Top 11 Most Interesting Places to Visit in Liverpool, England!

Liverpool is by far one of the coolest places I’ve been able to visit over the past few years. I might be a little biased even that I do live here, but still! Liverpool is an amazing place in that you can get lost within its limits for days, but it’s also compact enough to do in one or two depending on your itinerary. It is a beautiful blend of new and old with all sorts of hidden quirks and treasures.

I’ve compiled the top 11 places to visit in this crazy cool city!

1. St. James Garden & the Liverpool Cathedral
2. Albert Dock
3. Cavern Quarter & the Cavern Club
4. the Bombed out Church (St. Lukes Cathedral)
5. the Three Graces on the Pier Head
6. the Metropolitan Cathedral
7. Beatles Landmarks (mostly outside the City Centre)
8. Rodney Street (& surrounding area)
9. Knowledge Quarter
10. Liverpool ONE
11. any of the Numerous Museums

Honorable mentions

Anfield

An easily recognizable name to any football fan, Anfield has been the home of the Liverpool Football Club since it’s formation 1892. And as most English folk would tell you – if you’re in the north, you’ve got to like football!

the SuperLambanana

One of the most interesting quirks about the city is its numerous lambananas. It all began with Taro Chiezo’s bright yellow SuperLambanana located n front of one of Liverpool John Moore’s University’s Libraries. Standing at over 5 meters tall and weighing nearly 8 tonnes, the SuperLambanana is an icon of there city.

Smaller Lambananas can be found throughout the city – sometimes hiding and other times in full view of the public. A large collection of Lambananas can be found at the Museum of Liverpool, both inside and out, but others can be found spotted randomly throughout the city. I even found one hiding under the staircase at the business building of my university!

Titanic Monument

Though the titanic set sail from the west coast of Ireland, the White Star Line company was founded in 1845 in Liverpool. This isn’t that surprising given that throughout most of history Liverpool made it’s business through the Mersey River. Just north of the three graces along the Pier Head, a monument to the Scouse Crew that perished aboard the Titanic that was erected in 1916 can be found.

the Mersey Ferry

Though a trip across the Mersey may not be necessary, the crazy colorful Mersey Ferry can be seen from the docks, and boy is that a sight to see.

11) One of the (numerous) Museums

I know I know, museums might sound boring. I normally race through museums as if seeing all the exhibits in the least amount of time was the objective of the venture. Nonetheless, Liverpool has so many diverse museums in the city centre it’s hard not to put them on this list!

If you’re into history, the world museum or the museum of Liverpool would definitely be worth a visit. I would definitely suggest the museum of Liverpool if you plan on visiting any of the cathedrals, or if you want a beautiful view of the city.

For the wandering musicians, there is both the British Music Experience and the Beatles Story. For any navy brats there’s the maritime Museum. For the artists there’s the Tate, and so many more!

10) Liverpool ONE

The UK bases Post-codes by the county name and then a number, hence Liverpool ONE (or L1). Most of this area is pedestrian streets, and it’s practically a partially outdoor mall! There are so many cool shops, restaurants and cafes throughout the complex, you could get lost for hours.

Plus, during the summer months, various pianos can be found about the area, ready for anyone to use!

9) Knowledge Quarter

Though many of the attractions on this list can be found within Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, it is worth mentioning on its own. With so many old and beautiful buildings, cute cafes and interesting landmarks, getting lost in this part of town is a dream!

8) Rodney Street

Though it might be just another street with the same brick houses to a native scouser, the Georgian architecture along this street is incredible! It’s one of the most historical parts of the city with construction of the street starting back in 1783. Though much of it is offices and residencies, there are a few cafes to enjoy sprinkled in along the way!

7) Beatles Landmarks

If you visit Liverpool, you’ve got to stop by at least one Beatles landmark! They are all over the city so it shouldn’t be too hard.

There are two main statues, one (seen above) located on the pier head, and another down Matthew street of John Lennon. If you’re a Beatles fan, Matthew street should be your top destination anyways! You can visit all sorts of pubs and clubs that the band and other notable musicians of the time played at, and many of them have live music throughout the day! The Cavern Club has to be one of the most famous, and is definitely worth the three flights decent! (see #3 for more about Matthew street and Cavern Quarter)

On Albert Dock, there is also the Beatles Story which documents the journey of the Beatles from their early days in the Cavern, to their individual careers.

If you want to take a trip to the suburbs, there are all sorts of Beatles related places to see. Mostly in L25, with a quick bus trip out of the city centre, you can easily see John Lennon’s Childhood home, the gates of Strawberry Fields, and even Penny Lane!

