Merseyside Maritime Museum

Merseyside Maritime Museum

Merseyside Maritime Museum
4.5
About
At Maritime Museum you can explore the history of the great port of Liverpool, with four floors of galleries: Seized! The Border and Customs uncovered; the Emigration gallery; Liverpool: World Gateway; the Titanic, Lusitania and Empress of Ireland gallery; the Battle of the Atlantic; the Art and the Sea Gallery; and the temporary exhibition space. The museum also includes t a café, shop and lecture theatre.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Merseyside Maritime Museum and nearby attractions

Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.

The area

Address
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • DaveBAmersham
    Little Chalfont, United Kingdom1,365 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very good value for money. Like other museums in Liverpool there is no entry fee however donations are gratefully received. Stall very welcoming and knowledgeable. The museum covers many subjects including the port’s involvement in various wars throughout the centuries. Included is an exhibit about the port’s part in the Titanic journey prior to the disaster. There are some brilliant original paintings of boats throughout the ages. Plenty of original items from cruise liners, merchant navy, fishing boats etc. I was not aware how important the port of Liverpool was, due to its location, in conflicts in Europe. A very informative couple of hours was spent at this museum.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 18, 2024
  • Bronda
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What an amazing museum this is! It's been well planned and thought out... free of charge but you can make a donation if you want to We spent 2 hours here but could have stayed longer There's lots to look at and something to capture everyone's imagination The cafe downstairs is really good...Great cakes & sandwiches!! My only niggle were badly behaved teenagers ( from France)..who should know better and running about loudly like a bunch of toddlers from kindergarten! Another group of older boys ( all boys)who clearly had zero interest in this museum and were more interested in how fast they could run around! Staff were onto it so thank you for that! The teachers who were with them were either blind / deaf or simply not able to control them It didn't stop us enjoying this wonderful museum!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 19, 2024
  • Peej M
    Oxford, United Kingdom299 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a pretty impressive museum spanning multiple floors, and incorporating aspects of shipping and sailing that are focused around the rich maritime heritage of Liverpool's docs. As you can imagine, there's a lot to take in so expect to spend a good couple of hours exploring. For us, the highlights were the exhibitions about slavery (which were dealt with in a really thought provoking and sensitive way) and the exhibition about the Titanic (including lots of artefacts from the ship itself). The museum has a busy cafe, and loos on each floor as well as a shop to pick up those last minute gift bargains. There's lots for all ages, in fact plenty to keep kids occupied. A fascinating glimpse at Liverpool through the ages and its close relationship with shipping and the sea
    Hello, thank you for your wonderful feedback on your visit to our museum. It's always lovely to read comments from our visitors, particularly what area of the museums they found interesting. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you back with us very soon. Many thanks, National Museums Liverpool
    Written May 31, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 23, 2024
  • PETER T
    Margate, United Kingdom1,377 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We were staying local so decided to visit this museum. This museum covers many aspects of maritime history and the work taken to establish this chronicle of history must have taken years There was too much to take in on one visit so I decided to concentrate on the war side of this museum. I spent well over 3 hours there walking around looking at exhibits and articles on display .
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 4, 2024
  • Scottish1965
    Ayr, United Kingdom48 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Considering this is a free attraction it’s so well laid out and lots to do and see. (Make sure you leave a donation though as it’s well deserved) 4 floors of exhibits everything well spaced out and easy to follow signs. Lifts to all floors so easy accessible for all. Can’t recommend this enough
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 10, 2024
  • LauraDaveJames
    Solihull, United Kingdom5,277 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This museum is located in Albert Dock. It is free to enter and the staff are very welcoming. It is laid out over several floors which cover a number of different subjects. We found the exhibitions on the sinking of the Titanic and the naval war in the Atlantic to be of interest.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 5, 2025
  • Wanderer752472
    31 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I enjoyed the Battle of the Atlantic and Titanic exhibitions - lots of new insights, interesting exhibits and personal stories, well-geared to visitors of all ages. I learned a lot about the Lusitania. Liverpool in wartime and torpedoes. The sections on passenger and goods traffic were less interesting, over reliant on models and dilapidated in places - this is ripe for redevelopment. You need to be interested in ships and/or history to enjoy this museum, but the Titanic is a slice of popular history in itself.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written October 30, 2024
  • caitlin p
    3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It’s an ok museum! The directions could have been better, it ended up being abit of a maze finding our way back to the stairs or lift to go up or down a floor. There was the odd arrow on the floor but then no more the next minute which didn’t make navigating any easier. Only other downside was that the majority of the interactive phones were either broken or didn’t work and play the audio which was quite disappointing.
    Thank you so much for your comments, its always useful to hear visitor reviews and suggestions for improvements. We are due to embark on major works as part of the "Two Museums, One Vision. Transforming the International Slavery Museum & Maritime Museum" project which will see the kind of improvements to signage and lighting that you are suggesting. This will also help to create a clearer route around displays. Our Museum is almost 40 years old and, although we've been able to keep the displays and the building maintained for the most part, we know that the Museum needs the kind of refurbishment that the project will address. You can find out more about this project on our website at liverpoolmuseums.org.uk We hope this is helpful and hope to see you at our museum again very soon. Many thanks, National Museums Liverpool
    Written September 11, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 21, 2024
  • Thomas V
    Oakland, California19,405 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This free museum was a great find. We were fascinated with the expo of the Lusitania disaster, so very important in this city where the citizens worked and traveled on the ship. And lots of other expos on the importance of shipbuilding and other wrecks. Lots to see here and we only scratched the surface. Located in the terrific Docks area with food and drink.
    Thank you for a great review, its lovely to hear your feedback. We are so pleased to hear you had a great experience with us
    Written September 11, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 30, 2024
  • Steph
    West Midlands, United Kingdom188 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Had a really enjoyable visit. Great exhibits for the kids. Found it really easy to navigate round. Free entry. My only criticism is to sort some sort of air conditioning out. We came back the following day as we had to rush round and leave the first visit because of how stuffy and hot it was especially on the higher levels.
    Thank you so much for leaving a great review and for taking the time to visit. Regarding the air conditioning Maritime Museum will be entering a period of building refurbishment very soon. So in the meantime we have temporary cooling units distributed through out site where appropriate. You can find more about our transformation by following this link; Waterfront Transformation Project | National Museums Liverpool (liverpoolmuseums.org.uk) Hope this is helpful and we look forward to seeing you again soon .
    Written September 11, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 24, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles6,313 reviews
Excellent
3,983
Very good
1,890
Average
368
Poor
49
Terrible
23

