Liverpool War Museum was the underground command centre for the Battle of the Atlantic.
You were once required to sign the Official Secrets Act to enter the building, now it’s open for visitors to freely explore the immense bunker. The labyrinth of rooms and offices is a precious time capsule and although the 300 war time staff have long gone, a visit to the museum will transport you back to that time and make you ask questions about the people who once worked there.
Walk through hidden rooms and discover the stories locked in the WWII bunker that protected the tactics of the British Armed Forces plotting to bulwark the Western Approaches and aid the Allied victory. Glimpse the documents and tools the Forces used to monitor enemy convoys and inform the British government of their findings, whilst keeping their intelligence secret from the enemy, including one of only two surviving wartime phones which had a direct connection to the London War Cabinet.
See where Commanders, WRNS and WAAF personnel worked day and night in the Operations Room, the nerve centre of the Battle of the Atlantic. Here they monitored convoy routes and vital shipping lines, pin-pointing enemy locations on a huge map wall, where total accuracy was necessary to enable the Royal Navy to contact and destroy the enemy.
The Operations Room has remained exactly how it was left when the doors were closed on 15 August 1945.
Open to all
Open 7 days a week, but please check the website before your visit as we are sometimes closed for events or maintenance
10am to 6pm
Last entry is at 5pm
Situated in the basement of Exchange Flags, just behind Liverpool Town Hall and Martins Bank
Western Approaches HQ, 1-3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, Merseyside L2 8SZ
Prices vary, please visit the Visiting Information page on the website for details.
Please note: Western Approaches is now a cashless museum.
Visitors buy tickets in advance where possible, although you can also purchase them on the day.
Phone: 0151 277 2008
Email: wa@bigheritage.co.uk
Visit the Western Approaches HQ website
Visit the Western Approaches HQ Facebook page
