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Hello, lonely people! Are you currently hunting for all the top Beatles themed places to visit in Liverpool?
Although it has been decades since John, Paul, George & Ringo first rocked the city of Liverpool, visiting all the top Beatles attractions in the city is still at the top of many visitors’ lists.
Luckily, we’re Beatles super fans who have been there, done that.
So, take this post as your Beatles guide to navigating the long and winding roads of Liverpool, with all the best places that every Beatles fan must visit.
First: Beatles Accommodation in Liverpool
Looking for the right place to stay while visiting all the Beatles attractions in Liverpool? Here are some options for every price range.
- Luxury: This hotel is “the world’s only Beatles-inspired hotel” with luxurious finishings and amazing suites including a “Lennon Suite” complete with a grand white piano
- Mid-Range: This apartment is fully decked out with fun Beatles-themed decor, with enough room for four guests.
- Budget: This guesthouse is a cute low-key property with clean rooms steps away from THE iconic Penny Lane.
Now, let’s move onto the must-see Beatles places that Liverpool has to offer.
Must-Do Tour: Magical Mystery Tour
Before we get started with listing individual Beatle hotspots in Liverpool, I wanted to share a tour with you that we took during our visit. This tour (aptly named the Magical Mystery Tour) takes you to a lot of the best Beatles places outside of Liverpool’s city centre, making it ultra convenient for those travelling without a car.
The two hour Magical Mystery Tour begins at Albert Dock and includes visits to the Fab Four’s childhood homes, schools and colleges as well as famous places from Beatles lyrics like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. As you can expect, plenty of fun facts and anecdotes are sprinkled throughout, with an epic Beatles playlist as you drive through all the sights.
We’d highly recommend booking this tour if your goal is to see as many Beatles places in Liverpool as possible in a short amount of time.
For a cheaper alternative, there is also this hop on/hop off Beatles tour that goes to many of the same locations, and even includes a glass of fizz at an iconic Beatles pub!
The Cavern Club
Next to the Magical Mystery Tour, if there’s one Beatles experience every superfan must have in Liverpool, it’s enjoying a gig at the famous Cavern Club.
This is of course an iconic Liverpool venue known for being where John, Paul, George and….. Pete (at the time) were first ‘discovered’ by their manager Brian Epstein who went on to help them secure a record deal.
From 1961 to 1963, the Beatles played almost 300 gigs in this very venue, making it a site of pilgrimage for many fans of the Fab Four.
Today, it continues to be a popular venue for live music. And while experiencing any gig is pretty epic here, I can highly recommend catching one of their Beatles tribute shows (from the Cavern Club Beatles), which takes place every Friday and Saturday.
Down a few pints and they’re pretty close to the real deal.
The John Lennon Statue, Mathew Street
And whether you manage to get inside or not, the Cavern Club is worth stopping past for a quintessential Beatles Liverpool photo opp: the John Lennon Statue leaning cooly just outside the main entrance.
This bronze statue of a young John was first unveiled in 1997, and has been a beloved Beatles attraction in Liverpool ever since. Take a closer look and you can even admire the bricks he’s leaning against, all inscribed with the names of famous musical acts who have played at the Cavern Club over the years.
Can you spot “The Beatles” amidst this sea of musical greats?
The Beatles Story Museum
The Beatles Story Museum is another one of the top Beatles attractions in Liverpool, and a must-visit for any fan thanks to its status as the world’s largest permanent exhibition dedicated to the Fab Four.
This immersive museum located at the Royal Albert Dock takes you through the story of the Beatles, from their early days as the Quarrymen to their solo careers following their official split in 1970.
Featuring replicas of the Casbah, Abbey Road Studios and The Cavern Club, this museum is as close as it gets to travelling back in time to see the very spots where the Beatles became the Beatles, and is worth every penny of the admission cost! We had an amazing time here… and even maybe shed a tear or two, but shhh don’t tell anyone.
Liverpool Beatles Museum
Another less famous Beatles museum is Liverpool is… well, the plainly named “Liverpool Beatles Museum” (formerly the Magical Beatles Museum).
Located on Mathew St, just steps away from the Cavern Club, this museum lays claim to ‘the largest Beatles collection in the world’, with over 1000 items to browse across three floors.
