World Museum Liverpool: Honest Family Review

On the 13th May 2025 we made a proper day of it and took the whole gang to World Museum, Liverpool — train, picnic, excited children, blistered feet and all. We don’t get to do big days out very often, so we planned this one carefully. There were proper highs (some bits were wonderful👏 ) and proper lows (some bits made us sigh😩 ). Here’s everything you need to know — what to love, what to steer clear of, and the little practical bits every parent wishes someone had told them.

Getting there & first impressions

How we travelled: Train and Walking

Train to Liverpool Lime Street Station (so handy and central).

On the walk to the museum you pass some incredible architecture — St George’s Hall on the left (massive, stately, with lion statues and a man on a horse – both a big hit with the kids). It’s magnificent, but oddly there’s no clear signage on the front to tell you what it is, which seemed strange🤔 . Opposite is the Empire Theatre and nearby the library and art gallery — all very grand buildings.

First confusion:

The museum’s old main entrance looks glorious with huge steps and beautiful stonework, so we naturally headed there — only to discover the actual public entrance is next door.

There wasn’t an obvious sign on the street telling you that. A clear street sign would save first-time visitors an awkward moment (and time with wriggling kids).

Costs & surprises (bring cash/card for extras)

Although the museum advertises free entry, there are optional paid extras that surprised us if you don’t expect them:

• Planetarium tickets — we were surprised to be charged. At the desk we paid £4 per adult and £2 per child for the show we wanted (not what I expected from reading the website).

• Lockers — £2 plus a £3 refundable deposit (don’t forget to get the deposit back!). This was extremely handy, as we then didn’t have to lug big backpacks around.

• Souvenir coin machine at the entrance — spin the wheel, pay £1.20 per coin, and it presses a thin metal oval coin stamped with a design (dinosaurs were popular). Cute and cheapish, but the coins are very thin — kids loved them though.

  

  

If you’re on a tight budget: have a plan for whether you’ll pay for extras. We booked the planetarium because the staff said it was worth it — sadly, it didn’t feel worth the price for us (more on that below).

Entrance chaos & crowds

When we arrived there were loads of school groups coming in — lots of marching kids from buses — so I popped in first to check things and book tickets while Clive waited outside with the kids. If you’re visiting on a school day, expect mornings to be busy with school parties.

Aquarium — small, pretty entrance, but some empty tanks

The aquarium entrance is theatrical — a gorgeous projection with ocean waves spelling “Aquarium.” It looked brilliant and really sets the mood.

What’s inside:

• A few small tanks (sea anemones, fish).

• A terrapin display with a clever bubble viewing area the kids can crawl into so they feel like they’re inside the tank — Zeke loved this.

  

  

• Axolotls — two white and two dark ones. The older kids were fascinated (and surprised that there are black ones).

• Disappointments: the jellyfish and mangrove tanks were empty with signs saying the creatures were not present (probably cleaning or maintenance). It was sad to see and a bummer if that was a highlight you were hoping for.

A note on animal welfare feelings: Many tanks are small and sometimes the animals just sit still — we all felt a bit sad seeing limited swimming space for some creatures. It’s worth being prepared for that emotionally if kids love animals.

Botany & Bugs — educational but mostly for readers and older kids

Across from the aquarium is a small botany area with insect displays and preserved specimens. It’s interesting, but fairly static — glass cases with butterflies, insects in preserving liquid, snakes (not alive), etc. Kids got bored quickly because it’s not very interactive.

The bugs area had some interactive intent (sound displays, pull-out drawers), but:

• A lot of drawers were locked (apparently used for teaching sessions).

• The interactive bug-sound contraptions didn’t always sound realistic and weren’t well explained, so kids lost interest fast.

• Some displays showed crowded insects in tiny glass boxes which made us uneasy — not engaging for little ones.

If your kids need hands-on, this section may disappoint.

Ancient Egypt — massive, beautifully done, but needs supervision

This was our second favourite area. It’s HUGE, full of information, and very well curated.

Highlights:

• Floor map showing the Nile and Egyptian zones.

• Timelines comparing Egypt to the rest of the world.

• Lots of original artifacts and mummies with clear displays showing how coffins and tombs worked.

  

  

• Fascinating animal mummification displays — we hadn’t realised animals were mummified as offerings or to serve in the afterlife. That sparked a brilliant conversation with the kids.

Family note: the exhibition is very reading-heavy and the child-friendly interactive prompts are usually at the bottom of displays — they’re easy for kids to miss unless an adult points them out. Once we showed  the kids where to touch/fill boxes,  they engaged properly, and had a good time. 

Sad bits: some interactive features were damaged or missing — for example, one of the touch-stones was stolen and posters were peeling off. That was disappointing and looked like a maintenance/security problem.

Lunch — indoor picnic area (but it’s in the dinosaur section!)

There’s a clean indoor picnic area with big tables and child-height basins for washing hands — great if you’ve brought a packed lunch. However it sits inside the dinosaur section, meaning dino-mad kids (hi Zeke) will be staring straight through the glass wanting to go back to the dinosaurs instead of eating. If you’ve got small dinosaur fans, consider doing the dinosaur area before lunch so they won’t be distracted.

Dinosaurs & First Life — bones, replicas, and a missed chance

The dinosaur and “first life” area covers first humans, coelacanths, early mammals, and dinosaurs. For kids it’s exciting, but as a parent there are problems:

• Real fossils mixed with replicas and toys, and it’s not always clearly marked which is which. We had to read signs carefully to tell what was genuine, and deal with disappointed kids…

  

  

• There are some large skeletons and real bits (fossilised poo included — which the kids thought was the best thing ever), but the space felt disjointed — toys and serious fossils all piled together.

