Town Hall, Liverpool

Town Hall, Liverpool

The Liverpool Town Hall, an architectural jewel of 18th-century England, is situated at the crossroads of High Street, Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street in Liverpool, Merseyside. Recognized as a Grade I listed building in the National Heritage List for England, it is celebrated as "one of the finest surviving 18th-century town halls."

Constructed between 1749 and 1754, the Town Hall was designed by John Wood the Elder to replace an earlier building nearby. An extension by James Wyatt in 1785 added grandeur, but a fire in 1795 led to extensive rebuilding, including Wyatt's distinctive dome. Over time, minor alterations have been made, and the surrounding streets were restructured, notably removing obstructing buildings to reveal the hall’s southern façade from Castle Street.

Unlike administrative buildings such as the nearby Cunard Building, Liverpool Town Hall serves as a civic suite. It houses the Lord Mayor's parlor, Council Chamber, and a Hall of Remembrance dedicated to Liverpool servicemen who perished in World War I. The opulent upper floor hosts events, functions, and weddings, with public tours offering a glimpse into its historical and decorative splendor.

The Town Hall, made of stone with a slate roof and lead dome, features a rectangular plan with a southern portico and Wyatt’s narrower northern extension. It has two stories, a rusticated basement, and façades with classical details. The south side has nine bays, a portico with rounded arches, and an upper balcony with Corinthian columns. The east and west façades have nine bays, plus three in Wyatt's extension, while the north includes five bays, a portico, and statues by Richard Westmacott from the Irish Houses of Parliament. Carvings above windows reflect Liverpool's trade history, and the dome, encircled by clock faces with lions and unicorns, is crowned by Minerva, a 10-foot statue symbolizing wisdom.

Liverpool Town Hall remains an enduring testament to the city's civic pride and Georgian architectural heritage, offering both a functional space and a visual marvel for visitors and locals alike.

Why You Should Visit:
Inside, visitors will find the grandest suite of civic rooms in the UK and a magnificent example of late Georgian decoration.
You also might want to go onto the balcony where the Beatles stood when returned to Liverpool.

Tip:
Guided tours inside are available, but check the opening times prior to the visit or just take photos from Castle Street.
Once the main business district, the area is now replete with bars and restaurants, so refreshments are only minutes away/opposite.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Liverpool. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Town Hall on Map

Sight Name: Town Hall
Sight Location: Liverpool, England (See walking tours in Liverpool)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Liverpool, England

Create Your Own Walk in Liverpool

Create Your Own Walk in Liverpool

Creating your own self-guided walk in Liverpool is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Liverpool Historical Sites Walking Tour

Liverpool Historical Sites Walking Tour

For a city steeped in history and culture as much as Liverpool, it is only natural to have many historical sites illustrative of its glorious past. Three of Liverpool's most remarkable buildings, collectively known as the Three Graces of Liverpool, are situated in the Pier Head. These include the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building.

The...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I

The hometown of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Star, Liverpool is called “The Beatles Capital” for a reason. The city saw the dawn of the Fabulous Four's musical career and is brimming with Beatlemania: Beatles-themed bars, restaurants, hotels, and other places associated with the iconic band.

The Beatles Story, an immersive museum, chronicles the Fab...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part II

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part II

Liverpool is permeated with The Beatles who seem to be everywhere! There are so many places associated with the band in the city: childhood homes, schools, bars... Some of them are rather unassuming, at a glance, and thus can be easily overlooked.

George Harrison's Birthplace, located at 12 Arnold Grove, is where the lead guitarist of The Beatles was born on February 25, 1943. Despite its...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Beatles Pub Crawl

Beatles Pub Crawl

Alright, so you're in Liverpool, the hometown of The Beatles, and you're thirsty. There are lots of pubs in Liverpool, all different in character, with some claiming that The Beatles drank or played there at some point.

Indeed, the lads performed in many small venues throughout the city, but the joints they usually played were not the ones they liked for their drinks. Now, if...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Liverpool Introduction Walking Tour

Liverpool Introduction Walking Tour

Famously, the hometown (aka the “capital”) of the Beatles, Liverpool is more than just the Fab Four. Closely associated with the arts, music, culture, and architecture, as well as industrial innovation, the city is renowned for its multitude of historic landmarks, world-class sport arenas and shopping/entertainment. The abundance of art galleries, national museums and listed attractions in...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part III

Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part III

Now that you have been to a good number of spots around Liverpool associated with The Beatles, it is high time to explore the “early days” of the Fab Four in their hometown and see where it all started.

One such place is Strawberry Field, immortalized in their song "Strawberry Fields Forever." It was a Salvation Army children's home, and although the original building no...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.3 Km or 3.3 Miles