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Historic dock
Royal Albert Dock
Dock of 1846 whose warehouses were the first UK structure built from cast iron, brick and stone without structural timber.
A mini guide to
Albert Dock & the Waterfront
Warehouse docks, museums and the Three Graces on the Mersey
Photos
1 / 8Welcome to the area
Warehouse docks, museums and the Three Graces on the Mersey
The Royal Albert Dock opened in 1846 and was the first structure in the United Kingdom built from cast iron, brick and stone without structural timber. Its warehouses now hold the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum, Tate Liverpool and The Beatles Story, with cafés and restaurants around the dock basin.
The Pier Head lies a short way north along the river, where the Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings stand together as the Three Graces. Beside them are the Museum of Liverpool and the ferry terminal. Behind the waterfront, Liverpool Town Hall, Exchange Flags and Castle Street hold much of the city's older commercial architecture.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Museum
Merseyside Maritime Museum
National Museums Liverpool museum on the Albert Dock, an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.
Directions Website Report a problem with Merseyside Maritime Museum
Museum
International Slavery Museum
Museum in the Maritime Museum building on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, in three main galleries.
Directions Website Report a problem with International Slavery Museum
Gallery
Tate Liverpool
Gallery of modern and contemporary art on the Albert Dock, part of Tate. The building also houses RIBA North.
Museum
The Beatles Story
Museum about the Beatles and their history, opened on the Albert Dock in 1990.
Museum
Museum of Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool museum telling the story of the city and its people, opened in 2011 on the waterfront.
Directions Website Report a problem with Museum of Liverpool
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Albert Dock & the Waterfront and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Plan for the museums
The Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Tate Liverpool, Museum of Liverpool and The Beatles Story are all within a short walk of each other. Check each website for opening times and booking.
2
Walk the river edge
The riverside path runs between the Albert Dock and the Pier Head and gives a view of the Three Graces from the water's edge.
3
Take a ferry
Mersey Ferries sail from the Pier Head terminal. Look at the operator's site for current schedules and any cruise services.
4
Wind off the river
The waterfront is open to the weather. Bring a layer even on bright days.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Albert Dock & the Waterfront
Liverpool
More areas to explore
16 sights · 20 places to eat
Cavern Quarter, Ropewalks & Chinatown
Beatles history, independent streets, Chinatown and the William Brown Street museums
Open the mini guide →
13 sights · 8 places to eat
Baltic Triangle & Georgian Quarter
Converted warehouses and street art, then Georgian terraces and Toxteth's Victorian churches
Open the mini guide →
15 sights · 11 places to eat
The Cathedrals & Hope Street
Two cathedrals, a concert hall and theaters on one street
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Albert Dock & the Waterfront (area photo): Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Royal Albert Dock: Ubahnverleih, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Merseyside Maritime Museum: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- International Slavery Museum: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tate Liverpool: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- The Beatles Story: Lipinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Museum of Liverpool: El Pollock, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Royal Liver Building: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cunard Building: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Port of Liverpool Building: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pier Head: The original uploader was Chowells at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Open Eye Gallery: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Liverpool Town Hall: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nelson Monument: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Western Approaches Museum: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cavern Quarter, Ropewalks & Chinatown: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Baltic Triangle & Georgian Quarter: Fatih Renkligil, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- The Cathedrals & Hope Street: calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Anfield & the Football Story: Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lark Lane & Sefton Park: Ben James, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Birkenhead & Hamilton Square: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- New Brighton & Wallasey: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lime Street & the Knowledge Quarter: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits