Merseyside is often synonymous with a certain world-famous footballing city. If you view the county solely through the lens of Liverpool you will miss half the story.
The mighty River Mersey, is a geographical divide that has shaped the history, industry, and different personalities of its inhabitants.
In 2026, the county is leaning heavily into its reputation for innovation and culture, making it a prime destination for a North West day out. Here is how to navigate the best of both banks.
Merseyside At A Glance
| Category | Top Pick | Why Visit? |
| City Culture | Liverpool Waterfront | World-class museums, the Albert Dock, and iconic views. |
| Coastal Art | Crosby Beach | The famous Gormley statues and vast sandy views. |
| Model Village | Port Sunlight | A stunning Victorian village and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. |
| Wildlife | Knowsley Safari | Lions, tigers, and the North West’s most famous baboons. |
| Nature | Formby | Rare red squirrels and some of the best dunes in the UK. |
| Theatre | Shakespeare North | A stunning wooden playhouse in the heart of Prescot. |
| Industrial Heritage | World of Glass | Live demonstrations and the history of St Helens industry. |
Liverpool: The Beating Heart of the County
It is impossible to ignore the gravitational pull of Liverpool. The city’s waterfront is a UNESCO-recognised marvel of Victorian engineering and modern reinvention.
The Royal Albert Dock remains the most visited multi-use attraction in the U.K. for a reason. In 2026, the ‘Dockside Revival’ project introduced several new floating exhibits. They explore the city’s maritime past in a more immersive way than ever before.
For art lovers, the Tate Liverpool continues to be a heavyweight on the national scene.
Its current 2026 retrospective on ‘Northern Light’ focuses on artists who captured the industrial skyline of the Mersey. This provides a perfect visual history of the region.
Just a short walk away, the Museum of Liverpool tells the city’s story with a genuine local passion, from the history of the Overhead Railway to the evolution of the Scouse accent.
If you want to escape the crowds, head to the Georgian Quarter. With its cobbled streets and perfectly preserved townhouses, it is often used as a film set for period dramas. It is also home to two very different cathedrals connected by the aptly named Hope Street.
The Anglican Cathedral is a vast, brooding Gothic masterpiece, while the Metropolitan Cathedral is a modernist ‘wigwam’ that feels like stepping onto a 1960s space station.
Crossing the Water: The Wirral Peninsula
Taking the ferry across the Mersey is a cliché for a reason. It remains the best way to see the Liverpool skyline, but it also deposits you on the Wirral, a peninsula that feels worlds away from the city’s frantic energy.
Port Sunlight is the Wirral’s crown jewel. Built by William Hesketh Lever for his soap factory workers, it is a model village of incredible beauty.
Every block of houses was designed by a different architect, meaning no two streets look the same.
In 2026, the village celebrated a milestone for the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which houses a world-class collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and Wedgwood pottery.
Further west, the Wirral Country Park offers the first coastal park in Britain. The ‘Wirral Way’ follows the route of an old railway line and is perfect for a long-distance walk or cycle. It leads you toward West Kirby, where at low tide, you can walk across the sands to Hilbre Island. This is a summer highlight, but you must check the tide times carefully to avoid being stranded with the local grey seal colony.
Art and Iron Men: The Sefton Coast
The coastline north of Liverpool offers a completely different vibe. Crosby Beach is home to Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’, an installation of 100 cast-iron figures that stare out to sea.
Seeing them at sunset, with some submerged by the tide and others standing proud on the sand, is a haunting experience that never gets old.
Further north, the Crosby Coastal Park has seen significant investment in 2026, with new eco-friendly visitor facilities and improved paths for those looking to walk toward the Hightown dunes.
The area is a haven for birdwatchers, particularly in late February when migratory patterns are in full swing.
For those who enjoy a bit of history with their seaside air, the Formby Red Squirrel Reserve is a must. It is one of the few places in England where you can still see the native red squirrel in the wild.
The pine woodlands eventually give way to massive sand dunes that offer views across to the Irish Sea.
In 2026, the National Trust expanded its ‘Dune Detective’ program, helping children understand the delicate ecosystem of the North West coast.
Industrial Innovation: St Helens and Prescot
Moving inland, the character of Merseyside shifts again. St Helens is a town built on glass and coal. The World of Glass museum is a fascinating look at how the town quite literally shaped the modern world.
You can watch live glass-blowing demonstrations and explore the underground tunnels of the Victorian furnace.
In 2026, the Dream sculpture at the former Sutton Manor Colliery remains a powerful landmark. Standing 20 metres high, the shimmering white head of a girl with closed eyes is a tribute to the town’s mining heritage.
The surrounding woodland has matured beautifully, making it a popular spot for a weekend hike with a view.
Nearby Prescot has seen a remarkable transformation thanks to the Shakespeare North Playhouse. This traditional timber-framed theatre has turned the town into a cultural destination that rivals the city centre.
The 2026 season includes several experimental takes on the classics, making it a hub for theatre-goers from across the country.
The town’s historic watchmaking heritage is also celebrated at the Prescot Museum, offering a quieter look at the craftsmanship that once defined the area.
Hidden Gems and Creative Spaces
For a bit of local flavor that avoids the typical tourist path, the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool is the creative heart of the city.
What was once a collection of derelict warehouses is now home to independent breweries, digital start-ups, and the famous Baltic Market.
It is the place to go if you want to sample the latest food trends or browse for vinyl records in a converted shed.
On the Wirral, New Brighton has shed its ‘faded seaside’ image. The ‘Victoria Quarter’ is filled with incredible street art and independent bars.
It feels like a bohemian enclave by the sea. The Fort Perch Rock, a napoleonic-era coastal defence battery, now houses a quirky museum and offers some of the best vantage points for watching the giant container ships enter the mouth of the Mersey.
Knowsley: From Safari to Stately Living
The gorgeous Knowsley Hall and its surrounding safari park offer a grander scale of entertainment. The safari is a 5-mile drive that brings you face-to-face with lions, rhinos, and the infamous baboons (who still have a penchant for windscreen wipers in 2026).
For those who prefer their animals behind glass, the walk-around area has been expanded this year to include a new ‘Amur Tiger Trail’.
The hall itself is a stunning example of Palladian architecture and, while primarily a private estate, it hosts regular heritage tours.
The surrounding parkland, designed by Capability Brown, is a masterpiece of landscape gardening that provides a green lung for the eastern part of the county.
Conclusion
Merseyside is a county of incredible breadth.
It is a place where you can move from a high-tech glass museum to a medieval-style theatre in twenty minutes, or from a bustling maritime dock to a silent, seal-populated island in an afternoon.
It is a region that has used its history as a foundation for a very modern, very creative future. Whether you are a local or a visitor, the Mersey always has something new to show you.
