Check out these free family events at Maritime Museum before its temporary closure

Liverpool’s Maritime Museum will close in January ahead of a major redevelopment.

Explore the fascinating story of Titanic at Maritime Museum with free family events on 14 and 15 December 2024.

During its closing weeks the museum, based in the Royal Albert Dock, is celebrating some of its most popular themes which includes a special focus on Liverpool’s connections to this famous ship.  

Both International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum will be closing their doors for a period of essential repair and maintenance works from 5 January, ahead of a major redevelopment project, subject to funding.  

Both museums are due to reopen in 2028.

Titanic was built by the White Star Line who had its head office in James Street, Liverpool. Registered in the city, the ship carried ‘Liverpool’ on its stern. The Maritime Museum’s exhibition ‘Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story’ delves into the deep links between the city and the ill-fated ship. Told from perspectives of key personalities in the tragedy, it gives a unique insight into events surrounding the launch, voyage, sinking and its aftermath. Explore the poignant and compelling exhibition, along with free family events one last time before the museum closes.

Titanic Events:

Titanic – the night the lights went out  
14 December – 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm 
Meet the fictional first-class passenger Emily Broughton Williams, who made the fateful maiden voyage of Titanic. Hear her account of life on board and the impact of the tragedy.

Up close with Titanic 
14 and 29 December and 5 January – 11am and 1pm 
The Maritime Museum has a fascinating collection of objects relating to RMS Titanic. Handle replicas of some of the key items from the collection and find out more about the world’s most famous ship.

Up close with Titanic model 
15 December – 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm 
Get up close to our shipbuilder’s model of Titanic. Find out more about the iconic ship and its connection to Liverpool in a fascinating presentation.  

More events:

The Leaving of Liverpool 
28 December and 4 January – 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm 
Travel back in time to Liverpool, 1854 and meet travellers as they embark on a journey to start a new life. Listen to stories of hope and fear, as role players bring to life the tales of emigrants who travelled through Liverpool’s port.  

Morse Code challenge – interactive music session 
4 January 2025 – 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm 
Can you crack the Morse Code challenge? 
Get hands-on in an interactive music session and test your skills at decoding messages that were sent from Titanic.

Up close with the Seized! gallery 
5 January 2025 – 1pm 
Enter the world of the Customs Officer and get a taste of the smuggling, intrigue and danger involved, where things are not always what they seem!

Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool said: 

Both the Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum have welcomed millions of visitors over the years. Their collections and stories have an international reputation.

However, for both museums, redevelopment is now essential to ensure they survive for many more generations to come. From creating a new sense of identity and prominence for the International Slavery Museum on Liverpool’s historic waterfront, to ensuring our collections are properly cared for through improved environmental controls, this is important work which will create world class spaces, worthy of the collections they hold and the location they’re in.

We know Liverpool’s waterfront will feel the loss of the museums while they’re closed, but this will be temporary, and we hope as many people as possible will seize the chance over the next few weeks to visit us and share their memories of both museums.

While closed, the museums will embrace new opportunities to share their collections and stories. Learning teams from both International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum are already offering school sessions off site. From community spaces to school classrooms or other National Museums Liverpool venues, school groups will continue to engage with the collection.  

The museums’ Archives Centre will reopen in a temporary space during the closure period and special pop-up displays off site are being developed.  

Fresh digital content from online collections to articles, podcasts and videos, will also continue to be produced and available on the National Museums Liverpool website.

This project is being supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund with thanks to National Lottery Players.

The redevelopment of International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum is part of the wider Waterfront Transformation Project which aims to link storytelling, heritage, community and hospitality to create a rich visitor experience and be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area. 

Get 10 more reasons to visit Liverpool’s museums this Christmas HERE.