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Museums and galleries for kids in Liverpool city centre

Liverpool's national museums are free and most have a room built for under 5s. The rest of this list is the smaller museums, halls and galleries across the region with their own prices and hours.

FamDays has checked 11 museums and galleries in Liverpool city centre: 5 free to get in. 1 is closed for now and sits at the end of the list. Opening times, prices and ages come from each venue's own website and every card says when it was last checked.

11 places5 free to get in

The list

Sponsored listings are marked. Closed places are at the end.

Filter by age, day and price
The Cunard Building at the Pier Head, home of the British Music ExperiencePhoto: User:Hassocks5489, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
From £12.50
All agesOnline prices: adult £20, child £12.50, concession £19, family £52.50. Walk up prices are £2 to £6 higher: adult £22, child £14.50, concession £21, family £58.50. The child age range and any free age are not stated. An entry ticket is valid for a year.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
Liverpool Central Library and the round Picton Reading Room on William Brown StreetPhoto: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Central Library and Discover

Liverpool city centre
Free
All agesFree to visit. Exhibitions listed on the council page, including Birds of America in the Hornby Library, are free entry.
Checked by FamDays on 18 Oct
The Liverpool Beatles Museum at 23 Mathew StreetPhoto: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From £8.50
All agesAdult £17, child aged 5 to 16 £8.50, concession (over 60s and students) £12, family of 2 adults and 2 children £43.50. Children under 5 free.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
Liverpool Cathedral seen from St James MountPhoto: Talsarnau Times, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Liverpool Cathedral

St James' Mount
Free
All agesEntry to the cathedral is free and donations are welcome. The Tower Experience is ticketed: standard £8, concession £6.50, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £22.50, with reduced summer prices of £7, £5.69 and £19.69 from 25 June to 1 September. No separate child price is listed.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
The yellow and blue Magical Mystery Tour coach in Liverpool city centrePhoto: calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Magical Mystery Tour

Royal Albert Dock
From £10
All agesAdult £21.95, child aged 3 to 16 £10, family of 2 adults and up to 2 children aged 16 or under £55. Babies aged 0 to 2 travel free but every person on board needs a ticket, so contact the office for a complimentary under 2 ticket. Group discount for 10 or more. A valid tour ticket includes single general admission to the Cavern Club.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
The angular white Museum of Liverpool building at the Pier Head on a bright dayPhoto: Acediscovery, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Free
All agesFree entry
Checked by FamDays on 15 Oct
St George's Hall on Lime StreetPhoto: MatthewHoobin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

St George's Hall

Lime Street
From £5
All agesThe History Whisperer experience: adult £9, concession (students and over 65s) £7, child under 16 £5, family of 2 adults and 2 children £25, fees included. Separate Great Hall viewing sessions on selected dates cost £3 for 30 to 40 minutes of self paced time in the hall. Guided tour prices are not listed on the pages fetched.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
The entrance to The Beatles Story at the Royal Albert DockPhoto: Lipinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Beatles Story

Royal Albert Dock
From £11
All agesAdults (16 and over) £20, children aged 5 to 15 £11, seniors and students £16, under 5s free. The prices page says family prices exist but gives no figure. Prices include the multimedia audio guide in 12 languages and the Discovery Zone. A child wearing a Blue Peter badge enters free when the rest of the party books online in advance. Cash is not accepted at the door.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
The front of the Walker Art Gallery on William Brown Street under a blue skyPhoto: Superchilum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Walker Art Gallery

William Brown Street
Free
All agesFree entry
Checked by FamDays on 15 Oct
The Banqueting Hall, a lit sandstone chamber beneath Joseph Williamson's house on Mason StreetPhoto: Photo: Kyle J May, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Price not listed
All agesTour prices are shown when you book. Groups of six or more pay £5 per person in advance.
Checked by FamDays on 31 Oct
The columned front and steps of World Museum on William Brown StreetPhoto: Fatih Renkligil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

World Museum

Liverpool city centre
Free
All agesFree general admission. The Planetarium is charged separately: adult £4, concession £3, child 3 to 17 £2, under 3s free.
Checked by FamDays on 18 Oct
The Maritime Museum at the Royal Albert Dock with a tall ship moored outsidePhoto: calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsClosed until 2028

Maritime Museum

Royal Albert Dock
Free
All agesFree entry
Checked by FamDays on 17 Oct

Questions parents ask

Which museums and galleries in Liverpool city centre are free?

Central Library and Discover, Liverpool Cathedral, Museum of Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum do not charge general admission according to their own websites. Parking may still be charged.

What is the cheapest paid day out in Liverpool city centre in this list?

St George's Hall, from £5, the lowest general admission on its website on the day we checked.

Browse another way

Local parent insider tips

Before you set off

  • Book the big ones, turn up to the small onesThe safari park, the big soft plays and anything with a timed entry sell out in school holidays. Parks, beaches, most museums and the libraries never do. Every card says whether you need to book.
  • Go early or go lateMost paid attractions are quietest in the first hour and the last two. Free museums in the city centre are busiest between 11 and 2 on a wet Saturday.
  • Train beats car for the coast and the centreMerseyrail stops next to the beach at Crosby, Freshfield and Southport, and under the museums at Liverpool Central. Under 5s travel free and a Saveaway covers the day after 9.30 on weekdays and all day at weekends.
  • How we checkEvery listing is rechecked against the venue's own website every week, and each card shows the date it was last confirmed. If something has changed since, the Tell us link on every page reaches a person who fixes it.

Prices shown are the lowest general admission per person on the venue's website on the day we checked. Free means the venue states general entry is free; a child going free with a paying adult does not count. Always check with the venue before you set off.