6) the Metropolitan Cathedral

Any native scouser will tell you that Liverpool is the place to see notable Cathedrals. Though definitely not home to any of the more famous Churches in England, such as York Minster or Westminster Abbey, it is home to the largest Cathedral in the country, and the strangest.

The Metropolitan Cathedral was supposed to be made to be even larger than the Liverool Cathedral, but with wartime restrictions (WWII), the original design had to be altered. Instead of a giant stone cathedral as originally planned, a metal and stained glass spaceship remains.

It is definitely the most interesting and strangest cathedral I have ever come across, and is definitely worth a look if you are visiting Liverpool.

5) the Three Graces on the Pier Head

The three graces are probably the most iconic sight along the coast of the Mersey. They consist of the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building (Left to Right)

These beautiful stone buildings are a sight to see, especially the Royal Liver Building built in 1911, standing 13 floors and 322 ft high. And don’t forget about the Liverbirds atop the clock towers! Ask any scouser and they’ll tell you one faces the water to watch the sailors on the Mersey and ensure they have a safe journey, while the other looks toward the land to see if the pubs are open!

4) the Bombed Out Church (St. Luke’s)

Definitely one of the coolest and most unique landmarks in Liverpool is St. Luke’s Cathedral. Known locally as the ‘Bombed out church’, St. Lukes was hit during an air raid during the Liverpool Blitz in 1941, and subsequently much of the building was left in ruin.

With most of the stone structure still in tact, in 2007 this shell of a cathedral was repurposed to be a garden and a hub for exhibits, films and markets. Many events are held at the Bombed out church to this day, and it is often open for anyone to just walk around and explore!

3) Cavern Quarter & the Cavern Club

Stepping into Cavern Quarter, especially onto Matthew or Button street is like stepping back in time or entering a movie set. Walking along Matthew street, you can spot many of the pubs and clubs that the Beatles and other notable artists over the years have played at.

One of the most notable and coolest is the Cavern Club. Located 3 stories underground, the Cavern is where the Beatles skyrocketed to fame. To this day, they have live music at nearly all hours, much of which is the classics of those who played that stage 60 years ago!

The Cavern club is definitely one of the coolest places to visit if you like music in the slightest!

2) Albert Dock

Albert dock is a hotspot of the city centre. With all sorts of museums, restaurants, cafes, statues, landmarks, lambananas and shops, it is a great place to visit if you want to see a lot of Liverpool in a short amount of time!

Originally home to fisheries, canneries and the other industrial parks that ran Liverpool, these old factories along the River have been transformed into everything from museums, restaurants and apartments.

You can easily spend hours on the docks, with people watching at a cafe, watching the sunset over the Mersey, visiting one of the many museums getting some souvenirs for folks back home and catching a bite for dinner, and hanging a lock with your initials with the thousands of others.

Albert dock is definitely one of the top spots to visit on a trip to Liverpool and would suit the needs of nearly and kind of traveler!

1) St. James Garden & the Liverpool Cathedral

Though the Liverpool Cathedral could make the list on its own, with the best view of the city from the top of the tower, the beautiful architecture and the title of the largest cathedral n England, it is even more a site to see with the hidden secret of St. James Garden.

Though it may seem a bit morbid from the description, the north entrance to this garden is a cavernous trail lined with recycled gravestones that passes between the entrance to the cathedral and the oratory.

The overgrown quarry turned cemetery turned park offers a beautiful and unobstructed view of the entire east side of the cathedral, with paved paths through the whole area. Though it sounds ominous, it is a truly beautiful site which is frequently overlooked.

The Roundup

Really, it’s hard to go wrong in Liverpool. There is so much to see and do that fits so many different lifestyles and personalities.

• Want to go clubbing? Try College Square!
• Want to do an open mic? There are tons of places around town with guitars on hand for you to play (including the Cavern Pub!)
• Want to go to Sunday mass? You can choose from the largest, strangest and most ominously beautiful.
• Want an ironic Sunday mass? Try the pub across from the bombed out church where a man dresses as a nun and plays the piano, and shoots of red wine are served with every Sunday meal!

Liverpool is a truly unique city in that it’s both meant for no one, yet is still for everyone. It is by far one of the most interesting place’s I’ve ever been to, and I would recommend it to anyone as a top destination for a trip! If Liverpool can’t entertain you for at least a few days, I’m not sure what would!

Need some travel inspo? Want to see some more photos of Liverpool?

Click here to see my photography portfolio, which includes some beautiful photos from Liverpool and beyond!