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World Museum Discover incredible objects from around the world, explore outer space and meet live creatures!
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World Museum is the oldest of the museums and galleries operated by National Museums Liverpool. It first opened on 8 March 1853 in the Ropeworks district of Liverpool, and it moved to its present site on William Brown Street in 1860. It has expanded to become one of the great museums of the British regions, with collections and displays of life sciences, earth sciences and human cultures around the world.

Our "National Museums Liverpool and me" series is back for another installment as we look back on 40 years of our organi...
22/10/2026

Our "National Museums Liverpool and me" series is back for another installment as we look back on 40 years of our organisation through the eyes of those who helped shape it.

In this edition, we speak to Pauline Rushton. Pauline Rushton has worked at National Museums Liverpool since 1983 - when we were called Merseyside County Museums. Starting as a volunteer in the Decorative Art Department in July of the same year, fresh out of university with a degree in History and Latin, Pauline has gone on to hold a string of roles across the organisation - from Trainee Curator to Head of the Lady Lever Art Gallery and Sudley House!

She has witnessed first hand the development of National Museums Liverpool from a group of county museums into the nationally recognised organisation it is today. Along the way there have been standout moments, from curating the Walker Art Gallery's first-ever costume exhibition, to working with the late Paul O'Grady on a show of his Lily Savage costumes.

You can read Pauline's reflections on our website - link in bio 🔗

We're delighted to be working with Liverpool Central Library for their 200th Anniversary of Birds of America exhibition!...
21/10/2026

We're delighted to be working with Liverpool Central Library for their 200th Anniversary of Birds of America exhibition!

The exhibition marks the bicentenary of The Birds of America author John James Audubon’s visit to Liverpool. Audubon visited in 1826 to raise money for the publication of Birds of America. It was eventually published in 1828 and is now one of the most valuable books in the world.

Alongside the library's surviving copy, the exhibition explores Audubon's often difficult history and how Birds of America was made. It highlights the important contributions of indigenous peoples that were largely erased in the years since its publication.

World Museum provided a number of specimens personally collected by Audobon, as well as specimens featured within the book - including an extremely rare taxidermy Passenger Pigeon!

The exhibition is free and is on display until February 2027.

Made about 1800 at the Herculaneum Pottery in Toxteth, Liverpool, this jug shows one of the city's first pilot vessels -...
20/10/2026

Made about 1800 at the Herculaneum Pottery in Toxteth, Liverpool, this jug shows one of the city's first pilot vessels - the 'Kitty.'

The colourful design shows the flags of the first local signalling system, as well as views of the Bidston Lighthouse and Signals.

"This jug caught my eye in the stores and my research revealed its story. The jug is rare, giving an insight into Liverpool's maritime history.
I even found out the name of the jug's owner, pilot Richard Cavendish. His job was to guide ships through treacherous waters to the port of Liverpool.

Discovering objects like this is one of the best parts of my job"

Nicola Scott, Curator of Decorative Art, Lady Lever Art Gallery and Walker Art Gallery.

Explore the extensive collections of National Museums Liverpool in National Museums Liverpool at 40, currently on display at World Museum.📍

This amazing insect is the rainbow leaf beetle or Snowdon leaf beetle 🐞It is cold-adapted and is incredibly rare in the ...
19/10/2026

This amazing insect is the rainbow leaf beetle or Snowdon leaf beetle 🐞

It is cold-adapted and is incredibly rare in the UK - so rare in fact that it has only been found on one mountain in the UK, Yr Wyddfa. It lives in a specific type of grassland called 'Calcareous grassland 10,' and feeds on the Wild Thyme that thrives there.

Sadly, its numbers appear to be in decline, as warming temperatures due to climate change threaten its specialised habitat. A 2015 study undertaken by World Museum, Natural Resources Wales and Cofnod found only 5 individuals after extensive searches.

Efforts to conserve the species were explored on last Sunday's edition of BBC Countryfile - alongside World Museum's specimen. You view the episode on iPlayer.

How has it been a week since Space Week already?! 🚀It was fantastic to see so many visitors engaging with objects such a...
16/10/2026

How has it been a week since Space Week already?! 🚀

It was fantastic to see so many visitors engaging with objects such as planispheres, space food, space suits throughout the week, as well as the incredible workshop on astrolabes!

