National Museums Liverpool set to reopen waterfront venues including a new permanent gallery at Merseyside Maritime Museum.
NML has announced that its waterfront attractions – the International Slavery Museum, Merseyside Maritime Museum and Museum of Liverpool – will reopen to the public on Wednesday 19 August.
The venues will be open from Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
In line with being COVID-secure, National Museums Liverpool has implemented changes to offer a safe and enjoyable visit for all, including pre-booked timed entry, mandatory face coverings for visitors, enhanced cleaning protocols and social distancing measures. The same measures have already been implemented at World Museum and the Walker Art Gallery, which have been open since mid-July.
Visits will remain free, but timed entry slots must be pre-booked ahead of visiting via www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
- NML members are able to pre-book tickets now
- Tickets will be available for everyone to book from Friday 14 August
- People booking for the International Slavery Museum and Merseyside Maritime Museum can book a combined ticket to gain access to both museums
Merseyside Maritime Museum will reopen with a brand new gallery that was all set to launch days after the country went into lockdown. Life on Board shares the moving and fascinating stories of work and leisure at sea. From the merchant sailors who drove the city’s prosperity, to glamorous tales of the people who sailed aboard leisure liners, the new gallery comprises a diverse selection of voices and personal accounts told through digital projections and soundscapes alongside more than 250 objects.
Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool said:
“We’re so excited to reopen these venues, especially as the Maritime Museum is showcasing a new gallery which has been patiently waiting to receive visitors since March. The many voices featured in Life on Board are the reflections of real people and their fascinating lives, and we’re grateful to those who’ve shared their experiences to create this new space. It’s important that these stories are told and we can’t wait for people to see it.
“Also reopening are the International Slavery Museum and Museum of Liverpool; another two venues that have remained very active, both behind the scenes in terms of collecting activity and in the campaigning spotlight while we’ve been closed.
“As a city history museum, the team at the Museum of Liverpool has been busy responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by acquiring objects that will represent how local people from across our communities have responded and are being affected. A selection of these objects including several key worker ‘thank you’ banners, an LFC v Atletico Madrid programme and homemade Eid card will be on display when the museum opens on 19 August.
“While the physical venue hasn’t been open, the International Slavery Museum has been a focal point for online conversations since the tragic death of George Floyd in May, and has been spearheading our work around education, conversation and shared resources linking to the Black Lives Matter movement. This is such an important venue for our organisation, and we really hope that people will book to visit to learn more about our shared histories and talk about the uncomfortable subjects that really matter and still affect so many people today. The museum shines a light on so many voices that have been suppressed through slavery – both in the past and today – and this work is something we’re carrying across all our museums and galleries, ensuring our commitment to being anti-racist is embedded across everything we do here at National Museums Liverpool.”
Plans for the remaining National Museums Liverpool venues to reopen are underway and there will be a further announcement in due course.
For further information, please see the FAQs available at www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
