Western Approaches

We loved our visit at half term. I'd never heard of this hidden gem by the Liverpool docks, but the work to recreate the wartime feel was excellent, and full of so much fascinating detail. It works for all ages from 5 up. Would highly recommend.

The Western Approaches and WREN museum was great. It contains tons of great exhibits and information in the exact bunker used during WWII. It was very intersting to understand the vital role this command played in ensuring the safe delivery of supplies to allied posts including traversing the Artic Sea to deliver planes and supplies to Russia. The addition of the WREN museum was a nice bonus and provided insight to the key roles women played in keeping the war effort going.

I happened to be visiting friends in Liverpool and had a bit of time to kill while they were at work and popped in here, as a former history major. I was unaware of this spot before a random search, but was well worth the visit. Lots of good historical bits to take in, interesting info about Russian/British cooperation in the northern seas, plus the planning and execution of Normandy.

Strange experience, the exhibition was pretty good, however having ving visited other ww2 secret bunkers and Bletchley Park, I felt this site was overly pretentious about its role in turning the tide of war to the extent of diminishing other efforts. We were upsold tickets for a ferry tour. Which we could use as the last ferry sailing was 4 pm, after we had viewed the exhibition. We were also overcharged and the gentleman lounging behind the desk was quite abrasive which immediately soured the experience. If you are going in the afternoon abd want to do the ferry do that first, get the ferry tour out the way as its last sailing is 4 and the exhibition is open until 6.

Outstanding experience. So many fascinating exhibits and recreations telling the story of the war in the Atlantic during WWll. Wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable staff available in period dress all adds to the atmosphere in this hidden gem of a museum.

Really immersive and well presented narrative of the city during WW2, and what life would have been like In this setting, also very informative of the women's roles in different services from WW1 up to the present day. What's great is that very few items are kept behind glass, you are encouraged to pick up documents and items, to understand the vital work this incredible place undertook.

This is a very interesting site to visit if you are interested in WWII history. It is sort of akin to the Churchill War Rooms in London, but for the Battle of the Atlantic. It is a self guided tour and while there are a bunch of little panels or displays to read in most room, you sometimes do have to go looking to figure out what that part of the bunker was used for or to learn about the people who worked there. The room on the sailors who were in the Arctic was the most easily understood section as it had more traditional museum style signage that told the story very clearly. The map room is very cool, and the rooms dedicated to the Wrens were also interesting.

A very good museum . You get a true perspective on what it must have been like during the war time. Had no idea as the extraordinary involvement that Liverpool played in keeping Great Britain fed with the Atlantic crossings . The bravery of the sailors was incredibly humbling . The idea that these rooms were until relatively recently unknown and still being uncovered to this day . Very important historical location and very humbling

This was excellent and a lot of new war facts. Russia and England joined hands to fight Germany? Yes. German battle pilots had detail maps of Liverpool? Streets and reference buildings. Yes. The 30 foot war room wall showed all the battle areas on the seas on two walls. Churchill was here often enough To bathe here. Claw foot. Tub. Still here. The back up generator for the building was from a scuttled German u boat. Reuse every thing. The merchant navy ships were as active as the British Navy ships,& acted as decoys and sunk u boats with hidden deck guns under tarps till Sub was in range. Originally, U boat would surface, challenge. After a few decoy events, they torpedoed first, at night and in packs. AKA Wolfpacks of 3-6. They would Actually chase a convoy during daylight, come up at night. Fire on the surface. The answer to that was the Liberator airplane with field lights a torpedos. They took the subs at night and found the German Battleship Bismarck on a training flight. Bye bye Battleship. Millions died in WW2. There is a little store. We got British Cloth napkins showing British Enlisted Sailors. I and my father were both USN enlisted. Lots to see here. Military discount and we stayed over two hours. Easy to find. Flags out front. Come on down!

I'll admit now I had no idea this place existed. Formerly the headquarters for the Western Approaches Command, a supreme Royal Navy authority responsible for keeping Atlantic shipping safe during World War II, the building is now open to the public and displays the subdued manliness of 1940s Britain with withering expertise. These people had no time for Facebook and iPlayer. They were too busy saving the world, by golly A complex underground bunker decorated with all the original wartime furniture and machinery, the building looks unnervingly like its hundreds of employees have simply got up and left. I kept forgetting it was a museum. The atmosphere is striking. One highlight was the Operations Room, with its models of WRNs pushing models of ships round a big map of the Atlantic. A hidden tape player fills the room with sound effects of what it would have sounded like- all chattering teleprinters and barking admirals. Other points of interest include the 'hotline' telephone booth that was connected directly to the War Cabinet and the Cypher Room, where decoded messages were received from Bletchley Park. Both of these things were protected by armed guards. I loved this place, not least because I was the only visitor there. Being on my own meant I could do what most other museums will slap you for trying. I attempted to lift a huge unexploded bomb (I couldn't) and almost wound one of those howling air raid siren things before I realised the woman on the front desk might get annoyed. Towards the end of the museum there was a table piled high with helmets, caps and gas masks that you were allowed to try on. I say 'you' when I actually mean 'children' but that means nothing because I still did anyway. I wouldn't have lasted five minutes in a war.

Situated under Derby House and behind the town hall. I had a struggle actually getting into the museum at first, but finally with persistance the lady buzzed me in and I am glad that she did. This is a place that I must take my dad! The Museum presents the historical war time bunker. You get to see the operations room which was designed to be bomb and gas proof and has a 7-foot thick roof and 3-foot thick walls. The Royal Navy, Air Force and Royal Marines worked jointly at the bunker to monitor enemy convoys and "wolf packs" of submarines, which threatened to bring Britain to her knees in the early part of the war. Would recommend this, and say don't be in a rush when you are looking around.

War, huh, oh yeah, what is it good for? Museums, apparently. This one is a living monument with a sort of walking tour of that it would be like to have been involved in WWII. It's also fun as what starts in a little gift shop becomes a maze of tunnels and rooms which give you a ton of historical information. It's central too, so there's no excuse not to visit if you're doing a little cultural walkabout. It's not just soldier-based stuff either - sure, you'll find out plenty about weapons and machinery, but there's a real sense here of what it would have been like to be in the thick of the domestic side of the war. I'd say there's something for everyone, especially military history types - the only thing that marks it down are the erratic opening hours which rub everyone up the wrong way. They could do with a few more staff to prevent this problem. Other than that - goggles and gasmask on, get involved in the adventure!

This place amazed me! I lived around Liverpool most of my early life and didn't know anything about it, but it's just around the corner from the Town (or City) Hall. On first entering, you think you're in a smallish souvenir shop, but there is a doorway througto the wartime passages, where, amongst others, Winston Churchill spent a lot of time coordinating the defence of the British Isles during the Second World War (I do so hate this WWI and WWII - they are throwbacks to Hollywood). We were extremely lucky a few years ago when first visiting as we were shown around by the lady who masterminded the opening of the area as a tourist attraction. I'm really sorry to have forgotten her name, as she was so knowledgable. Wandering around all the bombproof rooms and tunnels give you a real idea of what it might have been like to be at home during the height of the war, the mapping room is just like all those RAF-type films of the 1940's and 50's, with a glass window overlooking it, through which winston kept watch on what was happening. A fascinating visit for anyone with the remotest interest in how people cope during conflicts.