Review: Merseyside Maritime Museum

Emdad Rahman

It is hardly surprising that Liverpool houses the Maritime Museum.

Outside of London, Liverpool was once one of the most influential and prosperous cities in Europe. Liverpool was a major trading port and merchants from around the world would import and export their goods to and from Liverpool. Liverpool was also notorious for its involvement in the slave trade and the museum illustrates the connections and deplorable conditions of the slave ships that would regularly be seen travelling up and down the Mersey.

The Merseyside Maritime museum opened in 1980 in an old warehouse in Albert Dock in Liverpool. Merseyside Maritime Museum is in a former bonded warehouse, part of the historic Albert Dock on the banks of the River Mersey. The museum, tells the story of one of the world's greatest ports and the people who used it. The Museum is situated at the heart of the best eateries, as well as one of the best shopping areas in the country, Liverpool 1.

One gallery looks at Liverpool's most famous ships the Titanic, Lusitania and Empress of Ireland. All three ships sank and within three years of each other between 1912 and 1915.

For energetic kids under eight there is a play area called Sea Urchins. Here they can dress up as pirates, mermaids, sailors or lobsters and there are lots of free activities on offer with a maritime theme.

Merseyside Maritime Museum is without doubt a fun day out for visitors, be they singles, pairs, groups or families.

The Museum invites the visitor to explore a very large and varied collection that reflects the seafaring importance of Liverpool as a gateway to the world.

Based in the Albert Dock, this shipshape museum contains four floors of fascinating galleries that explore the city’s maritime legacy. Displays look at Liverpool’s important role during the Second World War, life at sea with the merchant navy and the brand new Titanic, Lusitania and the Forgotten Empress gallery. The Maritime Archive and Library also contains one of the finest collections of merchant shipping records in the UK.

During a weekend jolly to the wonderful city of Liverpool, my shipmates and I set sail and dropped anchor on the Mersey. At the Merseyside Maritime Museum you can explore the history of Liverpool’s seafaring traditions and the merchant navy. The museum also hosts a collection of shipping records in the maritime Archive and Library.

Liverpool was one of the World's greatest seaports for over two hundred years and is now Britain's largest west coast port. The museum looks at this history of shipping, which shipping companies existed and how and when ships were built.

Admission to Merseyside Maritime Museum and all the National Museums Liverpool venues is FREE.

All exhibitions, events and activities at National Museums Liverpool are also FREE. There is access for visitors with disabilities to all National Museums Liverpool, although limited restrictions apply.

There are various temporary exhibitions and events, please check the website or call for more information.

Contact info:

Merseyside Maritime Museum
Albert Dock
Liverpool
Merseyside
L3 4AQ
Tel: 0151 478 4499

Opening times:

Open daily 10am-5pm.
Closed from 2pm on 24 December and all day on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
www.merseysidemaritimemuseum.org.uk

emdad@londonbangla.com