From original instruments and personal items to handwritten letters and more, this museum is a treasure trove for Beatles fanatics, with a fun personal link to the band as well (although a few degrees separated), since it was created by Roag Best (half-brother of Pete Best), the Beatles drummer before Ringo came on the scene.
Fun fact: Before this space became a Beatles museum, it was a pub known as “Lennon’s Bar”.
The British Music Experience
While not an entirely Beatles-themed attraction, the British Music Experience is another must-visit spot for fans of the Beatles.
Housed in the Cunard building along Liverpool’s waterfront, this interactive attraction casts a spotlight on British popular music as a whole since 1944.
With a series of curated sections showcasing instruments, memorabilia, costumes, and more throughout the decades, this ‘museum’ is a music geek’s dream, with representation from a vast spectrum of British stars from Freddie Mercury and the Spice Girls to of course, a few goodies from the Fab Four as well.
If you’re a fan of British popular music, this spot is a must-do.
The Grapes Pub
When it comes to famous Beatles watering holes around Liverpool, some have gone, and some remain. Among those still standing, The Grapes Pub is possibly the most famous.
Known as the go-to spot to down a pint or two before shows at the Cavern Club (which was, believe it or not, a dry establishment), this traditional pub on Mathew St is a must-visit spot of pilgrimage for Beatles fans.
After all, this was the hangout spot for the Fab Four before/after their hundreds of gigs at the Cavern Club, so can you even imagine the many pints consumed here by the boys?
Although the pub went through a controversial renovation in 2019 that modernized the facilities quite a bit, there are still bits of the Beatles connection that remain, including a bench that proudly declares “The Beatles Sat Here”.
Fab4 Cafe
If you might need some caffeine to fuel up for all your Beatles sightseeing in Liverpool, one caffeination spot you should put on your list is the Fab 4 Cafe.
With its main location at the Beatles Story Museum, this cafe allows you to sip refreshments under Cavern Club inspired arches, with a chill Beatles soundtrack to go along with all your treats.
While the menu is pretty ordinary (with regular coffee offerings and a small handful of nibbles like soup and toast), there are some more Beatlesy drinks on offer as well, like the Twist and Shout smoothie and Love Hearts Milkshake.
NOTE: They also have a second location at the Mersey Ferries Terminal.
The Beatles Statue (Pier Head)
Speaking of the Mersey Ferries Terminal, another Beatles must-see in Liverpool can be found here: the famous Beatles Statue in Pier Head.
Donated to the city by the Cavern Club organisation, this set of bronze statues was officially unveiled in 2015, 50 years after the Beatles’ final public appearance in Liverpool.
Compared to some other Beatles statues we’ve seen in Liverpool (we’ll share an example below), the likeness of this set is truly uncanny. You wouldn’t believe it by looking at them, but they weigh 1.2 tonnes total! Clearly, they carry that weight well.
CavernWalks Shopping Centre
And here’s an example of some… less accurate statues we saw during our visit, located at the Cavernwalks Shopping Centre.
NOTE: As of 2019, this shopping centre was sold to a hotelier and is poised for redevelopment, although we haven’t been able to find info on whether or not the statues still remain there. If you’re not able to find them, no great loss really.
Mendips (251 Menlove Avenue) and 20 Forthlin Road
When in Liverpool, another very popular place to visit for Beatles fans are the Fab Four’s former homes.
And while most Beatles tours will bring you to the facades of these homes, two sites worth additional exploration are Mendips, AKA 251 Menlove Avenue (childhood home of John Lennon from age 5 – 23) and 20 Forthlin Road (childhood home of Paul McCartney from 1955 until his late teens).
Both homes are now open to the public through a joint tour operated by the National Trust, allowing fans a glimpse into the two homes, where Lennon-McCartney wrote some of their earliest hits, including ‘Please Please Me’, ‘She Loves you’, ‘Love Me Do’, and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’.
Due to their importance in the early days of the Beatles, many consider these two sites to be “the birthplace of the Beatles”, making it a must-visit for any fan.
NOTE: This tour is the only way the public can access these homes, meaning pre-booking is essential!
12 Arnold Grove – George Harrison’s Birthplace
For hardcore fans of George Harrison, a quick stop by 12 Arnold Grove is a must, as it was at this address that George was born in 1943.
