National Museums Liverpool reopen this week!

National Museums Liverpool (NML) has announced that its museums and galleries will reopen to the public on Wednesday 2 December.

The news comes following the government’s announcement that Liverpool will be in Tier 2 when the latest restrictions come to an end.

The Walker Art Gallery, World Museum, Museum of Liverpool, Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Sudley House and Seized! will be open from Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Visits to NML’s venues will remain free, but timed entry slots must be pre-booked ahead of visiting via liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Blackler's Santa, which was on display at Blackler's department store from 1957 to 1988, will welcome guests to the Museum of Liverpool. The museum will also open with Champion One, Champion All! a new digital exhibition by Liverpool photographer Anthony Wilde. Part of the On Record – Untold & Retold programme of events, the exhibition is a unique snapshot of the Black music scene and its key players in late 2020 and aims to challenge the homogenised view of Black music.

Visitors to World Museum can look forward to a brand-new entrance to the World Cultures gallery, with bold interventions, welcoming visitors back into the space from 11 December.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool said: “We’d like to thank the people of Liverpool for supporting the mass testing pilot, which has helped to drive down the number of Covid cases in the city, enabling us to reopen our museums and galleries in the run up to Christmas. We must however, remain vigilant so this achievement doesn’t go to waste.

“We are asking visitors to follow our safety procedures such as booking in advance and wearing face coverings. We also encourage visitors to regularly get tested so we can keep the transmission rate down and continue to welcome people to our venues.”

She added: “With the festive season upon us, Blackler's Santa has become a firm festive favourite at the Museum of Liverpool since joining our collection in 2013. It’s wonderful that he is back this year to delight visitors amid what has been a very uncertain time, bringing back memories for many, whilst creating new ones for the younger generation.

“We’ll also be keeping the Black Lives Matter conversation going by celebrating key figures who have shaped the city’s Black music scene in Champion One, Champion All! and encouraging visitors to World Museum to continue helping us shape the future of World Cultures gallery, enabling us to create displays and a space where issues of colonialism and injustice can be openly explored.”

The cafe at Merseyside Maritime Museum will be open Saturdays and Sundays 10am – 4pm but all of NML’s other cafes will be closed. In addition, NML's events team, Hosted by NML, have created a festive food-focused experience for visitors at Merseyside Maritime Museum on Friday and Saturday nights during December. Nicknamed ‘Merry time at the Maritime’, guests will be treated to a three-course Christmas menu and all-inclusive drinks on the top floor of the museum.

The shops at the Walker Art Gallery will be open Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 4pm and while the remainder of NML’s shops will be closed, people can still access the online shop 24/7, which stocks a specially curated selection of locally made unique handcrafted goods.

Alternatively, surprise the person in your life who has everything with a membership, giving them access to eight museums and galleries. Individual membership starts from £30 and will give you free unlimited access to blockbuster exhibitions, including Linda McCartney Retrospective, which has been extended until 10 January, and the upcoming AI: More than Human exhibition, which opens on 22 January. You will also go free into the Planetarium when it reopens and Old Dock Tours, get discounts in NML’s cafes, restaurants, shops and online shop and receive invitations to special members-only events.

Profits from the cafes, shops, events and memberships help to support National Museums Liverpool’s venues, activities and programmes, which benefit millions of people every year.

All NML’s venues have been awarded Good To Go status, designed by VisitEngland and recognised by the National Tourist Organisations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This Industry Standard mark confirms that we have followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, have a Risk Assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.