John Millard, keeper of World Museum Liverpool, says: “Visitors will find the new World Museum Liverpool awesome and exciting. It has exhibits covering millions of years, around the world and into space.

“There are familiar friends from the old museum, like a great totem pole from north west America and there’s a new aquarium and thousands of new exhibits. It’s a huge expansion for the museum and I hope people will find not only lots to see and get excited about, but also lots to do in the new museum.”

The launch of World Museum Liverpool marks the completion of Into the Future, a £45m capital development programme across three NML venues - Museum of Liverpool Life, Walker Art Gallery and Liverpool Museum.

Into the Future has been made possible thanks to a £32 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the largest grant ever awarded to a museum project. Commenting on the opening, HLF’s Chair Liz Forgan says, “HLF funds projects that transform historic buildings and collections but also reach out to new audiences and provide innovative and exciting learning opportunities for everybody to enjoy. World Museum Liverpool is an example of just that and it will make a fantastic addition to Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations.”

“We have worked hard to revitalise and rejuvenate the museum sector in the last 10 years, investing over £1 billion. The fact that Liverpool has been able to develop a new and exciting national museum is a reflection of that commitment and enthusiasm and one of which we are very proud.”

A new ground-level entrance and central glass-topped atrium will give access to the museum galleries, café, shop and education facilities. Visitors will go around the globe in World Cultures in the former Upper Horseshoe Gallery - not open to the public since the May 1941 Blitz destroyed the old museum. The new gallery has more than 1,500 amazing artefacts from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania (Australasia and the central and south Pacific).

The Bug House displays a giant model spider and fly and lots of real insects – some alive and crawling! The Weston Discovery Centre features objects from the museum’s rich and varied archaeology and ethnology collections. Visitors will be able to handle objects up to 5,000 years old, use computer interactives and take part in special activities.

The Treasure House Theatre is another hands-on groundbreaking feature. Up to 80 visitors at a time join special events in the theatre featuring the museum’s world-class archaeology, ethnology and natural science collections.

There will be exciting collection-linked music and dance performances, video conferences linking up with people and places around the world and fascinating lectures by experts.

The brand-new Aquarium complex shows live fish and other creatures in their underwater habitats. The spectacular entrance gallery features a circular South American river display leading to other attractions including coral reef displays, rocky coastlines, smaller aquariums and the all-new interactive Living Laboratory.

One of the present museum’s most popular attractions, the Natural History Centre, doubles in size as the Clore Natural History Centre. The world of plants, animals, rocks and minerals is explored through hands-on exhibits.

The new galleries are home to 20,663 objects, many of which are on public display for the first time. In total the development provides over 5,000 square metres of new public facilities, more than doubling the former museum.

HLF in Liverpool
HLF has invested £71 million to 127 projects in Liverpool. Large scale projects include St George’s Hall and Sefton Park as well as the £3.3 million regeneration of the Ropewalks area. But it’s not just about big buildings and museums. Liverpool has received funding for a number of community projects such as ‘People Like Us’ which takes heritage to disadvantaged children in secure homes. Local museums now visit the children and encourage them to learn about Liverpool’s colourful history.