Merseyside Maritime Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1980 |
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| Location | Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK |
| Type | National museum |
| Visitors | 836,980 (2019) |
The Merseyside Maritime Museum is a cool place to visit in Liverpool, England. It's a museum all about ships, the sea, and Liverpool's amazing port history. It's part of a bigger group called National Museums Liverpool. The museum is also a special stop on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, which connects important industrial sites across Europe.
This museum first opened its doors in 1980 for a trial run. It fully opened in 1984 and got even bigger in 1986. You can find it in a big old warehouse at the famous Albert Dock.
Discovering Maritime History
The idea for the Merseyside Maritime Museum started way back in 1862. At first, the collection was quite small. By 1924, it only had a few old model ships and a dug-out canoe!
Things started to change when Robert Gladstone, a historian who loved ships, helped create a special shipping gallery in 1931. Sadly, parts of this gallery were damaged during World War II in 1941.
After the war, new galleries opened. These included the "History of the Ship" in 1965 and the "Port of Liverpool" in 1971. By the late 1970s, people decided it was time for a dedicated maritime museum. This led to the museum opening its doors in 1980.
Famous Ship Collections
The museum has amazing collections, especially about two very famous ships: the Titanic and the Lusitania.
The Titanic was a huge ship that sank on April 15, 1912. The company that owned the Titanic, White Star Line, was based in Liverpool. That's why the word "Liverpool" was written on the back of the Titanic! In 2012, the museum showed rare items from the Titanic to mark 100 years since it sank.
The Lusitania was another important ship. It sank on May 7, 1915, during World War I. A German submarine attacked it, causing it to sink. The museum tells the detailed story of both these ships.
Archives Centre
Inside the museum building, you'll also find the Archives Centre. This is a special place where they keep old documents, maps, and records about maritime history. It's like a giant library for anyone who wants to learn more about ships and the sea.
