There are many great reasons to visit Liverpool in the UK. The city is known for its museums, culture, and vibrant waterfront. Liverpool’s main attraction, however, is its strong connection to one of the greatest bands the world has ever known – The Beatles.
The city played a huge part in the band’s development. At the time when The Beatles were growing up, many young men from Liverpool were traveling back and forth to New York with the Merchant Navy. Musical influences from the Big Apple started to creep into Liverpool’s culture, triggering a whole new sound in British music – Merseybeat – with the Beatles at the forefront.
There are now countless sights and attractions throughout the city commemorating this amazing band and all of its accomplishments. And no visit to Liverpool would be complete without visiting at least a few places related to The Beatles!
To help you choose where to go, in this article, we highlight the best The Beatles attractions in Liverpool. For each site, we include some practical tips for your visit. You will also find a map showing all the best Beatles sights in Liverpool, and suggested The Beatles tours. Find out!
Top 3 Beatles Experiences in Liverpool:
These are the best The Beatles sights and attractions in Liverpool:
1. The Beatles Story
If you visit just one The Beatles attraction in Liverpool, make it The Beatles Story. This is the largest Beatles exhibition in the world.
Located right on the UNESCO World Heritage site at the Albert Dock, it tells the story of the entire career of the Fab Four. You can listen to one of the band’s hits after another as you view replicas of The Cavern, the Casbah, and other Beatles sites in Liverpool.
You can also see clothing, original instruments, rare album sleeves, and other memorabilia.
An audio guide in 10 different languages is available at the start of your visit. Interestingly, it is narrated by John Lennon’s sister, Julia.
Practical information: The Beatles Story is open daily. The Discovery Zone is open from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. However, these times are subject to change in the winter months, so be sure to check their website ahead of your visit.
We highly recommend buying your tickets online in advance. This is one of the most popular attractions in Liverpool!
The Albert Dock is a 20-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station. There is parking available at the dock if you are visiting by car (although it’s quite expensive). Alternatively, it can be reached by the 800, 500, and 25 bus services.
Good to know: There are two museums dedicated to The Beatles in Liverpool: The Beatles Story and Liverpool Beatles Museum (formerly known as Magical Beatles Museum). Although both tell the story of the Beatles, they approach it from rather different angles.
You’ll find that Liverpool Beatles Museum gives you a more intimate perspective, whereas The Beatles Story has more of a commercial feel, with immersive and interactive exhibits. The Discovery Zone is especially loved by kids, as it gives them the chance to try out a giant floor piano and perform on a mini Cavern Club stage.
Whilst both museums are excellent, die-hard Beatles fans may find the more personal exhibits at the Liverpool Beatles Museum more interesting. But if you are looking for music, costumes, colors, and simply want to have a great time, The Beatles Story is a better choice.
You can read more about the Liverpool Beatles Museum further below.
2. The Beatles Statues at Pier Head
These life-size bronze statues of the Fab Four arrived on Liverpool’s waterfront in December 2015, commissioned and donated by the managing director of the Cavern Club.
The statues immortalize a moment just before the band left Liverpool to become megastars and change the face of music forever.
The Beatles Statues at Pier Head quickly became one of the must-visit Beatles spots in Liverpool. Getting a selfie with these statues is now one of the most popular things to do for first-time visitors!
Be sure to check out the interesting details, like the L8 on the sole of Ringo’s shoe (related to where he once lived) or the Sanskrit on George Harrison’s belt. John Lennon is holding two acorns that were cast from acorns collected from outside the Dakota Building, where he was shot in 1980.
Good to know: The date on which the statues were placed on the Pier Head marked the 50th anniversary of the last gig the band played in the city.
You can find the statues in front of the famous Cunard Building, overlooking the River Mersey.
3. Mathew Street
Mathew Street is a small but vibrant alley located right in the city center. It’s here that you will find some of the main Beatles attractions, including the Cavern Club and the Liverpool Beatles Museum (more detail on those below). This area is sometimes referred to as the ‘Cavern Quarter’.
But there are a few more places worth visiting whilst you’re here. One is the Beatles Shop at number 31 Mathew St, about 200ft from the entrance of the original Cavern Club. Quaint and charming, it’s a must-see for die-hard Beatles fans, packed with cool souvenirs and memorabilia.
On a wall along the street – aka The Wall Of Fame – you can see a sculpture entitled ‘Four Lads That Shook the World’, which was created as a tribute by Arthur Dooley.
And just a few doors along from the Cavern Club you’ll come to a pub called ‘The Grapes’. At the time the Beatles were performing, the Cavern Club didn’t sell alcohol – so The Grapes is where they’d head for a drink after their gigs. Inside the pub, you can see a photo of them sitting on a bench there. The bench remained in the exact same spot to this day!
Good to know: On Stanley Street just nearby, look out for the Eleanor Rigby statue. Sitting on a stone bench next to a plaque dedicated to ‘All the Lonely People’, this bronze statue was created by musician and artist Tommy Steele in 1981.