While he only lived here for six years of his life, and there’s no attraction, tour, or museum to be found here, it’s close enough to other Liverpool Beatles spots on our list that a quick photo stop is worth the trouble.
25 Upton Green – George Harrison’s Childhood Home
After 12 Arnold Grove, the Harrisons moved into 25 Upton Green, which is well known as George’s main childhood home, as he lived there for twelve years.
And, for superfans, it’s now an Airbnb you can book! Click here for the listing.
9 Madryn Street – Ringo Starr’s Birthplace
While today it is simply a refurbished terrace house, decades ago, it was at this address that Ringo Starr was born.
There is nothing here to see by way of attractions (not even a plaque to mark the house’s history), so this is probably a Beatles place in Liverpool you can skip… but for hardcore fans of Ringo, this is where you’d go to catch a glimpse at the house in which he was born and lived for the first few years of his life.
Just be mindful that the house and neighbourhood have both been updated a great deal, so it looks very different than it used to!
10 Admiral Grove – Ringo Starr’s Childhood Home
For Ringo superfans, a stop by 10 Admiral Grove may be a more worthwhile site of pilgrimage. Here, you can see the outside of the home where Ringo lived for twenty years before rising to fame.
Again, there is sadly nothing here in terms of a tour, museum, or plaque, but for what it’s worth, the house itself is pretty cute.
St Peter’s Church, Woolton
St Peter’s Church is a Grade II listed parish church that’s among the largest parish churches in the city.
Most notably for Beatles fans however, this church is where John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for this first time, so in some ways, you can see this spot as the very birthplace of songwriting’s most iconic duo: Lennon-McCartney.
Take a closer look at the church’s cemetery and Beatles fans will find another noteworthy site… (more on that below)
Eleanor Rigby’s Gravestone
While we concede that visiting a random grave in Liverpool is bizarre fan behaviour, it’s worth a quick look if you’re in the area visiting St Peter’s Church.
Did this gravestone inspire the song Eleanor Rigby? According to multiple sources, including Paul McCartney himself, the answer is no. At best, the gravestone may have subliminally influenced McCartney when choosing a name for the song (which at different stages of the writing process was Daisy Hawkins and Eleanor Bygraves).
In all likeliness however, the name appearing on a gravestone at St Peter’s is simply a coincidence.
That said, this is another Beatlesy spot you can visit in Liverpool. It’s easy to miss, as Eleanor’s name is found only in the second half of the gravestone, but look for the stone bearing John Rigby’s name and you’ll find her.
Eleanor Rigby Statue
While ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was (in Paul McCartney’s own words) “a totally fictitious character”, there’s yet another attraction dedicated to her on Stanley St – a bronze statue created by entertainer Tommy Steele.
The statue depicts a woman sat on a bench, with a shopping bag and newspaper next to her, along with a handbag on her lap. In a way, the statue depicts the Liverpool ‘everywoman’ of the time.
Along with a plaque saying “To all the lonely people…”, this is a quick photo opp for Beatles fans in Liverpool that’s worth it if you’re nearby.
Strawberry Field
Speaking of Beatles song namesakes, the ‘Strawberry Field’ that inspired Strawberry Fields Forever is another Liverpool Beatles location you can add to your list.
Once upon a time, it was a children’s home, and it was during that time period that John Lennon used to play in the gardens, eventually inspiring the famous song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever”.
Over the years, the iconic red gates of the property became a site of pilgrimage for Beatles fans from around the world.
While it was nothing more than photo opp during our visit, since 2019, the famous Strawberry Field has been open as a tourist attraction with an interactive exhibition about the space and its connection to John Lennon, making it a much more robust attraction for Beatles fans visiting Liverpool. If you manage to make the trip, let us know in the comments how it was!
Penny Lane
Penny Lane is a Beatles spot that requires zero introduction.
In fact, we bet there’s a certain melody in your ears and in your eyes right about now…
Luckily, Penny Lane is a real attraction you can visit beneath the blue suburban skies of Liverpool’s Mossley Hill neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the bus stop the song refers to is no longer there, but nothing can stop you from grabbing a photo at one of Penny Lane’s iconic street signs!
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms
As happy lads who loved a good time, there are probably dozens of pubs in Liverpool that can claim the Beatles used to drink there, but perhaps none is better known than Liverpool’s Philharmonic Dining Rooms.
