Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery.
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Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery.
In this section
Transport information
Further Information
The Merseyside Maritime Museum is a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction
Open daily 10am-5pm.
FREE ADMISSION to the museum and all exhibitions and events.
Closed from 2pm on 24 December and all day on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
If you can't see the Google map above you can download a printer-friendly information sheet with details of how to get to the International Slavery Museum and the Merseyside Maritime Museum including a map:
Local travel information is available on the Merseytravel website or by calling 0871 200 2233.
Please note that the riverside walkway between Pier Head and the Albert Dock will be closed until summer 2011 while construction takes place in the area. Visitors are advised to use the Dock Road route until the riverside walkway is open again.
The Albert Dock is on the waterfront close to Liverpool city centre and the Liverpool One complex. It is clearly signposted from the motorway and other main routes into the city centre. You may want to use AA Route Planner to plan your journey.
The International Slavery Museum is about a 20 minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street station - Liverpool's mainline train station.
James Street station is about a 5 minute walk away. This station is served by the Wirral Line trains only.
Moorfields station, just off Dale Street, is about a 15 minute walk away. This station is served by the Southport-Hunts Cross, Ormskirk, Kirkby, West Kirby, New Brighton, Chester and Ellesmere Port line trains.
Liverpool Central station is served by the same services as Moorfields and is about a ten minute walk away.
The Paradise Street interchange is the closest bus station, just across the road from the entrance to the Albert Dock. The Queen Square bus interchange is about a 15 minute walk away, or the C4 city centre bus goes from Queen Square to the Albert Dock.
The National Express coach station is about a 25 minute walk away.
The nearest car parks are located in the Liverpool ONE complex opposite the entrance to the Albert Dock. Q-Park Strand Street has 2000 underground spaces, Q-Park Gradwell Street has 560 multi-storey spaces and Q-Park John Lewis has 580 multi-storey spaces. The entrance to the Strand Street car park is opposite the Albert Dock and is accessible from the centre of the road in both directions. The Gradwell Street car park is opposite BBC Radio Merseyside and the John Lewis car park is located opposite the Paradise Street bus interchange and the police station.
Charged car and coach parking is also available at the adjacent King's Dock. Please note that the car park at Mann Island is now closed.
There are 3 blue badge parking spaces in the car park on the right hand side of the road leading into the Albert Dock, opposite the Dock Traffic Office building (the former Granada Television building). Another 4 designated blue badge spaces are available in the on-street parking on the right hand side of the approach road, which are slightly further away from the museum building. Charges apply for parking in both these areas.
Admission to the International Slavery Museum and all the National Museums Liverpool venues is FREE.
All exhibitions, events and activities at National Museums Liverpool are also FREE.
A museum guide and floorplan is available to download here. Printed copies are also available at the museum.
There is an information desk in the entrance foyer of the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
There is a raised orientation map in the gallery with braille, and audio guides in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The museum shop on the ground floor has a wide range of souvenirs, books, postcards and fair trade gifts. Books about the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy are also available from the online bookshop.
Refreshments are available in the Maritime Dining Rooms on the fourth floor and the Quayside café on the ground floor.
There are benches overlooking the docks outside the museum, but no tables, where visitors can eat a picnic on a nice day. Please dispose of rubbish responsibly.
Feel free to bring your mp3 player or mobile phone with you but please turn phones to 'vibrate only' and please consider other visitors when adjusting your volume levels.
Free wi-fi access is available in the quayside café on the ground floor.
Sorry, we do not have a designated, staffed cloakroom, although there are a small number of lockers available on the ground floor (please bring a £1 coin to operate, which will be returned after use). We also ask that visitors avoid bringing bags into the museum.
We do not have a prayer room.
If you are visiting to see a particular object we suggest you contact us in advance to ensure it is on gallery (we sometimes loan objects to other galleries or remove them for conservation). Call the information desk on 0151 478 4499.
Non-commercial photography is permitted but neither flash nor tripods can be used.
Visitors wanting to use the venue for location shooting of any kind should contact our press department. More information on location shooting can be found here.
Artists wanting to work in any of our venues should consult our guidelines for artists working in the venues
There are baby changing facilities on several floors within the Merseyside Maritime Museum (the same building).
Our quarterly Family Guide describes our free family exhibitions, events and activities. It can be requested through our register with us page. A large print version is also available.
This video, with audio, captions and signed in British Sign Language, offers an overview of the International Slavery Museum, with a focus on access. It includes getting to and getting into the museum. To turn off the captions click on the CC symbol.
This video requires Flash Player 9 or later, and for you to have Javascript enabled in your browser. You can download the latest Flash player from Adobe's Flash player page [opens in new window]. You will need to refresh this window after the install.
There are 3 blue badge parking spaces in the car park on the right hand side of the road leading into the Albert Dock, opposite the Dock Traffic Office building (the former Granada Television building). Another 4 designated blue badge spaces are available in the on-street parking on the right hand side of the approach road, which are slightly further away from the museum building. Charges apply for parking in both these areas.
Videos and interactives throughout the International Slavery Museum have subtitles, induction loops and British Sign Language on demand, and removable stools where necessary.
There is a raised orientation map in the gallery with braille, and audio guides in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The Merseyside Maritime Museum has adapted toilet facilities.
There are two ramped accesses (gradients 1:12 and 1:15) and a lift to upper floors of the Merseyside Maritime Museum building.
Light levels in some parts of the museum are low because of the sensitivity of objects.
Guide and hearing dogs welcome.
Table service is available in the ground floor café and the Maritime Dining Rooms on the 4th floor.
Seating is available in the galleries.
Use the 'Accessible' option to find out about any upcoming accessible events on our What's on page.
We produce large print versions of both of our what's on publications. Our Family Guide describes our free family exhibitions, events and activities, while our Exhibitions and Events Guide has more on our wide-ranging temporary exhibitions, talks and workshops. They can be requested through our register with us page.
A complete access guide for the International Slavery Museum and Merseyside Maritime Museum is available on the Disabled Go website.
Visitors with mobility probelms may like to make use of Liverpool's Shopmobility service. You can hire equipment including manual and electric wheelchairs and electric scooters. The shop is on the third floor of Liverpool One shopping centre, close to the accessible parking bays in the Strand Street Q-Park. Equipment must be booked in advance and there is a charge. More information can be found on the Liverpool One website or by calling 0151 707 0877.
The Merseylink Service is a dial-a-ride service for Merseyside people with mobility problems or difficulties, who cannot use or have difficulty using public transport. The service runs from 8am to 11pm daily and can be used by members for travel anywhere in Merseyside. The service is free for members and one essential travel companion. For further information contact Merseylink on 0151 709 1929.
There is a programme of events for education and community groups available at the International Slavery Museum. Please check the Eductaion and Communities pages on this website or call 0151 478 4788 for more information.
If you would like to register to receive a regular events guide you can do so here.
There is also a programme of sessions for education and community groups, including teachers' sessions. You can search a database of these events, and also access information on planning your visit.
We ask all groups to book by calling us on 0151 478 4788.
You may also be interested in visiting World Museum, which includes a large section about Africa in the World Cultures gallery, approximately 20 minutes walk away in the city centre.
The International Slavery Museum is housed in the same building as the Merseyside Maritime Museum so you may like to combine your visit.
If you want to keep up to date with all the latest developments at the International Slavery Museum there are lots of ways that you can do that - besides keeping an eye on this website of course.
