Museum of Liverpool opening brings thousands of visitors to Pier Head
Thousands of people flocked to the Pier Head to celebrate the opening of Liverpool’s newest waterfront icon – exactly 100 years after the launch of its first.
While the Liver Building was marking its centenary yesterday, the £72m Museum of Liverpool was welcoming its very first visitors.
Around 12,000 people stepped through the doors, breaking all records for National Museums Liverpool’s other seven venues.
This is at least three times the number of visitors World Museum attracts on its busiest days – numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 during peak season.
Phil Redmond, National Museums Liverpool chair, said the public reaction had made the 10 years of planning and preparation worthwhile.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see people coming into the building in such big numbers.
“It’s been a long time coming and it’s great to finally have all that noise in the background – people laughing and enjoying themselves. The museum feels alive now.
“People are coming up to me with smiles on their faces which is the best reaction you could get.”
The building was officially opened by six-year-old Finn O’Hare, from Mossley Hill, who cut a bright pink ribbon at the canalside entrance.
The Carleton House pupil said: “I wrote a letter to David Fleming saying please could I open the museum and he said yes.
“I cut the ribbon with my big blue scissors and it was very, very, very good."
His favourite part of the museum is the Little Liverpool gallery, aimed at children aged six, which features a Liverpuddles wet play area.
“I like it best because of all the water,” he said.
Britain’s first newly built national museum in more than a century, the venue features more than 6,000 objects across 8,000 sq m of public space.
More than 10,000 local people were consulted on the displays which range from large scale artefacts, such as the first Ford Anglia off Ford’s Halewood production line, to small items including a set of dolls each wearing a typical Liverpool look.|
Beth Edmondson, 33, an IT support worker from Tranmere, dressed her “Saturday Afternoon” doll in a gold velour Juicy-style tracksuit and put rollers in her hair.|
She said: “I can’t stop looking at it. It’s amazing to see my design in here.\\\\\\\\\
“There’s such a variety of different looks, everyone’s represented from Goths to the ultratrendies, and that’s true for the whole museum – it shows lots of different Liverpool looks, not just the Scouse stereotypes.”
George McCain, of Liverpool youth arts group Yellowhouse, also took part in the public consultation exercise and was one of 400 golden ticket holders – made up of community groups and local people who have helped create the displays – to be given a early morning preview of the collections.|
He said: “For my generation, history was always taught from a book and it was always about somebody rich, a king or a general. To come around a museum and see the wealth of history of the real people of Liverpool – that’s what I think is great.”
Three main galleries opened during yesterday’s launch: Wondrous Place, focusing on the city’s arts and sporting achievements; People’s Republic, exploring the experience of living in Liverpool, and Global City, looking at Liverpool’s history as the second city of the British Empire.
The second phase, comprising the History Detectives, Great Port, Kings Regiment and Liverpool Overhead Railway galleries, will follow later this year.|
The Museum of Liverpool is expected to attract more than 750,000 visitors a year, including more than 100,000 visits from schools and other education providers, generating a £15m boost to the city’s economy.
Pam Wilsher, head of tourism development at regeneration body The Mersey Partnership, said: “We think about a third of those will be first time visitors to the city.|
“We are very fortunate to be opening a major new visitor attraction at a time when people are cutting back and closing venues.”
For more information visit: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol
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