John Lennon once said “The price of fame is not being able to go to the Phil for a quiet pint” and today, it remains a location inextricably linked to Beatles legacy. In fact, some Beatles tours in Liverpool like this one even include a complimentary glass of fizz at the Phil before your tour!
Paul McCartney once even had a surprise gig there in 2018 while filming Carpool Karaoke.
Casbah Coffee Club
While the Cavern Club is no doubt THE venue most commonly associated with the Beatles, there are many who consider the Casbah Coffee Club to be where it all really started.
You see, it was at the Casbah that the Beatles played their first ever live gigs. They were so unknown back then that they supposedly even helped paint it.
… It helps of course that the Casbah was owned by Mona Best, mother of the Beatles’ original drummer, who set the club up in the basement of their family home.
While the Casbah didn’t last as a venue for long, it has since opened its doors as a tourist attraction, available for tours bookable here.
Blakes Restaurant
For those in search of Beatles attractions in Liverpool for foodies, Blakes Restaurant at The Hard Days Night Hotel is a must-visit.
Although the menu here isn’t aggressively Beatles-themed, their restaurant slogan is “Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies”, so that counts for something!
Beatles superfans will also undoubtedly appreciate the various Fab Four photos hanging from the wall, and (of course) the restaurant soundtrack consisting of non-stop Beatles hits.
Bar Four
If you’re craving something a little stronger, then a stop at the Beatles-themed Bar Four may be worth adding to your Beatles itinerary.
Here, you’ll find a lovely assortment of cocktails, all appropriately Beatles-themed, from the ‘Beatle Colada’ and ‘Daq in the USSR’ (a daquiri, of course) to the ‘Long and Winding Ice Tea’ (a Fab 4 Twist on the Long Island) and ‘Honey ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (an amaretto and honey liqueur-based cocktail with fresh honey).
Blue Angel
Once owned by the Beatles’ first manager, the Blue Angel is one of the lesser known places in Liverpool to visit for Beatles fans.
Although these days it’s mainly a nightclub and student hang known for cheap drinks and sticky floors, a few noteworthy events from Beatles lore did take place here.
For instance, this is where Pete Best first auditioned for the Beatles (you know, a few years before he was fired and replaced by Ringo).
This was also where the Beatles supposedly auditioned for Larry Parnes in 1960, which landed them their first touring gig outside of England.
The Empress
Long before it shuttered its doors, the Empress was a local for none other than Ringo Starr, whose mother worked there when he was young.
Little wonder why this slim, crooked building was immortalized on the album art of Ringo’s first album, Sentimental Journey.
Luckily, these days, not all is lost for Beatles fans – a giant colourful mural of Ringo has been painted on the side of the building.
Ye Cracke Pub
For those especially keen to complete their Beatles-themed pub crawl across Liverpool, another (less famous) addition would certainly be the Ye Cracke Pub on Rice Street.
Just as The Empress was considered a local for Ringo Starr, Ye Cracke Pub was known to be a common watering hole for John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe during their student days at the nearby Liverpool Art College.
You can see some photos of them at the pub here.
Hulme Hall
Lastly, located about a 30 minute drive from Central Liverpool, you’ll find an oft forgotten Beatles place of significance: Hulme Hall, where on August 18, 1962, Ringo Starr played with the Beatles for the first time, marking the very first public performance of the Fab Four as we now know them.
Today, it is Grade II listed event venue, so if you’re in the market for an event space, be sure to check it out!
BONUS: Streets Named After the Beatles
For those especially dedicated to seeking out all the Beatles-themed locations in Liverpool, a trip out to Liverpool’s Kensington neighbourhood may be in order, particularly to pose with street signs bearing the iconic names of John, Paul, George & Ringo.
Back in 1981, a housing project here decided to name multiple streets after members of the Fab Four, giving rise to excellent street names such as…
- John Lennon Drive
- Paul McCartney Way
- George Harrison Close
- Ringo Starr Drive
Fun fact: In June 2022, Mathew St (yes, of Cavern Club fame) was temporarily renamed “McCartney St” in honour of Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday.
Did we miss any of your favourite Beatles attractions in Liverpool?
If you’ve made it this far in our list of Beatles places to visit, we love you, yeah yeah yeah. If we’ve missed any noteworthy spots, then please let us know in the comments so we can add more recommendations to our list!