Rooombiter
Isle of Wight, UK887 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
This waterfront museum has an incredible amount of artefacts and displays on most aspects of maritime history, especially relating to the port of Liverpool.

The top floor displays concerning slavery and Liverpool’s important role in the history of this awful trade are extensive and illuminating but I did find that some key aspects I would like to know about were absent, for instance there was very little information on how the trade worked in practice within the African continent.

There were excellent sections dedicated to the Titanic and Lusitania that were detailed and interesting, my only difficulty was that throughout the museum I found it hard to work out which way to proceed?
Maybe modern museums want you to figure this out for yourself but I like to be provided with directional arrows that set you on a timeline rather than being left to set off into the middle or end of the story… I want to find about the creation of the Titanic before reading about the aftermath of the sinking.
Just about everything in the story is covered but I spent around ten minutes in each section figuring out which bits to view first.

There is no floor guide map available to carry with you, however the signage throughout the museum is excellent.

We had coffee in the museum cafe which was fine if a little on the pricey side.

There is no entry fee but donations are encouraged, all in all this is a great museum and a credit to Liverpool but I found the layouts somewhat confusing to navigate.
Written August 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rtdood
Manchester, UK1,072 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
Good museum for learning about the maritime development of Liverpool and it's wider context. There are exhibition areas exploring the Titanic and Lusitania tragedies, Atlantic Convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic and a larger gallery on the subject of seafarers for goods and passenger travel. I spent about 2-2.5 hours looking around all the exhibition areas.

Its fairly easy to wonder round the museum although it is a little confusing at first to work out where to begin. The fourth floor offers conference space etc which is not for public use and the third floor is poorly named the slavery 'museum'. There are a couple of interactives as you wonder round, but many of the objects are classically displayed in glass cases. There is lots of space to move round too. Important information was clear and easy to read with lighting not being an issue.

The basement could easily be missed and this houses a large gallery on Emigrants to a New World and encompasses several large walk through dioramas. I really liked this as it helped bring the period alive of what the journey was like for emigrants. Well worth a visiting this section if you want to know about Liverpool's maritime history!