4. Cavern Club
The Cavern Club is undoubtedly the most famous Beatles venue in Liverpool! Although the building we see today was actually rebuilt from the bricks of the original club which closed in March 1973.
It was here that the Beatles cut their musical teeth, playing regularly during lunchtime and evening shows. It was also the venue in which they were discovered by Brian Epstein, a local record shop proprietor who managed the band from 1962 until his death in 1967.
This lively cellar is an amazing place to visit and has played host to fabulous live music for decades. You can enjoy everything here from acoustic sets to rock and roll, with plenty of Beatles tribute bands to remind you of where it all started. There are also lots of great photographs and memorabilia lining the walls.
As you enter the club, don’t miss the statue outside depicting John Lennon casually leaning against the wall.
Good to know: The Cavern Club gets very busy, especially during evenings and weekends. If you just want to take a look inside, you can avoid the crowds by visiting soon after opening, before the live bands take to the stage.
Practical information: The Cavern is open daily from 11 am. It closes at midnight from Sunday to Wednesday, at 1 am on Thursdays, and at 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets for entry can be bought at the door. Children under 12 are free but all children under 18 must leave the club by 8 pm. You can find more information and info on current shows and events on their website.
TIP: The entrance to the Cavern Club is included with the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour – one of the most popular things to do in Liverpool for the Beatles fans. You can read more about it further below at #9.
5. Liverpool Beatles Museum
Liverpool Beatles Museum (aka Magical History Museum) is spread over three floors of a Grade-II listed building on Mathew Street in Liverpool. Featuring items from the personal collection of the ‘fifth Beatle’ Pete Best’s brother Roag – it gives you a whole new perspective on the band! It is also one of the largest collections of authentic items in the world and is beautifully curated.
Charting their lives from their early days up to and beyond their rise to international fame, it contains original instruments, the John Lennon Sgt Pepper medals, Paul McCartney’s bass amp, and more. For a more personal insight, you can read letters along with fascinating unseen footage. Everything is chronologically laid out, so it makes it easy and enjoyable to follow the Beatles’ story from the very start.
TIP: Make sure you set aside enough time for your visit. It takes a good 2-3 hours to explore the vast collection of items.
Good to know: Because this is a listed building, there is no elevator. This might make a visit difficult for anyone with limited mobility, as there are three flights of stairs.
Practical information: The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. You can book your tickets online.
6. Strawberry Field
Strawberry Field is another popular Beatles attraction in Liverpool. This was a Salvation Army children’s home at the time when John lived close by with his aunt and uncle. It is believed that he had happy memories of going to summer garden parties there as a child, inspiring the 1967 hit ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’.
The home has now gone but in its place is an interactive visitor exhibition center, with a cafe and shop. There are lots of calm garden spaces that you are invited to explore and reflect in, just as John would have done as a child. You can also see replicas of the site’s famous red gates.
The chief attraction, however, is the ‘Imagine’ piano. Loaned to the exhibition by the estate of the late George Michael, this is the piano that John Lennon used to create one of the most important peace anthems of the 20th century.
Good to know: Some of the profits from this attraction go towards funding the ‘Steps at Strawberry Field’ programs, designed to help those with learning difficulties or other barriers to employment.
Practical information: Strawberry Fields is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Entrance to the gardens is free but there is a fee to visit the exhibition You can book tickets online in advance.
The venue has a minibus shuttle service that runs from the Jury’s Inn Hotel at Albert Dock. It costs £4 one way or £7 return, departing at 9 am, 10 am, 11.15 am, 2.30 pm, 3.30 pm, and 4.30 pm.
Alternatively, you can take local bus route 76 from the Liverpool One Bus Station and get off at Beaconsfield Road. The journey takes around half an hour.
7. Casbah Coffee Club
The Cavern Club may be the place most often associated with The Beatles, but The Casbah was where they held some of their first live performances. Indeed, Sir Paul McCartney has said in the past that it was at the Casbah where everything started and that all the band members saw it as their ‘personal club’.
The basement club was opened by Mona Best – mum to Pete Best, The Beatles’ original drummer – in an attempt to match the coffee bar clubs popular in London at the time. Its resident band was ‘The Quarrymen’, which included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. So closely involved that they even helped decorate it, they went on to perform here 44 times.
When you visit now, you can see the Casbah just as it looked in the beginning. You can even see a silhouette of John Lennon on the wall, painted by his then-girlfriend Cynthia (who later became his wife). Perfect for true Beatles fans, it has a much less commercialized feel than venues like the Cavern Club and offers a very authentic Beatles experience in Liverpool.
The guides here will have had a personal connection to the band or experience growing up with them. Occasionally, tours are even conducted by Pete Best’s brother, Roag.
Practical information: You need to make an appointment to visit the Casbah Coffee Club, which you can book through Pete Best’s website. Although, their contact form is really sketchy, so it might not be straightforward.
Good to know: This place is quite far from the other Beatles-related sights of Liverpool and isn’t reached by any of the standard tours. The best way to get there is by the number 15 bus, which leaves the city center frequently. The journey takes around half an hour.
