Merseyside Maritime Museum

The Merseyside Maritime Museum stands in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, occupying a former warehouse and its surrounding docks. The building shares the dockside with the Piermaster’s House, the Canning Half Tide Dock and the Canning Graving Docks. It opened in 1984 after a trial season in 1980 and an expansion in 1986. The museum belongs to National Museums Liverpool and is recognised by the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Its collection began in 1862 and grew slowly, surviving wartime damage and later expansions. The museum is best known for its Titanic and Lusitania exhibits. Both ships have strong Liverpool links: the White Star Line, which owned Titanic, had its headquarters in the city. In 2012 the museum displayed rarely seen Titanic items for the centenary. Earlier displays included the 1931 shipping gallery created by maritime historian Robert Gladstone and the 1971 Port of Liverpool gallery. Visitors find a Titanic exhibition with detailed ship descriptions and artefacts. The Archives Centre holds maritime records and a library. The dockside setting offers views across the water and along the historic Albert Dock. The Piermaster’s House and the Canning Graving Docks add to the maritime atmosphere.