Maritime Museum

26/05/2026

This and more highlights from our collection are on display in National Museums Liverpool at 40 over at World Museum ⬇️

24/05/2026

⭐ Half-term ideas ⭐

🗝️ Have you checked out Liverpool's smallest museum yet? Newly opened, our little Hartley Hut is a fascinating space to reflect on the work of the dock gatekeepers and the changing landscape of Liverpool's waterfront:https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/museum-of-liverpool/exhibition/hartley-hut

🧱 Explore the astonishing history below your feet in Liverpool ONE Official on our fascinating Old Dock Tour: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/maritime-museum/event/old-dock-tour

🐶 Our popular detector dog demonstrations are taking place this Thurs World Museum : https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/world-museum/event/return-of-detector-dogs

VisitLiverpool.com

21/05/2026

Are you looking for things to do next week for half-term?

While we are closed we are very grateful to our friends World Museum for hosting the super popular detector dog demonstrations 🐶

Don't miss the free shows and see how these amazing dogs support the work of Border Force:

▪️World Museum, William Brown Street
▪️Thursday 28 May
▪️11.30, 1.30 and 2.30

https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/world-museum/event/return-of-detector-dogs

While you're there don't miss National Museums Liverpool at 40 exhibition - with highlights from our collection: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/world-museum/exhibition/national-museums-liverpool-40

20/05/2026

📰Funding news ✨

Our vision for the future of International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum has received the substantial backing of £19 million from the Department of Culture Media and Sport’s Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund 🎉

🎙️Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool said: “The transformation of International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum is a landmark project for Liverpool’s historic waterfront, promising to bring a significant boost to the region’s visitor economy.

"With the vision for both museums driven by community stakeholders and engagement, it also represents a powerful moment for unheard and under-represented stories to have a platform like never before.

“We’re hugely grateful to the UK Government for this investment and the confidence it shows in the vision for the museums, and teams making it a reality. This support is ensuring we continue to serve the needs of our communities and audiences, now and for generations to come.”

🎙️Museums Minister, Baroness Twycross, said: “This £19 million investment for crucial infrastructure work will support Liverpool’s Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum in a striking redevelopment of both buildings. Once complete, the transformation will embody the museums’ commitment to creative storytelling, education and the representation of Liverpool’s history on the local, national and global stage.

“Liverpool’s historic waterfront is such an iconic part of our national heritage, and I look forward to this investment bolstering these museums’ position at the forefront of historic engagement and education.”

📸 Stratus Imagery, Pete Carr, Mina Bihi

16/05/2026

Life at sea comes with unique pressures — long months away from family, demanding schedules, isolation, and stressful environments.

This Mental Health Awareness Week we are pausing for a moment to reflect on this vital but challenging work.

Photo © Sailors' Society Please note: this article discusses mental health and su***de. If you are affected by what have you read, please get in touch with one of the support services listed at the end of the article. Don’t suffer in silence.

13/05/2026

One of the stars of the National Museums Liverpool at 40 exhibition is Fido. Fido is a little long-haired toy who was gifted to 7 year Nancy Mildon in 1916, to comfort her during a wartime transatlantic crossing on board Cunard’s Alaunia. Nancy named him Fido, as she thought he was a dog... but we’re not so sure!

Before going on display, Fido — part of the Maritime Museum’s collections — took a trip around World Museum to settle, once and for all, whether he really is a dog. 🐕🐾

07/05/2026

While we are closed experience some highlights from our collection on display in the National Museums Liverpool at 40 display up the hill World Museum 🌊✨

This painting shows a significant part of the Liverpool waterfront and town in about 1680, and is one of the highlights from the paintings collection, as its the earliest depiction of Liverpool!

It accurately depicts 17th century shipping whilst several key features of the town are visible. These include St. Nicholas' chapel (on the far left) which became the parish church in 1699 and Liverpool Castle (on the far right) which was demolished in 1726.

The painting was presented to the Town Council in 1818 by Ralph Peters III (1775-1838). It is because of this provenance that it is affectionately known as the 'Peters painting'.

The Pieters Painting was chosen by Rebecca Smith, Curator of Maritime Art at the Maritime Museum. Rebecca cares for the paintings, ship models and works on paper collections.

"I particularly like the lively River Mersey looking very active with different boats and we can just about see people on board."

Dig, dive and delve into National Museums Liverpools vast collections in the National Museums Liverpool at 40 exhibition, now on display at World Museum.

06/05/2026

On 7 May 1915, the tragic sinking of Lusitania devastated the tight-knit dockland communities of north Liverpool, where many of the crew came from.

Tomorrow (7 May) we will come together at the Lusitania propeller, on Canning Quayside, to remember this important anniversary from 1.55pm.

All are welcome 🤍

Learn more:
https://liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/lusitania-life-loss-legacy

28/04/2026

Fixing the essentials 🪵🦫

Down at Canning Dock good progress is being made! A large cofferdam has now been constructed to allow safe (and dry) access to build a stop wall so we can do essential repairs to the gate.

The dock's gate is a vital piece of infrastructure that when closed, should keep everything watertight in the "dry" dock.

This series of photos show the scaffolding being put up, with reinforcements being added to the stop wall to prepare for rebar installation and the pouring of a lot of concrete – the people working on the structure show a real sense of scale! 👀

15/04/2026

On this day RMS Titanic sank with the loss of more than 1,500 lives.

00.45, 15 April 1912: Wireless call for assistance, first transmission, using code CQD. Transmission altered to the new code SOS, first use of this code by a passenger liner.

02.10, 15 April 1912: Last transmission

02.20, 15 April 1912: Titanic foundered

04.10, 15 April 1912: First lifeboat picked up by Carpathia

114 years later explore the stories of the real people on board Titanic: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime-museum/titanic

13/04/2026

Do you have family ties to Titanic? 🚢

Our curators are on the lookout for people from the Liverpool City Region with connections to RMS Titanic.

The ship was registered in Liverpool and run by the Liverpool-based White Star Line, with many of its key officers, engineers, and crew from the city.

Around 90 to 100 crew members on Titanic had strong ties to Liverpool or Merseyside.

As part of our major redevelopment project, we’re eager to uncover some of these incredible stories that might still be alive in Liverpool's families and communities today.

Share your story 📩 [email protected]

Find out more → https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/news/press-releases/titanics-liverpool-story

📸 images 2 & 3 Gareth Jones Photographer