You can now take a tour of George Harrison’s childhood home in Liverpool

The childhood home of George Harrison of The Beatles is now open to visitors for the first time ever through scheduled guided tours.

Located at 25 Upton Green in Speke, the family home of George Harrison played a formative role in the ‘quiet’ Beatle’s early life and musical development, serving not only as his family residence from 1950 to 1962 but also as an early rehearsal space for The Beatles in the years before Beatlemania.

The experience has been developed and will be delivered by Dale Roberts, tour guide and co-owner of the property, who has spent over a decade sharing Beatles history with visitors from around the world. He became co-owner of the Harrison family home a year ago, after Ken Lambert asked him to come on board as an owner. Ken won the house at auction in 2022 in a well-publicised purchase of the property, Ken would turn into an Air BnB for guests to stay in.

Dale says:

“George’s story is a Liverpool story”

“This house is a reference point to a local Liverpool musician who would just so happen to be part of a phenomenon that changed the world. There has been huge interest globally in where The Beatles came from, and 25 Upton Green has always felt like a missing piece of that wider cultural experience. Making this accessible to the public on a regular basis feels like the right next step for The Beatles Industry”

25 Upton Green was the Harrison family’s home for twelve years, during which George Harrison attended Dovedale Primary School, then the Liverpool Institute for Boys, the same school attended by Paul McCartney, another resident of Speke. George and Paul would meet each other while getting the bus together from the area towards Penny Lane.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, George and Paul would play music together in the living room at Upton Green and it became a regular meeting and rehearsal space eventually for The Quarrymen, the band that evolved into The Beatles. It was here George’s musicianship developed rapidly as an individual playing Skiffle and early rock ’n’ roll, then later alongside Lennon and McCartney in this house, helping to lay the groundwork for what would become the most successful band in history.

Despite its significance, the house has remained privately owned for its entire history. In recent decades, only occasional private tours or media access have been possible. When Ken Lambert opened the house as an Air BnB it paved the way for tours to become the next avenue to tell the homes story. The new tour of the 25 Upton Green means that 3 out of 4 Beatles now have tours of their childhood homes available to the public.

The new 1.5-hour guided tours are delivered in small groups, offering an intimate and informal way to explore the history of the home and George’s formative years.

Visitors have the opportunity to:

• Access the house interior and explore all rooms.
• Hear stories and insights about George’s upbringing and early musical development
• Learn about the role of Speke and South Liverpool in the roots of The Beatles
• Play the instruments that are inside the house
• Take photos and videos throughout the property

Dale emphasises authenticity above all:

“Our aim is to preserve the feeling of a real family home. It isn’t a museum, it’s a lived-in space where George laughed, lived and rehearsed. People can experience a real Beatles home and rehearsal space, stand where The Quarrymen played, and get a real sense of what life was like here for George and his family.”

Many people visit Liverpool every year, of which a huge amount of those visitors want to experience the Beatle childhood homes and landmarks made famous by the band, such as Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. The inclusion of George Harrison’s childhood home as a regular public experience strengthens a key part of the city’s heritage offering, ensuring that most of the band have a publicly accessible childhood home connected to their history that is available for tours.

Tours of Paul McCartney’s and John Lennon’s childhood homes are already established fixtures, operated by The National Trust. The opening of 25 Upton Green introduces greater representation of George’s story at a time when interest in his legacy continues to grow worldwide.

Tours are available monthly to the public, and privately upon request, with additional dates to be added throughout the year based on demand.

Tickets are £17 per person (plus a £1 booking fee).
Guests make their own way to the meeting point at 25 Upton Green, Speke and are encouraged upon booking to respect the residents and spend locally.

Advance booking is essential due to limited group sizes.

Tickets and further details are available here.

Further casting for the brand new films about The Beatles has just been announced, find out more here.

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