Special thanks to our curatorial team of Geraldine, Wendy and Emma and researcher Sabreen for their hard work in putting everything together. ☄️

📸 Sabreen

15/10/2026

Last chance to see Mindful Garden!

This pop up display from PhD researcher and botany volunteer Sam, explores plant blindness medicinal plants, herbarium-making and forgotten nature words from The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

It's on display in the Bug House on Level 2 till Sunday - don't miss!

This piece of jewellery was commissioned for Reginald Richard Bailey and made by Boodle & Dunthorne of Liverpool, betwee...
13/10/2026

This piece of jewellery was commissioned for Reginald Richard Bailey and made by Boodle & Dunthorne of Liverpool, between 1962-63.

Bailey was a Conservative MP for Liverpool City Council who then went on to serve as Lord Mayor of Liverpool from 1955-56.

It was chosen for National Museums Liverpool at 40 by Fiona Slattery Clark, Curator of Decorative Arts at Lady Lever Art Gallery and Walker Art Gallery.

"I like the delicacy of this piece of ceremonial jewellery with its detailed enamel work. It is special to me because it was made by Boodle & Dunthorne of Liverpool, now known as Boodles. I have fond memories of visiting the company's 100-year-old shop on Lord street where its friendly staff allowed me to try on expensive pink diamond rings for fun!"

See this and many more incredible objects from National Museums Liverpools collections in National Museums Liverpool at 40, on display at World Museum📍

Look who went on a guided hop round World Museum today!Fizzleskip Bunny is jellycat that's bright, bold, and bursting wi...
11/10/2026

Look who went on a guided hop round World Museum today!

Fizzleskip Bunny is jellycat that's bright, bold, and bursting with personality! She particularly enjoyed meeting her fellow bunny in the Clore Natural History Centre and the pop up Mindful Garden display in the Bug House. 🐰🐰

As an exclusive for independent stores, we're one of the only stockists in the city. You can find her in the World Museum shop and online.

Wings of the Sea opens today!Curated by the Shanghai Art Collection Museum, the display showcases the rich artistic heri...
10/10/2026

Wings of the Sea opens today!

Curated by the Shanghai Art Collection Museum, the display showcases the rich artistic heritage of China and celebrates the cultural links between the twin port cities of Liverpool and Shanghai.

Journey through a wide range of Chinese artforms, by artists showcasing their craftsmanship and the evolving nature of traditional art in our modern world.

Works meticulously carved out of jade and stone and sculpted from metal are displayed alongside paintings portraying countryside landscapes and everyday rural life.

Folk art and handicrafts give a glimpse into another side of Shanghai, with paper cuttings, embroidery and enamelwork revealing how Shanghai’s art combines tradition with new cultural influences.

Wings of the Sea is now on display on Level 2 at World Museum!

We're using Space Week as a great excuse to explore the wonderful world of Astrolabes.This astrolabe was built around 16...
09/10/2026

We're using Space Week as a great excuse to explore the wonderful world of Astrolabes.

This astrolabe was built around 1600-1609 in Persia. The maker’s name, which is engraved on it, is Muhammad Mahdi. Part of the physical sciences collections at the World Museum, bought in 1967, this astrolabe is currently on display in the Space and Time Gallery on the fifth floor.

The name comes from the Greek word astrolábos, meaning “star-taker” or “star searcher”. What is most fascinating about these small instruments is that they happen to be one of the most sophisticated and enduring computing devices in the history of technology prior to the contemporary era.

Originally conceived in outline by ancient Greek astronomers, this device was developed and repeatedly improvised by Medieval Islamic scientists. Astrolabes had hundreds of uses including mapping the exact position of stars and planets for navigation, determining the date, calculating time and even measuring heights and areas.

This versatility made these devices very important to the Islamic world. Because there was a community need to determine the exact time for the five daily obligatory prayers in Islam and facing Mecca is a requirement for the prayers, early Muslims made great advances in astronomy, mathematics and geography, to address these religious needs.

It has been said that nearly every instrument in astronomy is a development of the astrolabe. Today we need separate devices like a watch, a calendar, a surveying instrument and a navigating app connected to a satellite to do the work this small pocket device could do on its own.

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William Brown Street
Liverpool
L38EN

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Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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+441514784393

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