Family Days Out in Liverpool
A family day in Liverpool works best when you mix free museums with one paid treat. Costs below are in GBP. Liverpool has no zoo and no city aquarium, so animal-minded children are best served by the World Museum aquarium and a day trip to Chester Zoo.
Free options
- World Museum, William Brown Street: free entry, with an aquarium. A planetarium show is reported at about GBP 3 for adults and GBP 2 for children, paid on arrival. Confirm the price when you go.
- Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head: free, and it has an Overhead Railway carriage. Opening days are listed as daily or Tuesday to Sunday, so check ahead.
- Tate Liverpool at RIBA North, Mann Island: free and open daily from 10:00 to 17:50. There are two small galleries and a family area.
- Sefton Park and the Palm House: free to enter. There is no zoo or boat hire in the park.
Paid days out
| Activity | Adult | Child | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mersey Ferries River Explorer | GBP 14 | GBP 9 (5 to 15) | 50 minutes, family of four GBP 39 |
| City Explorer bus | GBP 15 | GBP 11 | 24 hours, 11 stops, family about GBP 35 to GBP 40 |
| Beatles Story | GBP 20 | GBP 11 (5 to 15) | Under-5s free, cashless |
| Eureka! Seacombe | about GBP 16 | about GBP 16 | Ages 0 to 14, check price |
Eureka! is for children up to 14, and adults can only go in with a child. Its price is reported between GBP 15.95 and GBP 16.95, so check eureka.org.uk. Otterspool Adventure Centre also has family sessions, but pricing is unclear and should be checked first.
Beatles for younger visitors
The Beatles Story runs a Discovery Zone for children, but only at weekends and during school holidays. Strawberry Field in Woolton is free for under-16s who come with a paying adult, and the adult ticket is about GBP 12.45. Take bus 76 from the city centre.
Keeping children safe
Do not let children paddle or play at the water’s edge on the Mersey, at Otterspool or at Crosby. At Crosby Beach the tide arrives quickly and the sand is soft, and the beach is red-flagged. Stay within 50 m of the promenade. Formby beach has no regular lifeguard cover and strong currents, so the dunes and pinewoods are for walking, not swimming.
Planning tips
- Merseyrail Day Savers are roughly GBP 5 to GBP 6.50.
- Cashless payment is standard at the Beatles Story and the Cavern Club, so carry a card.
- The Maritime Museum at the Albert Dock is closed until at least 2028, so skip it.
Read more: Liverpool activities and sightseeing .
Official pages: Mersey Ferries fares , City Explorer tickets , Tate Liverpool . Browse family tours on Viator .