Merseyside is a historic and culturally rich metropolitan county in North West England with vibrant urban centres, iconic maritime and musical heritage, and strong transport links.
The Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port is the largest aquarium in North West England, featuring extensive marine and freshwater tanks including a 4 million liter main tank with a 71m underwater shark tunnel. It offers themed habitats showcasing diverse aquatic life and interactive experiences.
251 Menlove Avenue, known as Mendips, is the childhood home of John Lennon in Liverpool, preserved by the National Trust and restored to its 1950s state. Visitors can explore the historic house famously associated with the Beatles legend.
Runcorn Shopping City is a large indoor shopping centre in Runcorn, England, featuring over 60 stores, multiple food outlets, extensive parking, and excellent public transport links. It serves as a central retail and social hub for the town.
12 Oct–8 Nov (next week)
Visitors follow an outdoor trail around the grounds of Speke Hall, completing five activities to discover a magic word and reunite the Sorceress of Speke with her lost animal familiars.
Liverpool ONE is a large open-air shopping, residential, and leisure complex in Liverpool city centre, featuring retail stores, restaurants, a cinema, miniature golf, an urban park, and extensive public facilities.
St Johns Shopping Centre is a large covered shopping centre in Liverpool with over 100 retailers, a variety of food outlets, a historic market, and an adjoining observation tower. It offers a modern shopping experience in the heart of the city, with accessibility to public transit and a recent refurbishment of its food court and market areas.
Gulliver's World is a family-oriented theme park in Warrington with rides and attractions designed mainly for children aged 2 to 13, featuring multiple themed areas, indoor water play, and an indoor NERF arena as well as an on-site hotel and a WWII heritage centre.
The Galleries was a historic indoor shopping centre in Wigan town centre featuring over 50 retail stores across three sections, including the Marketgate Shopping Centre and Makinson Arcade. It closed in 2022 and is undergoing a major redevelopment to include new leisure and residential facilities.
Rufford Old Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor and Jacobean hall house in Lancashire featuring richly decorated interiors, a notable sixteenth-century carved wooden screen, extensive Victorian gardens with topiary squirrels, and historical collections of arms and rural memorabilia. The site offers both indoor historical architecture and outdoor garden experiences.
1 Jan–31 Dec (another 83 days)
Rufford Old Hall in Lancashire offers a programme of scheduled talks, demonstrations, exhibitions, and drop-in activities throughout 2026. Events include daily house tours and talks, garden talks, a monthly dementia friendly café, music performances, traditional yarn spinning demonstrations, sports and games during summer, fencing drop-in sessions, a Victorian play exhibition, a woodturners market, and a scarecrow festival in autumn. Admission to events is free with normal venue admission charges applying.
Speke Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house in Liverpool, renowned for its historic timber-framed architecture, ancient yew trees, and scenic views over the Mersey estuary. Owned by the National Trust, it offers visitors both indoor exploration of historic rooms and outdoor gardens with walking paths.
20 Forthlin Road is the childhood home of Paul McCartney in Liverpool, preserved by the National Trust as the birthplace of the Beatles. Visitors can explore the historic house where early Beatles songs were composed and rehearsed.
10 Oct–12 Nov (next week)
Stranger Folk is an outdoor interactive adventure at Speke Hall, played using a free app and inspired by British folklore. Families with children aged 7–12 can explore a story featuring goblins, boggarts and other strange creatures.
Golden Square Shopping Centre is Warrington's primary indoor shopping destination, featuring a wide range of retail stores within a large floor area, well connected to public transport, offering a comprehensive shopping experience.
Warrington is a historic industrial town in Cheshire, England, known for its Roman origins, market town heritage, vibrant shopping centers, cultural venues, and outdoor green spaces. It offers diverse leisure, music festivals, museums, and rich local history.
The Grand Arcade is a large indoor shopping centre in Wigan town centre featuring 39 retailers, a carbon neutral design, and cultural exhibits including a George Formby statue and memorabilia from Wigan Casino. It also offers food options and ample parking.
Wigan is a historic market town in Greater Manchester, England, known for its rich industrial heritage, Roman and medieval history, cultural venues, and sporting traditions including rugby league and football.
The Hardmans' House in Liverpool is a National Trust historic house museum showcasing the original photographic studio, darkroom, and an extensive collection of photographs featuring Liverpool and its people. Visitors can explore the Georgian terraced house of photographer E. Chambré Hardman and his wife.