame and on Stanley Street is the Eleanor Rigby statue.
*Just before you enter Liverpool One you will notice a small glass window on the ground. This provides a somewhat skewed view of the 1715 Dock . This is the original ‘pool’ stone dock that began Liverpool’s expansion as a major port.
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: This tour encompasses the majority of the Beatles sights across the city of Liverpool in a two hour time span, these include Penny Lane, Forthlin Road, Strawberry Fields through to Woolton Church, Menlove Avenue and LIPA. Group Tours using own coach are available but need to be pre booked. Contact: Cavern City Tours: www.cavernclub.com Monday to Friday, 0900-1700. Tours begin at the Tourist Information Office, Albert Dock and conclude at the Cavern Club on Matthew Street.
JOHN’S AND PAUL’S CHILDHOOD HOMES: Both properties are open to the public, owned by the National Trust, but only at certain times and on certain tours. Contact: 0844 800 4791 or the National Trust website/Beatles.
MERSEY FERRIES: Liverpool still has its ‘Ferry across the Mersey’ and circular explorer services regularly leave Pier Head all year round from 1000-1500. www.merseyferries.co.uk SHIVERPOOL GHOST TOURS: Ghost walks around Liverpool. info@shiverpool.co.uk
SLAVERY HISTORY TOURS: See Liverpool through the Slave Trade. Contact: eric@slaveryhistorytours.com TOURIST INFORMATION: www.visitliverpool.com