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Liverpool
Liverpool: Top 10 Things to Do and Places to See
Liverpool’s monumental waterfront and extraordinary musical legacy are its defining attractions. On the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary in Merseyside, England, this port city grew through Atlantic commerce, industrial trade and migration. Its history includes deep involvement in the slave trade, alongside its role as a departure point for emigrants travelling to North America. These connections shaped both its wealth and its diverse communities.
Today, Liverpool’s identity is inseparable from the Beatles, Liverpool and Everton football clubs, and the distinctive Scouse accent. Museums, galleries and performance venues give its cultural life considerable depth, while two cathedrals and grand civic buildings mark the skyline. Its designation as European Capital of Culture in 2008 helped propel a wider urban revival.
Top 10 things to do in Liverpool
10. Follow the Grand National at Aintree
The Grand National is one of Liverpool’s defining sporting traditions, held at Aintree on the city’s outskirts. This recurring horse race brings another dimension to a destination often associated first with football. For visitors whose trip coincides with the event, it provides a direct encounter with a major fixture in the city’s sporting calendar.
9. Hear the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Liverpool’s musical reach extends well beyond pop. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra makes its home at Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street, giving the city a substantial classical tradition. Attend a concert to hear this part of Liverpool’s cultural life in its dedicated setting; the adjoining Music Room adds a smaller-scale performance space to the venue.
8. Explore the World Museum
The World Museum brings a broader perspective to Liverpool’s museum scene, with collections that extend beyond the city’s own story. Its Egyptian material and British rocketry exhibits are particular reasons to visit. The building itself also rewards attention, forming part of the concentration of cultural institutions around William Brown Street and St George’s Hall.
7. Visit the Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery is a central stop for exploring Liverpool’s visual arts. On William Brown Street, near the World Museum and Central Library, it belongs to a substantial civic cultural quarter. Give it a dedicated visit within a city whose galleries and national museums are an important part of its appeal.
6. See St George’s Hall and Central Library
St George’s Hall expresses Liverpool’s civic ambition through monumental neoclassical architecture. Built by wealthy merchants for the city’s people, it combines a commanding exterior with an interior noted for its organ. Nearby, Central Library’s circular reading room provides another architectural highlight, making these two buildings a rewarding pairing for a city-centre walk.
5. Discover Liverpool’s two cathedrals
Liverpool’s Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals are major landmarks of its religious and architectural landscape. Visiting both brings the city’s two prominent Christian traditions into focus and adds depth to an itinerary centred on docks and music. They also belong to the wider story of a port shaped by migration, including a substantial Irish community.
4. Connect with Liverpool’s football culture
Liverpool and Everton give football a central place in the city’s identity. A visit to Anfield Stadium introduces the home of Liverpool FC through a stadium tour. Beyond the ground, understanding that the city sustains two major clubs is essential to appreciating the strength and complexity of its football loyalties.
3. Explore the Beatles’ musical legacy
The Beatles remain Liverpool’s most internationally recognisable cultural export. The Beatles Story provides a dedicated stop for exploring that legacy. The city also celebrates the band through International Beatle Week in August, when gigs, a convention, screenings and other events examine their career and continuing relationship with their home city.
2. Walk around Royal Albert Dock
Royal Albert Dock brings Liverpool’s industrial architecture into close view. Its historic warehouses now accommodate museums, galleries, shops and places to eat, while the dock basin preserves the scale and character of the former working waterfront. Walk around the water to appreciate the ensemble of Grade I-listed buildings and the transformation of this pioneering warehouse complex.
1. Explore Pier Head and the Mersey waterfront
Pier Head presents Liverpool’s emblematic riverfront, anchored by the Royal Liver Building and its Liver Birds. Explore the city’s story at the Museum of Liverpool, then take a Mersey ferry cruise to see the skyline from the water. Together, the buildings and river reveal the maritime setting that shaped Liverpool’s fortunes and its enduring public image.