Book Western Approaches Museum tickets & uncover the top - secret WWII bunker in Liverpool - a real wartime time capsule hidden beneath the city!
Once protected by the Official Secrets Act, Western Approaches Museum invites you to step inside an immense underground bunker that once housed over 300 wartime staff. Today, families can freely wander the labyrinth of preserved rooms, original equipment, and hidden spaces that reveal the secret strategies used to safeguard Allied convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic.
- Explore a vast network of historic rooms, offices & untouched wartime spaces
- Discover the iconic Operations Room, preserved exactly as it was left on 15 August 1945
- Experience immersive recreated environments including 1940s street scenes & tactical rooms
- Enjoy a calm pause with hot drinks & biscuits at wartime prices after your tour
- Perfect for families, history lovers, curious explorers & anyone fascinated by real WWII stories
- Supports continued restoration of this priceless historic site through visitor entry
Self-guided bunker exploration, historic rooms, immersive reconstructions & family‑friendly activities - all included in your visit
- Please Note: Last entry is at 5pm; Western Approaches is now a cashless site.
- Opening Days: Open seven days a week, 10am - 6pm
- Duration: Approx. 1.25 - 1.5 hours for a full self - guided tour
- Location: 1 - 3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 8SZ
- Booking: Advance online booking recommended; day - of purchase also available
- Tickets include: Access to all open rooms, reconstructed areas, and interactive elements throughout the bunker
From preserved Operations Rooms to reconstructed wartime street scenes, every space invites you to step back in time
Walking through the bunker is like entering a perfectly preserved moment in history. From the Western Approaches Tactical Unit to the Dock Lane 1940s street recreation, each room reveals a new chapter of Liverpool’s critical wartime story. You’ll encounter original documents, equipment, and intelligence tools used to track enemy convoys and brief the British government, all while maintaining absolute secrecy. Among these artefacts is one of only two surviving wartime telephones with a direct line to the London War Cabinet!
The self-guided format gives visitors the freedom to explore hidden corridors, test out Morse code in the Radio Room, inspect original teleprinters, and step into one of only two surviving wartime phones directly linked to the London War Cabinet. Every detail encourages curiosity, discovery, and connection with the people who kept the Atlantic lifeline alive.
- Intro Room: Begin your visit with a short film introducing the history and importance of the bunker
- Recruitment Room: Discover rotating displays featuring wartime uniforms, documents and archive footage
- Switchboard Room: See how millions of wartime messages were received and distributed throughout the building
- Dock Lane: Walk along a recreated 1940s street complete with shops, wartime stories, rationing information and family-friendly activities
- Teleprinter Room: Explore a fascinating hidden room that remained concealed behind a wall until its discovery in 2020
- Radio Room: Try your hand at Morse code, tune radio receivers and leave messages for future visitors
- Convoy Room & Memorial: Learn about the Atlantic convoy system and honour the men who served during the Battle of the Atlantic
- Main Operations Room: The largest and most iconic room in the bunker featuring original desks, paperwork, telephones and military equipment
- Naval & RAF Cabins: Discover working typewriters, military workspaces and original wartime features
- Sleeping Quarters: See where officers lived and rested during long shifts underground
- Tea Room: Watch victory footage from the end of the war and enjoy seasonal craft activities
- Horton's Office & Bedroom: Explore the recreated office and living quarters of Admiral Sir Max Horton
- WRENs Museum: Learn about the history of the Women's Royal Naval Service from the 1910s through to the 1990s
"If one were to choose a building where the Second World War was won, the White House or the Admiralty Rooms in London might be a possibility, or one might very well choose Derby house in Liverpool." - David Fairbanks White: Bitter Ocean
Book your Western Approaches Museum tickets today & descend into Liverpool’s secret WWII bunker - a real underground world preserved for future generations. Tickets delivered instantly via email.