Skip to main content

A Family Friendly Day Out in Liverpool


Liverpool is the UK city with most museums and art galleries outside London and 12 of them are absolutely free to visit. This was one of my top reasons for picking Liverpool for a budget family friendly adventure.

We drove up from the Midlands in under two hours and parked up in our pre booked slot from Just Park. Parking in the city centre can be pricey but this was a great way to choose a reasonable option. It's also an easy train journey with trains from Birmingham or Wolverhampton.

When we arrived, we were ready to stretch our legs and started exploring. We found Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral which is a modern building. We received a really warm welcome and found out that families could explore the building by scanning a QR code and following a trail round. This was perfect for my 4 year old who was spotting colours and objects and leading us round. Bonus for families that the toilets are clean and free to use.


The area around the cathedral was full of students and we discovered a fab cafe called Cuthbert's Bakehouse. Adults meal were just under £10 and children's meals were £5. The food was delicious and the portions very generous. We were too full for the cakes which looked delicious - rookie error! https://cuthbertsbakehouse.co.uk

Heading closer to the centre, Liverpool is full of shops. It's main shopping centre is Liverpool One which has all the major brands. We did a little bit of shopping but herding children around shops is always a brief activity in our family. It's definately worth checking the Liverpool One website ahead of your visit because they host a number of special events such as Comicon Takeover. As well as having a children's nature trail, free table tennis, kids eat free offers and an old dock tour.    https://www.liverpool-one.com


Our destination was the docks. There are lots of docks alongside the Mersery river and lots of accommodation is based in this area. Families can book apartments through sites like AirBnB or the budget friendly option of YHA Albert Dock which has private family rooms and free parking. We headed to the Albert Dock and walked around the edge which is dotted with shops and cafes.In this area there are some amazing free and family friendly museums including the Maritime Museum and The Museum of Liverpool. 



We opted for The Museum of Liverpool which was immense and full of things to do. The welcomer recommended that we start at the top and work our way down. This was great advice. The top floor celebrated Liverpool's music, TV and football. Lower down we explored a tram, giant time line and the houses of Liverpool. This museum is packed full of things to look at and do.


We spent so long in the Museum of Liverpool that we pretty much ran out of time. I was really keen to explore The World museum but that will have to wait for a return visit. Liverpool could easily fill a weekend but we Midlanders had plans to head to the beach on the second day of our visit. Beaches aren't really what I associate with Liverpool but there are plenty of great beaches really close by like Crosby and Formby. We actually headed through one of the road tunnels under the Mersey river to The Wirral and went to the beach in West Kirby. the beach was clean and sandy and loved by my girls. We'll be back!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy @ Lichfield Garrick

The author Michael Morpurgo is a brilliant story teller and his Farm Boy story is no exception. This production has at its core a story that hooks you in and keeps you captivated. A grandfather and his grandson talk you through stories from their family that intertwine with the history of World War One and life on a farm. This play had parts that made me smile and chuckle but more parts that gave me goosebumps and a ripple of emotion. When grandfather made a confession and called on his grandson to help him, I was hooked waiting to hear the burden that he had born for his entire life. No spoilers though, come and see the play for yourself. The music in Farm Boy is an original score written by Matt Marks. It enhanced the story telling evoking memories and pictures in my mind. This combined with the strength of the story is clearly the reason the show has been at the Edinburgh Fringe and 'off Broadway' in New York. Throughout the show, there are just two actors on the stage: Gran

Midlands Family Days Out in 2023

Many of you love planning family days out. So what's better than viewing a year ahead? I will update this post to share great days out around the West Midlands for families. Many of the events that I share are either free or low cost. Feel free to book mark the this page to see new information as the year progresses. Also find me on Instagram @capablechild January Lunar New year Celebrations fill the Bullring and Grand Central with performances on Saturday 21st January. These continue in Birmingham's Southside on Sunday 22nd January with food stalls, family activities and performances. We have joined in these celebrations in previous years and my children loved the lively, bright dancing. https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/save-the-date-lunar-new-year-celebrations-return-to-birmingham-in-january/ February Dippy the Dinosaur arrives in Coventry at The Herbert Art Gallery. Tickets are free but expect them to go fast! Over half term there are family activities including crafts

Beauty and the Beast @ Lichfield Garrick

“That was so funny I nearly wet myself!”  Such was my 11 year old daughter’s review of the Lichfield Garrick’s 2023 Christmas Panto - Beauty and the Beast. Truth be told, although I hopefully have more bladder control than that, I was in pretty close agreement with her. I’m not sure which part of the show was the most hilarious. It may have been the obligatory slapstick gunge and slide routine making pudding in the Beast’s castle kitchen. However, Figgy the animated (and socially borderline) Greek statue was in hot pursuit. Had I been the unsuspecting gentleman who sat on the front row I may have found the audience participation rather less comedic (he loved it really!!!). What I do know though is that by the end of the evening my sides hurt, I’d become seriously dehydrated and my daughter and I were ready for the festive Christmas season to begin! You may wonder how Beauty and the Beast could pass for panto? However, Sam Rabone’s annual Pantomime dame, reappearing as Belle’s hideously