The Liverpool World Museum is the Museum closest to my heart. I remember visiting as a child, a school trip or a family outing. Then I was the one who took my younger sisters and now I take my little boy almost on a weekly basis. I love the Liverpool World Museum and I don't care who knows it.
For me and my little honey bee there is a fine art of making your visit to the museum efficient and educational, we add a new fact each floor, each week. So here is our guide to the museum and the parts you simply must see and what to expect.
The easily accessible lobby has plenty of locker storage for coats etc, which, no matter what the weather is outside is always a good idea because the Liverpool World Museum can get hot, the clean glass roof providing beautiful light but just as much heat. We never usually stop here until we are on our way out so it is straight to the lifts.
There are two main lifts and one sneakily hidden away at the backs of the floors 2-5, this is good to know if you have a pram as during the holidays the lifts can be a real nightmare to navigate. If you are lucky enough to be without a pram hitch the lift straight to the top and you can walk your way down floor by floor without the hike up the stairs. The wonderful thing is that there is a toilet on every floor (except the foyer) and a separate baby change so you don't have to worry about little legs needing a dash to the loo!
Space and Time is what you will find on floor 5 it seems a little dated and carries the scars of the more rambunctious children nonetheless the level information is good and explained in a simple manner. The Planetirum is also on this floor but tickets to see the shows must be collected on the ground floor at the front desk, all shows are free and have age appropriateness attached.This floor, that I like to refer to as the museums forgotten attic, covers the basics of space related topics and is best for the over 5s. There is a cafe serving hot food on this floor also but can be pricey, tea is a standard £1.50.
Down the stirs to the natural world, floor 4, and you can travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. The wonderful little tunnel is dark and bleak and gives you a feel for the time the pterosaurs lived in. It's a great space for spotting dinosaurs and learning their names. At the end of the tunnel there is the picnic area, basic chairs and tables but helps keep the cost down if your on a budget and you can buy tea from the cafe and drink it in the picnic area. The rest of the floor has various life-sized models of animals from around the world and is great for children of all ages, the three dinosaur skeletons are also impressive and my son loves them.
Floor 3 is where you get to explore world cultures. I must admit that until recently it was a floor that me and the honey bee would skip because it is for older children and the new section is almost like walking into a totally different museum. It's beautifully and cleanly laid out with excellent work made on the information panels but really is aimed a little more maturely than the rest of the museum, which is welcome break for some parents and it has great air conditioning. This is the floor were perhaps my only criticism comes in. For all the lovely work done to show the cultures from around the world the British heritage is somewhat overlooked but if you have been to the new Museum of Liverpool then would have had your fair share.
The second floor is where most children have the most fun because it is full of bugs. Best to start through the left door so that you can see the big fly wobble its' head, not usually a big winner with tots. Here is were you can see live specimens of Pink Salmon Spiders, Hermit Crabs, Indian Ground Beetles and Cockroaches. The best is always the ants, they have a close-up camera charting their every move and it is just fascinating to watch them work. The floor is full of draws that you can pull out and look at hundreds of different insects, the giant varieties always attract a good deal of attention. The museum staff on this floor are always wonderfully helpful and informative they are more then keen to help you so just ask. You can also touch a good amount of natural specimens here too, shells, skulls, crystals quartz, seeds, it really is great for kids.
The special exhibits are also on this floor which change every 5-6 months, at the time of writing, the museum are displaying a collection of beautifully presented wildlife photographs. Although it is not as interactive as previous exhibits, the back-lit pictures are captivating even to the smallest of eyes.
The 1st floor offers something for everyone, again this is a floor that has suffered from funding but everyone loves the fish. The divine colours swirl and dash and all, including the inconsolable newborn, can do nothing but be drawn into their peaceful world. If you are able to catch this floor at the right time you may even be able to touch a starfish or crab.
Back to the ground floor and from here you can really appreciate the Quetzalcoatlus skeleton flying high above you. I love this museum the most because it is not pretentious and welcomes everyone equally, families, students, tourists. It is so accessible and laid back, they want you to learn but on your own term and at your own pace. Despite its continuing cut backs the staff are always polite and helpful, the special exhibits are varied and nicely organised and more importantly my son is so comfortable and at ease there he asks to take his shoes off all the time, it really is his second home.
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