William Brown Street, Liverpool

Creative Tourist

As city centre districts go, this one is relatively small: a cluster of buildings along a cobbled street, with Lime Street Station at the top and the Queensway Tunnel entrance at the bottom. But what it lacks in size, this chunk of Scouse real estate makes up for in kerb appeal: the buildings along William Brown Street are an integral part of Liverpool’s World Heritage Status.

Dominating them all is the neo-classical grandeur of St. George’s Hall, a neo-Grecian building that includes an immense Great Hall, with a tunnel-vaulted roof above and an original Minton tiled floor, made from around 30,000 individual tiles, below. It’s here that Liverpool gathers at times of protest, celebration and remembrance; in September 2012, for example, 10,000 people paid their respects to those who died during the Hillsborough disaster.

The buildings lining William Brown Street have the same restrained classicism of the hall. Among them are the Walker Art Gallery, a petite but perfectly formed art gallery that’s home to the annual John Moores Painting Prize, the World Museum, Liverpool’s Central Library (which reopened in 2013 after a £50 million facelift), and the County Sessions House.

Our top picks

St George’s Hall, Liverpool

St George’s Hall, Liverpool, St George's Place , Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JJ - Visit now

Combining both Victorian cells and a stunning hidden floor, St George’s Hall Liverpool makes for an unusual visit. It’s a building with a unique character and history: the original design combined both the Town Council’s call for a new music hall, and government orders to build a new Assizes Court, making St George’s possibly the only civic building to host both music concerts and murder trials under one roof.

Walker Art Gallery

Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EL - Visit now

The Walker Art Gallery houses one of the most significant collections of paintings in the UK, as well as sculpture and decorative art dating from the 13th century to the present day. The gallery also hosts one of the most prestigious art competitions in the country, the John Moores Painting Prize.

Image courtesy of Visit Britain

Liverpool Central Library

Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN - Visit now

Liverpool’s Grade II-listed Central Library is the largest of the 22 libraries in the city and sits alongside a string of other, similarly magnificent Neo-Classical venues on William Brown Street.

Liverpool Central Library
Liverpool Central Library reading room. Image by Austin Smith Lord

World Museum Liverpool

World Museum Liverpool, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN - Visit now

The World Museum holds treasures from around the world, the bottom of the ocean and even outer space. A hybrid of old and new: outside, it’s all Corinthian columns and neo-Classical architecture. Inside, a newish atrium connects what was the Central Technical School with the museum. This museum is unashamedly family focussed with masses of hands-on, especially in the Clore Natural History Centre, so perfect for a family day out.

Exterior of World Museum Liverpool, home to Dino Ranger Day

St. John’s Gardens

St. John’s Gardens, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 - Visit now

Sandwiched between the museum and gallery on William Brown Street and Queen’s Square, St. John’s Gardens is a small, formal garden filled to the brim with statuary and memorials; its rose flowerbeds forming the backdrop to St. George’s Hall.

St John's Gardens, Liverpool. Courtesy St John's Gardens

Liverpool Lime Street Station

Liverpool Lime Street Station, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JD - Visit now

Liverpool Lime Street is the largest railway station in Liverpool, has an approximate annual footfall of 11.5 million and is still covered by vast iron and glass roofs dating from the 1880s. Toilets, booking offices, shops, a left-luggage office, taxi ranks and coffee bars are amongst the facilities provided.

Liverpool Empire Theatre

Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE - Visit now

The Liverpool Empire Theatre is the largest two-tier theatre in the country with a capacity of 2350. Here you will find touring productions of opera, ballet, concerts, comedy and West End shows offering a packed schedule of events.

Where to go in Liverpool

Liverpool
Shop
Dead Ink Books

Dead Ink Books is an independent bookshop on Smithdown Road in Liverpool, exclusively stocking books from independent publishers.

Liverpool
Event venue
24 Kitchen Street

A mixed-use event space in the Baltic Triangle, 24 Kitchen Street hosts some of the best leftfield club nights and gigs in Liverpool.

Liverpool
Restaurant
The Reader Bar & Restaurant

The Reader Bar & Restaurant offers diners a bistro-style menu, inspired by continental European flavours and created using locally sourced seasonal produce. 

Baltic Triangle
Restaurant
Boxpark Liverpool

Sitting in the heart of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle district, Boxpark Liverpool will offer forward-thinking street food, drinks and entertainment under one roof.

Liverpool
Event venue
Milapfest

For over 31 years, Milapfest, one of Europe’s largest festivals of Indian classical arts, has been taking place in the vibrant city of Liverpool.

Vice Liverpool
Liverpool
Bar or Pub
Vice Liverpool

Vice is a new nightclub and bar in Liverpool, featuring neon lights, zebra-style flooring and a glossy white Ferrari taking centre stage.

Taste Liverpool Drink Bordeaux
City Centre
Event venue
Taste Liverpool Drink Bordeaux

Taste Liverpool Drink Bordeaux is a new food and drink festival, in collaboration with the Bordeaux Wine Council and the French Government, celebrating Liverpool as the UK’s host city for Bordeaux Wine Festival in 2022.

Liverpool Visitor Guides

Liverpool Central Library
Literary places

From bookshops to poetry performances, the Liverpool literature scene is alive and kicking.

Cinemas in Liverpool

Whether you want a multiplex or something a little extra, the cinemas in Liverpool have it all.

Restaurants on Liverpool’s Bold Street

Bold Street is one of Liverpool's most high-profile areas, full of unique coffee shops and independent restaurants. Here's our expert guide to this wonderful area.

Casual dining in Liverpool

From delicate small plates to locally-sourced laid-back dining, Liverpool has it all. We get it, sometimes you’re just not in the mood to get dressed-up and fancy, sometimes jeans, t-shirt...

Vegan Food in Liverpool
Vegan Food in Liverpool

Liverpool is one of the better cities when it comes to high-quality vegan cuisine - here's our guide to the best vegan food in the city

Croxteth Hall and Country Park
Walks in Liverpool

A round-up of the best walks in Liverpool, including the city centre, its many parks, and over the water by Creative Tourist.

Coffee Shops in Liverpool

Over the last couple of years, Liverpool – like the rest of the country – has been taken over by an army of artisan coffee shops. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff (or bean from the berry)?

Baltic Fleet from the outside.
Pubs in Liverpool

Liverpool has seen something of a renaissance of the old-fashioned boozer - here's our guide to the city's best pubs.

Things to Do in Liverpool
Spotlight on

Things to Do in Liverpool

Our guide to the thriving city of Liverpool, where new creative futures are written against the backdrop of a unique history.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Exhibitions

There's no rest for the art lover - this month brings outdoor sculpture, musings on water, political drawings and Liverpool Biennial 2023!

Music

We look towards a summer filled with quality festivals, from cultural behemoths to grassroots gems.

Winnie the Pooh at Manchester Opera House
Families

The sun has finally got his hat on! Enjoy our top picks of family-friendly events and activities, both indoors and outdoors.

Classical Music

Summer's classical music calendar is filling up nicely! Read our top picks of concerts happening in Manchester and the North.

Gerry Potter (credit Lee Baxter)
Literature

Books are big this summer, with festival readings, poetry slams, creative writing activities and famous faces all putting in an appearance.

Food and Drink

All signs point toward June being a scorcher of a month, so let’s take a look at all things summery food and drink.

Tours and Activities

From literary activities to brilliant independent shops, keep your minds and homes filled with the good stuff this month.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre

Check out our updated guide for lively theatre festivals, rip-roaring rooftop circus and dreamy outdoor shows.