Liverpool With Kids: Family Activities

Liverpool is easy with children because many of its best museums are free and the waterfront is compact. Prices below are in pounds sterling (GBP). Several sights can be combined in a single day around Pier Head and William Brown Street.

Free museums

The World Museum on William Brown Street is free and includes an aquarium. Liverpool has no zoo and no city aquarium, so this is the place to see fish and reptiles. A planetarium show is reportedly about GBP 3 for adults and GBP 2 for children, bought on arrival, but check the price on the day.

The Museum of Liverpool at Pier Head is also free. Children tend to enjoy the Overhead Railway carriage. Hours are listed as either daily or Tuesday to Sunday, so check before you set out.

Tate Liverpool is a temporary display at RIBA North on Mann Island, open daily from 10:00 to 17:50 and free. It has two small galleries and a family area. Tate says it will return to the Albert Dock in 2027.

On the water and on the road

The Mersey Ferries River Explorer is a 50-minute cruise from Pier Head that calls at Seacombe. Adults pay GBP 14, children aged 5 to 15 pay GBP 9, and a family ticket for two adults and two children is GBP 39. The Woodside terminal is closed.

The City Explorer open-top bus has 11 stops. A 24-hour ticket is GBP 15 for adults, GBP 11 for children and about GBP 35 to GBP 40 for a family, depending on the group.

Parks and play

Sefton Park is free and has the Palm House, a Victorian glasshouse. There is no zoo and no boat hire in the park.

Eureka! Science and Discovery at Seacombe is aimed at ages 0 to 14, and adults can only enter with children. Prices are quoted between about GBP 15.95 and GBP 16.95, so check eureka.org.uk. Otterspool Adventure Centre also welcomes families, but its pricing model is unclear, so check before you go.

Beatles with younger visitors

The Beatles Story has a Discovery Zone for children, but it runs only at weekends and in school holidays. Entry is about GBP 20 for adults, GBP 11 for ages 5 to 15, and under-5s are free. Tickets are cashless and you choose a timed slot online. Strawberry Field is free for under-16s with a paying adult.

Tips for families

  • Keep children away from the water at Crosby and Otterspool. Crosby Beach is red-flagged and not for bathing, and the tide is fast.
  • Merseyrail Day Savers cost about GBP 5 to GBP 6.50.
  • Pier Head, Mann Island and the Albert Dock sit close together, so a day of short walks works well with young children.

Read more: family-friendly activities and Liverpool activities .

Official pages: Mersey Ferries fares , City Explorer tickets , Beatles Story prices . Search for family tours on GetYourGuide .