Couple of side points however, if you are wanting to know more about undersea exploration and/or the wider context of naval warfare pre-1800s's you will be left disappointed as these are areas the museum does not cover in any great detail. The Atlantic Convoys exhibition will go well if you are planning on visiting the Western Approaches museum.
Written January 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Derek H
London, UK232 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
Our city-staycation included a few days of play in Liverpool. We'd been recommended to visit the Maritime Museum beside Albert Dock. We did and were not disappointed.
It's an easy going venue with something for everyone and covering centuries of history... recent and way back.
The general upkeep was good, a handful of lamps out but, apart from that, the exhibits were well displayed with a good amount of background information.
Im no historian but felt both informed, engaged and really pleased to have visited... I highly recommend any visitor to the museum (and only a ÂŁ5.00 donation is requested, card or cash). Elevated viewsof the Albert Dock are also possible from inside the top floors.
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Darren L
Quedgeley, UK127 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
This was the first museum we have visited in a number of years and it was great. Ee were there for 3 hours and still have reasons to go back. We just looked at the Slavery and Titanic exhibitions both excellent, thought provoking and informative. A donation of ÂŁ5 is suggested for the fee and that is great value.
Written June 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BigJeff L
2,273 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
The museum occupies warehouse block D at the impressive and historic Albert Dock. The highlight has to be the focus on the Titanic which sank on 15 April 1912 and the British ship Lusitania which sank after being attacked by a German U-boat during World War I on 7 May 1915. A detailed description of the ships are provided. White Star Line which owned the Titanic was in Liverpool, so Titanic carried "Liverpool" on her stern. There are some impressive items to see including actual artifacts taken from the wreck. You can also discover the extraordinary stories of emigration to a new world and how many thousands travelled from the port of Liverpool. A must is also a visit to the sombre International Slavery Museum which is based on its third floor.
Written November 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Orator11
Singapore, Singapore7,461 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
Great visit to the museum, especially as they currently have an exhibit focusing on the Titanic - what happened, who was on board, and the inquisition after.

There is also a section on the sinking of the Lithuania by a German U-boat, as well as the merchant navy during WWII.

There are excellent and detailed models and dioramas of ships, large and small.

Entry is free, but you encouraged to donate 5 pounds or more.
Written November 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wilmap50
11 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
The Slavery exhibition was very interesting and informative. While the story was well told we found the Titanic exhibition to be too long winded as there was little to relate it to Liverpool. There was mention of the Lusitania but here again it was difficult to relate it to the wider story. There was some reference made to the owners of the shipping lines. There were display cabinets of gilded objects which we presumed were used aboard the boats but there were no descriptions or explanations: they did not seem to carry the White Star logo. Even Caledonian MacBrayne used china carrying their logo into the 70s. In fact this lack of information was echoed throughout the museum. For instance there was a display cabinet of ships models, with a plaque to the side listing them but this list was not numbered, neither were the models, making it impossible to tell which was which. The irony is that this plaque was one of the very few to be seen throughout the museum. Also, why was there no mention of Cammell Laird, still a major boat builder in the country? Why no mention of wartime convoys which used Liverpool as a base? I have no idea if it was: there was no mention of anything like this. We have visited a number of maritime museums: this is not one of the best.
Written August 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mel S
Swineshead, UK448 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
We spent approximately 2 hours at the Maritime Museum. On entry, which was free we were greeted by friendly and helpful staff (there is a recommended donation of ÂŁ5, but no pressure to donate). Great displays and loads of interesting maritime facts and stories. A must see in Liverpool.
Written January 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ben S
7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Couples
A really interesting museum that's absolutely full of exhibits.

The only negative thing was the guy who collared us to answer a 'short' survey about the museum. It wasn't short at all and the questions included things like how much we were spending on various things, my job title etc. It seemed intrusive and unnecessary and kind of killed the good mood we were in before we left.
Written December 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anita
Scunthorpe, UK1,549 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Solo
Excellent museum.

Yes, there's a lot about the Titanic and similar incidents but the museum provides exhibits and information that tell the story from different perspectives that usual.

There's also a history of the docklands area and, if you time it right they do tours of the Old Dockyard.

I loved the interactive talks. Although aimed at families with children, I still enjoyed them as an adult. All the staff I spoke ti were great, but special credit to the two lovely ladies who did the "talks" I saw on Saturday 30th September. Your enthusiasm was infectious.

Would highly reccomend this museum.
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 5,777
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Merseyside Maritime Museum (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)

All Liverpool HotelsLiverpool Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Liverpool
All things to do in Liverpool
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars