Best Liverpool Cultural Attractions
Five Great Places to Visit in Liverpool, England
It was for good reason that the European Union designated Liverpool its 2008 City of Culture. Although to many people Liverpool is all about The Beatles and Liverpool Football Club, there's so much more to explore and discover in this historic city.
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker is one of England's finest art galleries. Its contents include works by Lucien Freud and David Hockney, as well as such famous pieces of art as And When Did You Last See Your Father?, an 1878 oil painting depicting a scene from the English Civil War, by William Frederick Yeames. The extensive collection is housed in an elegant 19th-century building on William Brown Street, a pedestrianized street that is also home to Liverpool Central Library and the World Museum, formerly Liverpool Museum.
Liverpool Cathedrals
Liverpool boasts two majestic cathedrals seated at either end of Hope Street, just on the edge of the city centre. Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, or simply Liverpool Roman Catholic Cathedral, was built from 1962 to 1967, and is of thoroughly modern design. Its shape earned it the local nickname "Paddy's Wigwam" (a nod to the Irish Catholics who tirelessly raised funds for its construction). The round interior has a central altar entirely surrounded by seating, with chapels dotted around the edge of the cathedral. Above the altar is the lantern ring tower, with stained glass that lends the cathedral an ethereal glow in the right light.
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, or simply Liverpool Cathedral, is Anglican, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Although building began as recently as 1904, it can easily be mistaken for an example of older architecture. Its interior is vast and Gothic in style. The bell tower is reputedly the largest in the world, with a height of over 100 metres (330 feet). On one side of the cathedral is the wonderfully atmospheric sunken graveyard of St James's Park.
Port Sunlight Village
Industrial pioneer William Hesketh Lever built the village of Port Sunlight in 1888 for the workers in his Sunlight Soap factory. It remains a fascinating and picturesque destination for tourists today. Admire the architecture, monuments and quaint houses and cottages, and visit the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which Lord Lever-Hulme built to house his wife's art collection. The village is on the Wirral, just across the River Mersey from Liverpool, and a short drive or train ride from the city.
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Hope Street is surely one of England's best-preserved examples of Art Deco architecture and design. It is home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the world's most celebrated symphony orchestras. As well as big-name concerts and entertainment events, the venue shows regular classic films, and has what may be the nation's last remaining resident cinema organist. Movies are projected onto a large 1930s-style Walderdaw screen that rises from the stage, making watching a film at the Phil an experience to be treasured.