Liverpool

Tate Liverpool
Albert Dock
Free (charge for some exhibitions).

A fine modern art gallery. A definite visit for arty folk. The Turner Art Prize was hosted here from Oct. 19, 2007 to Jan. 13, 2008. This was the first time the award was held outside of London.

Pier Head
Liverpool Waterfront

Harbour of Liverpool has played a very important role in modern history of the city. The wharf area drained by the Mersey River gives to the city an air of antiquity, which is quite strange and interesting because of the contrast between modern buildings and conventional buildings. The Pier Head has been considered as world heritage by UNESCO.

Walker Art Gallery
William Brown St
8798724
Free
Daily 10AM-5PM
near St George's Hall

Currently displaying Ben Johnson's Liverpool Cityscape 2008 and the World Panorama Series.

The Bluecoat
School Ln
7025324
Free
Daily 10AM-6PM
School Lane

The Bluecoat is the oldest Grade 1 listed building in Liverpool’s city centre dating back to 1717. Following a £14.5m redevelopment, it re-opened in March 2008, as a major landmark on the UK map of contemporary culture. With a new wing of galleries and a state-of-the-art Performance Space, the Bluecoat showcases talent across all creative disciplines including visual art, music, literature, dance and live art, and nurtures new talent by providing studio spaces for artists within a unique creative community.

Albert Dock
Albert Dock
Free.
on the riverside

This is one of the more sophisticated places in Liverpool and is situated in the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in the UK. Old warehouses have been converted into shops, apartments, restaurants, pubs, hotels, galleries and museums. For fan of the old This Morning show with Richard and Judy, this is also where the 3D island weather map was situated in the centre of the dock on the water.

Merseyside Maritime Museum
Albert Dock
Free.

Dedicated to the maritime history of the city, complete with galleries on customs and excise and emigration to the New World. There are also a number of vessels to see, such as the Mersey river tug Brocklebank and the river cargo carrier Wyncham.

International Slavery Museum
Albert Dock, Liverpool
0151 478 4499
Free
10AM-5PM
Within the Merseyside Maritime Museum

"Our aim is to address ignorance and misunderstanding by looking at the deep and permanent impact of slavery and the slave trade on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe. Thus we will increase our understanding of the world around us." ~Dr David Fleming OBE, director, National Museums Liverpool

St. George's Hall
Lime Street
Free.
near railway station

A mammoth of a Greco-Roman-style building which was built by wealthy merchants for the people of the city. It is arguably the finest neo-classical building in Western Europe, and has recently been thoroughly restored for Capital of Culture Year. Inside it has one of the best church organs in Europe. On the outside it has a selection of classical murals which were thought quite shocking in their day due to the shameful female nudity.

Victoria Gallery & Museum
University of Liverpool
Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM
near the Catholic Cathedral

The University of Liverpool's museum comprising their art collection and artefacts housed in an amazing Gothic building which coined the term 'red brick university'.

Williamson's Tunnels
Heritage Centre T-Su

In the early 1800s, a Liverpool tobacco merchant, Joseph Williamson, funded the construction of an enormous labyrinth of tunnels under the Edge Hill area of Liverpool. To this day, nobody knows his reasons for doing so though many guess it as an act of philanthropy, using his wealth to provide jobs and training for thousands of Liverpool workers. There is also a Williamson's Tunnels Heritage Centre.

Speke Hall
near John Lennon Airport

This is a half-timbered Tudor house set on large grounds. It has parts dating back to the 1530s.

Sudley House
Mossley Hill Road, Aigburth
Free.
Princes Road Synagogue

This is an impressive combination of Gothic and Moorish architecture by the Audsley brothers. The colourful interior has to be seen to be believed. Tours can be arranged through their web site.

Liverpool Town Hall

. Built in 1754, the Official Residence of Liverpool's Lord Mayor is an elegant stone building, having two fronts; one towards Castle Street, the other towards the area formed by the New Exchange Buildings. Each front consists of an elegant range of Corinthian columns, supporting a pediment, and are themselves supported by a rustic base. Between the capitals are heads, and emblems of commerce in basso-relievo; and on the pediment of the grand front is a noble piece of sculpture representing Commerce committing her treasures to the race of Neptune.

