Liverpool and the City Region has a host of galleries and museums to explore, the city is home to the largest number of galleries and museums outside of London. Fascinating venue tours are held regularly, giving visitors extra knowledge and background to the displays and exhibitions on offer.
From the history of Sudley House and film and technology insights at FACT to Victoria Gallery & Museum‘s fascinating art collection and World Museum‘s Ancient Egypt galleries, there’s a great deal to explore in the city region.
Here’s our selection of tours currently available:
Highlights Tour – Walker Art Gallery (Until 31 December)
Join the team at the Walker Art Gallery for a Highlights Tour of Liverpool’s most outstanding art collection and discover the masterpieces hidden within the National Gallery of the North. Discover the history of the gallery, from its opening in 1877, through its development into one of the most important galleries in the country.
Listen as their tour guides transport you to the past and lead you on an artistic journey from the 18th to 20th centuries. Discover, with them, the secrets behind some of the world-renowned paintings in their collection; the dramatic history of Dante’s Dream by Rossetti; the hidden symbolism in Millais’ Isabella; and the British masters: Gainsborough, Hogarth, and Turner.
Daily Tours – FACT Liverpool (Until 23 August)
Head along to a Daily Tour for an introduction to FACT and their current exhibitions. FACT is a world-leading centre for art, film and the creative use of technology and champion new ideas and experiences, nurturing the next generation of voices.
Led by their friendly Visitor Experience team, their tours are open to everyone and filled with stories and insights about film, art and the history of FACT. No need to book, the tours are free, just turn up! Suitable for all ages, they adapt their tours to you.
Caring for Collections – Lady Lever Art Gallery (Until 30 June)
The Lady Lever Art Gallery opened in December 1922 and houses the art collection of its founder, William Hesketh Lever. Lever’s paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and embroideries were made more than 100 years ago and are among the best in the UK. National Museums Liverpool employs a specialist team at the gallery Caring for Collections.
Conservators care for objects which have deteriorated over time. Their aim is to stabilise the condition and improve the appearance of objects. Caring for Collections enables visitors to find out more about the behind the scenes work of this specialist team.
Ancient Egypt galleries tour: Collections in focus – World Museum (Until 29 May)
World Museum has one of the UK’s most outstanding collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts. Wind your way along the Nile with their friendly Ancient Egypt galleries tour guide, discovering objects from 5000 years of ancient Egyptian history. See a reconstruction of an early burial, learn ancient spells from the Book of the Dead, and come face to face with the fierce goddess Sekhmet.
Tour guides uncover Liverpool’s role in the collection and care of these objects, let them transport you to discover the wonders of Ancient Egypt.
Guided Tours – Victoria Gallery and Museum (Until 31 December)
The friendly and knowledgeable Victoria Gallery & Museum guides will take you through the building, giving you a fascinating and free Guided Tour into the history of the Victoria Building and its collections. You’ll find a place buzzing with art, history and ideas.
Housed in the iconic redbrick Victoria building and with a collection grown over 150 years, they bring forgotten stories to life, connecting their rich history to what’s happening in the world right now. Dive into the fascinating heritage of the university, which also features scientific and medical treasures.
Curator Tour, Treasure: History Unearthed – Museum of Liverpool (15 March)
Join the museum’s curators for a fascinating Curator Tour of the Treasure exhibition at Museum of Liverpool. Learn more about the amazing objects on display including weapons, hoards and fabulous jewellery as well as the brilliant work done by archaeologists, metal detectorists and the Portable Antiquities Scheme to uncover and record stories from the past.
In this unparalleled opportunity you will be able to pick the brains of a real expert, ask questions, and get up close with some of the most amazing archaeological finds from the region.
National Lottery Open Week: Heritage Tours – Bluecoat (8 / 13 March)
Join Bryan Biggs, the Bluecoat’s Director of Cultural Legacies, for an exclusive Heritage Tour of their Grade I listed building. Explore their remarkable 300-year history, from an 18th-century charity school to the UK’s first arts centre, and discover the heritage that has shaped their cultural legacy.
The building is significant as a symbol of the birth of ‘modern Liverpool’, the early years of the eighteenth century, when the port started to capitalise on its Atlantic-facing position and a revolutionary new dock infrastructure.
Sudley House Highlights Tour – Sudley House (Until 31 December)
Discover the fascinating history of Sudley House on this Highlights Tour and the fine collection of artworks amassed by George Holt to fill the house. In this tour they explore the structural and architectural changes made to the house throughout the 19th century. They follow the Holt family from their purchase of the property in 1880s through to the death of Emma Holt in the early 1940s.
Visitors can take a more in-depth look at the classic art works on display at Sudley House by Turner, William Holman Hunt, Gainsborough and others.
Find even more events across the Liverpool city region via our What’s On listings.