Can you recommend any good museums in Liverpool

Asks Diana

A. Outside London, Liverpool has more museums than most other British cities. Some of the best ones include the following:

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The Walker Gallery

William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL,

Telephone: 0151 478 4199

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The Walker Gallery has recently re-opened after a major �4.3 million refurbishment programme.

The Walker is one of the most renowned galleries in the country. Its permanent collections include Foreign Art from 1550-1900 (including work by Rubens, Rembrandt and Degas); British Art from 1830; and many rooms devoted to sculpture, photography and original prints and drawings.

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In addition, the refurbishment of the Walker has allowed galleries to be added on site these include a new special exhibition gallery (currently running the George Romney 1734-1802: British Art's Forgotten Genius exhibition); and a new Craft and Design gallery. It has also allowed a greater number of paintings to go on display and an extensive re-hang of the permanent collection.

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The Walker is open daily from 10am-5pm (Sundays 12noon-5pm). Admission is free.

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Liverpool Museum

William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EN

Telephone: 0151 478 4399

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This museum is the biggest on Merseyside and its collection covers the natural and physical sciences, archaeology and ethnology. Some of its current exhibitions cover Egypt, dinosaurs, fossils, botany, geology, zoology, natural habitats of the world and it has its own Planetarium, Space & Time Gallery and Natural History Centre.

The museum is open daily from 10am-5pm, and on Sunday from 12-5pm. Admission is free. There is a caf� and shop on site.

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The Conservation Centre

Whitechapel, Liverpool L1 6HZ

Telephone: 0151 478 4999

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This is the UK's national conservation centre. It was opened in 1996 and amazingly won European Museum of the Year 1998, only two years after it opened.

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As its title suggests the centre concentrates on conservation and the methods employed to achieve and maintain it - including a fascinating exhibition on how conservators preserve and restore everything and anything, primarily works of art especially sculpture.

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The museum is open daily from 10am-5pm, and on Sunday from 12-5pm. Admission is free.

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Tate Liverpool

Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4BB

Telephone: 0151 702 7400

Email: [email protected]

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Tate Liverpool houses the largest collection of 20th Century modern and contemporary art in the UK, outside London. It is located in the refurbished Albert Dock development area.

Current exhibition: Telling Tales (8 December 2001 - 11 August 2002) - which celebrates the fascination with storytelling in contemporary art.

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The gallery is open from 10am-6pm daily. Closed Monday except Bank Holiday. Admission is free although donations are welcome, some exhibitions cost �3.

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The Beatles Story Experience

Britannia Vaults, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AD

Telephone: 0151 709 1963

Website: http://bea.satachi.com/Beatles/story.html

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As you'd expect, this museum tells the Beatles story and takes you on a virtual tour of their haunts including the Star Club in Hamburg, the Cavern Club and Abbey Road Studios. The permanent exhibition includes band memorabilia such as the piano played by John Lennon when he wrote "Imagine", clothes owned and worn by members of the band and personal letters.

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Merseyside Maritime Museum

Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AQ

Telephone: 0151 478 4499

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The Merseyside Maritime Museum "tells the story of Liverpool's seafaring heritage" the merchant navy and the people that worked and lived in and around one of the UK's most important ports.

The museum's collections reflect Liverpool's role in world trade especially in the transatlantic slave trade and emigration. You can take a trip both actual and virtual on the slave history trail through the streets of central Liverpool, visit the maritime archives in the museum's extensive library and visit the museum's permanent collections of marine paintings, ship models and wooden boats.

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The museum building is open daily from 10am-5pm, ship and quaysides within the dock are closed during the winter months. Admission is free.

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Museum of Liverpool Life

Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1PZ

Telephone: 0151 478 4080

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This museum celebrates Liverpool and Liverpudlians over the ages, and the culture of the city and its people (covering religion, ethnic origin, poverty, industry and pop music).

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Its three main galleries cover City Lives (focusing on the people of the city); City Soldiers, which tells the story of the King's Regiment and the River Room, which illustrates people's affection for the River Mersey.

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The museum is open daily from 10am-5pm, and on Sunday from 12-5pm. Admission is free.

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Open Eye Gallery

28-32 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4AQ.

Telephone: 0151 709 9460

E-mail: [email protected]

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The Open Eye is a gallery, which specialises in exhibiting photography and other lens based media.

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Current exhibition: Ten Years After - Jamie Macdonald & Hector (16 March-20 April 2002).

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By Karen Anderson