A great thing about Liverpool is the architecture. For so long it was neglected and run down, but these days most of the city centre is quite splendid.

St. Nicholas and Our Lady Church
just off the riverside

This is the city's parish church and home to the third Liver Bird there are in fact three of them, not two.

Liverpool Central Library
Free.
near St. George's Hall

This is another fine building, boasting a beautiful circular reading room.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Free.

Catholic. Affectionately known by the locals as Paddy's Wigwam or "the Pope's launching pad". Visit on a sunny day as the stained glass ceiling looks fantastic!

Liverpool Cathedral
Free.

It may not look like a wigwam, but is so imposing that the architect of Lord Derby's tomb claimed that no self-respecting church mouse would live there. As a result, he incorporated a mouse into the design of the tomb - it's just under Lord Derby's pillow. Liverpool Cathedral is one of the finest examples in the world of Gothic revival architecture. On a clear day, the tower affords breathtaking views over Liverpool, Merseyside and beyond.

Fab4D Cinema
Pier Head

The Beatles Story's Fab4D experience is an innovative and exciting experience for all the family.

Canada Boulevard
The Pierhead

Runs the entire length of the Three Graces frontage and consists of a boulevard of maple trees with plaques laid into the pavement listing the Canadian ships lost during the Second World war.

Royal Liver Building
on the riverside

Iconic symbol of Liverpool waterfront - this 1911 skyscraper still dominates the distinctive Liverpool skyline . This is the home of the legendary Liver Birds that sit atop the building looking out across to the Wirral. The river-facing face of the clock is six feet larger in diameter than that of the clock tower at Westminster.

Static Gallery
23 Roscoe Lane, L1 9JD
+44 1517078090
Wolstenholme Creative Space
11 Wolstenholme Square, L14JJ
between Duke Street, Slater Street, Hannover Street & Seel Street. Look for the balls.

Wolstenholme is an artist run gallery and studio space situated within a beautiful listed ex textile factory in the heart of Liverpool city centre. Info can be found on the website, via email [email protected] or just by dropping by, you may be fortunate enough to stumble upon some impromptu happening.

guided tours

For those in a hurry there are a number of operators offering guided tours, either using their own transportation or offering their services as "hop-on, hop-off Guides" on your coach or offering guided walks.The best way of getting an overview of the city, is by taking the City Explorer open-top bus (http://www.maghullcoaches...) run by Maghull Coaches. With 12 stops you can hop on and off all day. Qualified local guides provide the commentary and can answer your questions about the city. For Beatles fans, there is the Magical Mystery Tour (http://www.cavernclub.org...) which will take you around the places associated with the Beatles both in the city centre and in the suburbs. For a more tailored tour, there's Liverpool Entente Cordiale Tours (http://www.liverpooltourg...). Their Liverpool tour guides can plan a walk for you or hop on your coach and guide you around the city. They offer tours in English or French. The Beatles Fab Four Taxi Tour (http://www.thebeatlesfabf...) offer unique personal tours that take you back in time to the childhood homes of the Fab Four

comedy

Comedy nights are featured on Friday and Saturday at Baby Blue, a nice club on the exclusive Albert Dock, which is known as a celebrity hotspot. Check online (http://www.laughterhouse.com) for more info and tickets.

Also for laughs, try Rawhide at the Royal Court Theater which showcases some of the best in regional and national comedy talent.

Every June or July there is a fortnight long *Liverpool Comedy Festivalwhich takes place in venues across the city. One event not to be missed is the now legendary Drink up Stand up pub crawls which includes four pubs, four comedians, one compere host and a megaphone!

On the first Tuesday of the month the Fab Café on Hope Street hosts a comedy night with two or three local comics plus a compere.

Express Comedy, (http://www.expresscomedy.com). Based in Birkenhead across the river Mersey, Express Comedy has a stand-up comedy night called Laughter at the Lauries.