Victoria Gallery & Museum — Attraction in Liverpool

The Victoria Building is a Grade II listed Gothic Revival structure located at the corner of Brownlow Hill and Ashton Street in Liverpool. Designed by the renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse, it was completed in 1892 as the first purpose-built headquarters for what would become the University of Liverpool. The building was funded through public donations and contributions from notable philanthropists such as Henry Tate and William Hartley. It was officially opened on December 13, 1892, by Lord Spencer, Chancellor of the Victoria University .

Constructed with Ruabon brick and terracotta dressings under a slate roof, the building features a distinctive L-shaped layout with 13 bays facing Brownlow Hill and five bays along Ashton Street. The centerpiece is the Jubilee Tower, adorned with a clock and bells funded by public subscription to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. The tower's chimes, cast by Taylor of Loughborough, each bear an inscription from Tennyson's In Memoriam. The building's architectural style and use of red brick led to the coining of the term "red brick university" .

Internally, the Victoria Building housed lecture rooms, staff offices, common rooms, and the Tate Library, which was designed to hold 80,000 volumes. The Leggate Theatre, located within the building, hosted numerous lectures, concerts, and events featuring notable figures such as writer Hilaire Belloc, poet Walter de la Mare, and composer Gustav Holst .

As the university expanded, departments gradually moved out, and the building became primarily used for administrative purposes. In 1938, the Tate Library was relocated to the Harold Cohen Library, and the former library space became known as Tate Hall, serving as a venue for exhibitions and formal events. In 2008, following a major restoration costing £8.6 million, the building was transformed into the Victoria Gallery & Museum, housing the university's art and heritage collections .

Today, the Victoria Gallery & Museum is open to the public and offers a glimpse into Liverpool's rich academic and...

Worth visiting just to see the wonderful Victorian building with its beautiful glazed tiles and mosaic floors! The museum is quite small but has a variety of unusual exhibits. Came when the "Before Egypt" exhibition was on, the ancient pottery and artefacts were fascinating and beautifully displayed with interesting and surprising info about this little known period of history. Loved learning about Victorian dentistry on the top floor and there's also natural history, archaeology, some fine porcelain and vases and even decorated clay pipes. The staff were friendly and eager to share their knowledge with me. The café was very busy but the waitress was so friendly and service was quick. Had a lovely hot jacket potato with root vegetables and feta cheese, both tasty and filling. Not expensive either! There's a lift (though I preferred to use the magnificent staircase), toilets on each floor and a nice gift shop. An...

This place really is a hidden gem in Liverpool, and I honestly encourage everyone to visit, if only for the beautiful Victorian architecture of the building itself, and the incredible glazed tiles that seem to cover just about every surface. The gallery is always fascinating, and exhibits seem to change quite regularly, with some really more leftfield displays, seemingly drawn from the stores of Liverpool University. The museum on the top floor is superb, sitting below the vaulted timber roof, an incredible space, sadly closed for refurbishment at the moment, but due to reopen in September of 2026. The staff are lovely and helpful to a fault, and there's even a nice little coffee shop, so one can sit and appreciate the architecture with a...