Liverpool city centre with kids: 10 must-see places

What are the must-see places in Liverpool city centre with kids?

The Museum of Liverpool, World Museum and Walker Art Gallery are free and all have something built for children. Add a Mersey Ferry cruise, the Liverpool Cathedral tower, the Upside Down House and The Beatles Story, and you have the best of the city centre in a couple of days, mostly on foot.

Liverpool city centre is small enough to walk, and most of the best things in it for families sit along two streets: William Brown Street by Lime Street station, and the waterfront at the Pier Head and the Albert Dock. Plan the day around one of them and you will not spend it in the car.

The free museums

1. Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head. Free. Little Liverpool on the ground floor is a gallery made for under 6s and runs in timed sessions, so ask at the desk for the next slot as soon as you arrive. Upstairs is the city itself: the football, the music and the people.

2. World Museum, William Brown Street. Free, with ancient Egypt, space, samurai armour and live animals in the aquarium. The planetarium is the only charge: £2 for children 3 to 17 and £4 for adults. It is closed on most Mondays outside school holidays.

3. Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street. Free. Start in Big Art for Little Artists, the hands on gallery for under 8s on the ground floor, then choose two or three rooms upstairs rather than trying to see it all.

4. Central Library and Discover, William Brown Street. Free, next door to the World Museum, with the Picton Reading Room and the Hornby Library and a children's area. It is closed on Sundays and bank holidays.

On the water

5. Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise, Pier Head. Children 5 to 15 are £9, adults £14, and under 5s go free. Online tickets are open dated, so you can buy ahead and choose a sailing on the day.

6. The Beatles Story, Royal Albert Dock. Children 5 to 15 are £11, adults £20, under 5s free, with an audio guide included and a Discovery Zone for younger fans. The entrance has 19 steps, so check the lift before you go with a pushchair.

7. British Music Experience, Pier Head. Children are £12.50 and a family ticket is £52.50 online, cheaper than at the door, and the ticket gives free return visits for a year. Older children love the hands on studio.

The big views and the odd ones

8. Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount. Free to walk round, and the largest cathedral in Britain. The Tower Experience is ticketed and is a real climb of 108 stairs after the lifts, so judge it against your child's legs.

9. Upside Down House, Liverpool ONE. £6.95 for everyone aged 4 and over, under 4s free. It takes 15 to 20 minutes, which is exactly right between other things, and it is the photo the kids will show their friends.

10. St George's Hall, opposite Lime Street. Still a working court, so you visit through the visitor centre. The History Whisperer experience is £5 for children and £25 for a family of four, and it does not run on event days, so book ahead.

On a wet day, Bluecoat on School Lane is a free arts centre with a Children and Family Zone you can use without booking, and baby changing on the ground floor. For something stranger, the Quirky Quarter in The Arch on Duke Street is a whole building of illusion rooms, puzzles and photo spots, open every day from 10am to 5pm. Book an arrival slot online for weekends and school holidays, and park at Q-Park Liverpool ONE, as there is no parking at the venue.

The FamDays verdict

Start with the free museums and pay for one thing: the ferry for little ones, the cathedral tower or The Beatles Story for older children. That is the best of Liverpool city centre for most families, for the price of a single ticket.