Maritime and Slavery Museums in Liverpool

In Brief.

The Maritime and International Slavery museums share a large warehouse along one side of the Albert Dock in Liverpool's Waterfront. The maritime museum covers two complete floors, including exhibitions on The Titanic, The Battle of the Atlantic and commercial shipping, especially where there is a Liverpool connection. The more modern International Slavery museum covers African culture, the slave trade and its connection to industries in the north of England, and for more recent times the legacy of slavery and modern slavery. There's a lot to take in.

The museum building.

What's Here?

The obvious way to approach this museum is probably to start on the ground floor with a history of Liverpool Docks, and work your way up. This is what I did, but I don't recommend it, as by the time you reach the International Slavery Museum there is the risk that you will have had your fill of museums for the day.

The Maritime Museum is huge, and covers a variety of topics with a Liverpool connection, with an emphasis on disasters and wartime. Thus there is significant coverage of the sinking of the Titanic (disaster), the Battle of the Atlantic (wartime) and the sinking of the Lusitania (disaster and wartime). Each of these provide some historical context, display boards, models, videos and artefacts.  Many of these are distinctive (as in the photograph below), and there are interesting human stories woven in with the historical events.  It is hard to do all of this justice.

Titanic crockery recovered from the sea bed. 

On the third floor is the International Slavery Museum. More recent than the Maritime Museum, this includes African art, modern art installations, a model of a cotton plantation, video stories and a timeline. The importance of the slave trade to the economy of Liverpool and the North West of England is recognised. Overall, you don't visit the International Slavery Museum to see exhibits, and perhaps this has been designed as much as a place of pilgrimage as a way of capturing the historical record.

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 35 miles

Drive Time: 55 minutes

Price: $ - entry is free, but donations are requested.

Parking: There are several paying carparks near Albert Dock; I parked in Kings Dock Carpark, L3 4BX.

Food and Drink: The museum has a cafe, with a view of the Albert Dock, but even a cheese toastie seemed to stretch their capabilities. There are lots of other cafes nearby; I had a decent coffee and pastry just round the corner in The Tate.

Retail Therapy: There is a small museum shop, with furry plastic things, some books on the themes of the museum and assorted other souvenirs.

Child Friendly: There were certainly plenty kids present; the museums are not specifically targeted at kids, but there are plenty things to see.

Toilets: Yes.

Do it justice in: 2-3 hours (while being selective).

Inside-Outside: 100:0

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