World Museum Liverpool

It’s all here at the World Museum with 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 modern atrium connects what was the Central Technical School with the museum.

An enormous pterosaur swoops down from the ceiling; to the left are the shop and café, to the right, the lifts connecting you to five more floors of natural history museum exhibits: dinosaur displays, bugs and insects, planetarium, aquarium. On the world cultures floor – Ancient Roman, Greek and Egyptian artefacts rub shoulders with contemporary ethnography.

There is a lot to see so make sure you plan a snack break, especially if you’re coming with younger visitors in tow. There’s a space to leave your stuff, with lockers and room for prams and buggies. You’ll also find a picnic room for packed lunches on the fourth floor.

This museum is unashamedly family focussed with masses of hands-on fun, especially in the freshly renovated Clore Natural History Centre and as you might expect it is mobbed on weekends and school holidays. Don’t like heights? Then be warned, the awkward vertical navigation can make this an unedifying experience.

As well as the permanent displays, the World Museum hosts temporary exhibitions on a variety of topics which in recent years included bees, AI and mythological deities.

Looking for more things to do in Liverpool? You’ll find lots of ideas in our cultural guide to the city.