• Lack of interactivity — no roar triggers, no dig pits, no sensory things. A roaring dino or some tactile components would have made this thrilling for the kids.

Zeke loved it because it’s dinosaurs. But the area felt like a missed opportunity to fully delight families.

Jungle / Animal habitats — small and forgettable

This flows on from the dinosaur area into small jungle/forest habitats. It’s compact: a lion-chasing-zebra display, a little monkey area, and that was pretty much it. The kids were bored and we didn’t even take photos — that tells you everything. Could be improved or combined with other exhibits for more impact.

Space & Time — nice curiosities but planetarium underwhelms 

This level includes clocks and timepieces (really interesting for adults), telescopes, and the planetarium.

Highlights:

• A massive historic telescope that caught the kids’ attention (but looking through it just showed black — a virtual projected image would be far more engaging).

• A heavy meteorite (iron meteorite from Arizona) you can try to lift — tiny but extremely heavy. The kids adored this!

• Some older NASA footage projected on the wall (dated, from 2016 — quiet and hard to hear).

Planetarium — paid experience that needs updating

We booked the planetarium (arrive 5 minutes early — latecomers are locked out). The planetarium room is a lot smaller than expected and the chairs are upright (not reclining), which means necks get really sore and uncomfortable. The show:

• Felt outdated, with some blurry scenes.

• Was monotone and factual, not the uplifting, cinematic experience we’d hoped for.

• Sound level was low (hard to hear), and the visuals weren’t sharp. Several people around us fell asleep!

For a paid show, it really needs modern visuals, better sound, and more engaging narration — possibly reclined seating too.

World Cultures — our favourite (a genuine surprise)

Cross the bridge from the planetarium and the tone changes incredibly — this is World Cultures, and it’s brilliant!! The website doesn’t do it justice.

What it does:

• Takes you through regions (Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe depending on your route).

• Asks the big questions: Whose culture is it? Why are these items here? Should they be returned? Are they still relevant?

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Links to online discussions and wider context — the curators haven’t just displayed objects; they’ve started awesome conversations.

Standouts:

• Asia section — samurai armour, swords, and beautifully crafted items. Highly impressive.

• New Zealand display — a milky glass panel that reveals objects only when you stand and look straight at them; look away and they vanish. Magical! Luke (whose grandad lives in NZ) loved this.

• Center round room: the absolute highlight. A dark circular room with objects in glass cases. A spotlight picks out an object, words are projected on the wall and a poetic narrator speaks as if they are the object — telling their history, travel, and meaning. It’s funny, moving (a dragon-lion afraid of bubble wrap!), and visually stunning with lights dancing across the walls. I could have stayed there all day. This is the exhibit to linger in and discuss.

  

  

  

Weston Room & other closed/locked areas

We tried to explore further and found the Weston Room (supposed to have interactive stuff) completely dark with nobody to help turn lights on. Another nearby room was locked with interesting displays inside that we couldn’t access. Not sure whether these rooms open on a schedule or need a staff member — there was nobody around to ask. Frustrating…

Leaving — the park across the road and safety concerns

When we finished, we collected our belongings from the locker (don’t forget your £3 deposit!) and went to the park across the road to have a snack. It was warm and sunny (over 25°C) — perfect picnic weather — but the park felt terribly neglected:

• Overgrown grass and flower beds 

• Litter everywhere

• Broken benches

• Statues in poor condition

• People drinking and sleeping in corners — it didn’t feel very safe for a family with children

This park is used by school groups and tourists, but it looked uncared-for. I have sent a message to the local council/tourism board about cleaning and bench/statue repairs.

After our snack we tried to find hot chips but the area past St George’s Hall felt rough — rundown shops, people begging, and an overall uneasy feel with few visible police. We quickly ate and headed back to Lime Street Station and home.

Free download: Family Prep Checklist (grab it before you go!)

I’ve turned our “what we packed / what we should’ve packed” notes into a one-page downloadable checklist to make your visit smoother. It covers:

• What to bring (spare shoes, slip-ons…)

• What to skip (overpacking toys)

• Planetarium timing tips

• Budget reminders (planetarium, lockers, souvenirs)

• Quick coping tricks for bored kids

➡️➡️➡️Printable Museum Checklist

Practical tips for families (short & snappy)

• Wear comfy shoes — lots of stairs and walking (Alysia got blisters despite good shoes).

• Plan Planetarium timing and arrive early.

• If you have dino fans: do the dinosaur area before lunch to avoid distraction.

• Expect reading-heavy exhibits — bring short games or quiet activities for non-readers.

• Lockers are handy but get your deposit back!

• Bring wash wipes and small snacks for quick energy boosts.

• Be aware of the area outside — see the park notes above and plan your route if you’re uncomfortable.

Our final verdict

• Best bits: World Cultures (outstanding & thoughtful); Egypt exhibition (rich and well-curated).

• Disappointments: Aquarium (small and some empty tanks); bugs & botanical sections (unengaging); confused dinosaur area (real vs replica); planetarium show (outdated for the price and no reclining chairs); locked/closed rooms with no staff to help; and the neglected park + rough area nearby.

• Would we go again? Maybe — but mainly for the World Cultures section and possibly a better planetarium show. The rest didn’t feel like a repeat visit priority.