10 reasons to visit National Museums Liverpool this Christmas

National Museums Liverpool has seven sites across the city region including the Maritime Museum, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

Christmas has arrived in Liverpool and there’s more than ever to see and do in and around the city – including a fair sprinkling of sparkles and magic at National Museums Liverpool. Here are 10 things you can do this Christmas across the city’s museums and galleries.

Seven sites across the city to enjoy over Christmas

There’s not one but seven superb sites across the city to amaze and entertain you: World Museum, Museum of Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, International Slavery Museum, Maritime Museum, Sudley House, and Lady Lever Art Gallery are all offering a host of amazing exhibitions and events including interactive activities for the kids throughout the holidays and memories of Christmases past.

Boodles: Pure Brilliance

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend – and there are plenty of the precious gemstones on display in this spectacular exhibition at Lady Lever Art Gallery. Pure Brilliance: The Boodles Story showcases the city jewellery brand’s 225-year story and shows how Liverpool has helped shape the company’s growth from a family jewellery business to sellers and creators of some of the most stunning jewels in the world.   

Plenty of gifts available across stores

If you’re stuck for ideas of what to buy the family – and who isn’t? – National Museums Liverpool’s gift shops can provide plenty of inspiration and great pressies they won’t want to exchange on Boxing Day, from the perfect prints and city-themed games and jigsaws, to books, badges, and beautiful homeware.

Art of the Terraces at the Walker Art Gallery

Combining fashion, football, and art as told from the terraces, this is the first major exhibition to tell the story of a movement that defined sports culture of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, highlighting the clothing brands and footwear, the music, and the supporters’ encounters that defined an era.  

Art of the Terraces explores the work of the artists and designers it influenced and celebrates a cultural scene now credited with the popularisation of sportswear as leisurewear – a worldwide phenomenon.  

World Museum – from dinosaurs to space travel there’s something for everyone

You always come away having learned something new at World Museum. You can explore dinosaurs and the natural earth, uncover the fascinating secrets of ancient Egypt, or dive into the Aquarium – not literally – which boasts all sorts of different species including Blue Tang and Clownfish, better known as Dory and Nemo. Or, if space is your thing, you can discover the wonders of the universe in its immersive, out-of-this-world Planetarium.

Enjoy a Victorian Christmas at Sudley House

Step back in time to the Victorian home of the philanthropic Holt family. Sudley House is one of the few period homes that still has many of its original features and boasts the only surviving Victorian merchant art collection in Britain still hanging in its original location.

Explore our maritime history at Maritime Museum

Learn more about the city’s maritime history, from its central role in the story of the Titanic to the seafaring pasts of its people and passengers in Life On Board. You can also discover Liverpool’s hidden history beneath your feet, and more.

Delve into Liverpool’s culture at Museum Liverpool

Celebrating all that makes the city what it is, the Wondrous Place exhibition pays homage to a staggering roll call of trailblazing entertainers, musicians, sportsmen and women, writers, poets, visual artists and comedians, while its social and community history section looks at Liverpool’s changing fortunes and hears the stories and experiences of its people. You can also explore what Christmas would have been like for those living in Victorian Liverpool’s court housing.

Great food and drink at each museum

From chef’s specials to homemade soups and cakes, National Museums Liverpool’s cafes offer everything you need to refuel mid tour, or simply stop for a bite to eat or grab a coffee and a catch-up with your mates.

Membership gifts

Membership to National Museums Liverpool is a unique gift that keeps on giving, with unlimited access to a year’s worth of ticketed exhibitions, exclusive event previews, priority booking and special discounts in its cafes and shops.

Keep up to date with what’s on at National Museums Liverpool here www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/christmas