8. The Jacaranda Club
The Jacaranda Club, also known as ‘The Jac’, was founded in 1957 by Allan Williams, the first manager of The Beatles. Originally friends with the early Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, he got to know the rest of the band whilst they were still teenagers.
One of their early compositions – ‘One After 909’ – was written at the Jacaranda, a bar in which they would often meet. The Beatles performed here several times too, and the time they spent here is seen as pivotal to their future success.
These days you can catch live music every night at the basement level or visit Liverpool’s favorite jukebox on the ground floor. Above the ground floor is the venue’s unique Record Store. Here you’ll find vinyl record players sunk into the tables, allowing you to enjoy a wide range of music along with your coffee or drinks.
With a distinct ’60s beatnik vibe, quirky decor, and a plethora of Beatles photos lining the walls, this place is a ‘must-see’ for true fans of the Fab Four.
Practical information: The Jacaranda Club is open from 3 pm to 3 am Monday to Thursday, and from 3 pm to 4 am Friday to Sunday. It’s a 5-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street railway station, just around the corner from Mathew Street.
9. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour
If you don’t have time to go and see all of The Beatles’ attractions in Liverpool separately, then the Magical Mystery Tour is the perfect solution.
Starting at the Albert Dock, this highly-rated 2-hour tour takes you to some key locations in the Beatles’ story all over Liverpool. You’ll learn lots of facts about the band and get to enjoy plenty of their music along the way.
Places you will see include the childhood homes and schools of the bandmates, along with Penny Lane, St Peter’s Church Hall (where John and Paul met), and Strawberry Field. There are lots of stops for taking photos and the tour ends at Mathew Street. Free entry to the Cavern Club that day is included with this tour.
Practical information: Tours depart at the Magical Mystery Tour Ticket Office, Anchor Courtyard, Albert Dock. I strongly recommend booking your tickets online in advance as these tours are hugely popular and sell out quickly!
More Beatles Attractions In Liverpool
If you have time, there are a few more interesting Beatles-related sights dotted throughout Liverpool that you might want to visit.
Eleanor Rigby’s grave, St Peter’s Church, Woolton: It is unclear whether this was the grave that inspired the 1966 song. Nevertheless, this is the churchyard where John and Paul met for the first time. It is also where John Lennon’s uncle and aunt are buried.
Penny Lane, Mossley Hill: This is the street that inspired the 1967 hit. Unfortunately, it contains few of the details mentioned in the song, so it can be a little disappointing to visit!
Yellow Submarine, Liverpool John Lennon Airport: This large model was created by a group of apprentices from Cammell Laird’s shipyard in 1984. It formed part of an exhibition and was featured in a Beatles-themed garden. 51 feet long and 15 feet high, it even has a replica control cabin with real equipment. It was finally placed on display at the airport in 1995.
Map of The Beatles Sights in Liverpool
To help you plan your time, we created this map indicating all The Beatles places mentioned in this article.
As you can see, most sights are located in the city center. And – as mentioned before – you can also see many of the places that are further away by taking the Magical Mystery Tour.
How to use this map: Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.
Liverpool Beatles Tours
If you want to learn more about the Beatles in a short time, one of the best ways to do this is by taking a dedicated Beatles tour.
There are several options.
- Magical Mystery Tour. Already mentioned above, this is by far the most popular Beatles tour in Liverpool. It includes a visit to the Cavern Club as well.
- Beatles Explorer Bus. This is a similar bus tour that covers many sights in Liverpool related to the Fabulous Four. The itinerary is pretty much the same as the Magical Mystery Tour. The main difference between the two is that this one is an open-deck bus and that it doesn’t include a ticket to the Cavern Club (which you can visit separately).
- Private Tour by Traditional Taxi. This is a great option for those who rather explore Beatles sites in Liverpool with a personal guide. Also, this tour brings you to the childhood homes of the Fab Four, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby’s grave, etc.
- Walking Tour. This tour is actually a combination of two guided tours (City & Cavern Quarter and The Beatles and Waterfront) and a self-guided app. It’s very different from all the others because it focuses on The Beatles landmarks in the center of Liverpool. You can just do one of the tours or both, and the ticket is flexible and valid for 3 days.
I hope you have found this guide to the best Beatles attractions helpful.
It is wonderful to see the real places that inspired the music of this world-famous band and to appreciate live music at venues in which they would have performed.
Have a great time in Liverpool!
READ ALSO: Best Things to Do in Liverpool
More travel inspiration for the UK:
- How to Visit Liverpool from London
- London:
- Manchester:
- Yorkshire:
- Cornwall:
- Blackpool:
- Scotland:
- Best Cities to See in The UK
- …For more travel inspiration for these and other destinations, take a look at our UK travel guide.
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Mary Ann
Saturday 8th of July 2023
Jurga, you are the best... I have used Full Suitecase for sooo many of my trips. From Iceland, to Italy, Switzerland and now Liverpool. Thank you much for your insight and easy to follow information...
Jurga
Saturday 8th of July 2023
Thank you for your kind feedback, Mary Ann. It's always great to hear from our loyal readers! Greetings from Portugal, Jurga