World Museum, Liverpool
Five floors, free, and it covers three things small children reliably love: giant dinosaurs, an aquarium and a space gallery. The best wet-weather day within half an hour.
The Beatles Story
- Cost
- Adults £20, children £11, under 5s free
- Ages
- 6 to 12
- Where
- Liverpool, Merseyside
- Weather
- Works in the rain
- Booking
- Book online
Liverpool's flagship Beatles attraction, in the vaults under the Royal Albert Dock. You work through recreations of the Casbah, the Cavern and Abbey Road with a multimedia audio guide, narrated by Julia Baird, John Lennon's sister. The average visit is about an hour and a half, and every ticket includes the Discovery Zone, where kids record their own Hey Jude and bash replica guitars.
Be honest with yourself about your children before paying. A seven year old who knows Yellow Submarine will be swept along; one who doesn't will be tugging your sleeve by the Hamburg years. The Discovery Zone is the safety net, but it only opens weekends, bank holidays and Liverpool school holidays, so a term-time Tuesday visit is the grown-up museum and nothing else.
The Cavern recreation is dimly lit, worth knowing for kids with sensory sensitivities. Under 5s go free, which is fair, because it is not really for them.
What it costs: Adults £20, concessions £16, children 5 to 15 £11, under 5s free. Tickets include the audio guide and the Discovery Zone. No cash is taken if you buy on arrival.
Know before you go
- Go on a weekend or in the school holidays, when the Discovery Zone is open, because it is the bit built for children, with a floor piano, a mini Cavern stage and instruments to try. It is closed to the general public on weekdays in term time.
- No parking of its own. The Albert Dock car park is opposite the entrance, or use the Liverpool ONE Q-Park and walk down.
- The entrance lift was out of order when we checked on 27 September 2026, so ring ahead if you need step-free access. From 5 October it closes at 5.30pm Sunday to Friday (last entry 4.15pm).
Worth knowing: Best for kids old enough to wear headphones for an hour. The Discovery Zone only opens weekends, bank holidays and school holidays.
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