- Page 1 - The Beatles Trail Tour in Liverpool, Part I Liverpool is called the Beatles Capital because it is the birthplace of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Star. There are many Beatles-themed bars and restaurants, hotels and associated places. Don't miss the chance to visit some of the most interesting attractions: Guide Location: England» Liverpool # of Attractions: 12 Tour Duration: 3 hour(s) Travel Distance: 5.6 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Liverpool. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit https://www.gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) The Beatles Story B) Fab4D - The Beatles Story C) Hard Days Night Beatles Boutique Hotel D) Mathew Street E) Mathew Street Art Gallery F) Statue of Eleanor Rigby G) Bluecoat Chambers Art Centre H) Jacaranda I) Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and The Liverpool College of Art J) Gambier Terrace K) Maternity Hospital L) 38 Kensington Road - Page 1 -
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- Page 5 - A) The Beatles Story (must see) The Beatles Story is a museum where you can get in touch with the very beginning of the band's history, starting in the late 1950s. It is situated in Albert Dock. A large amount of exhibition space is dedicated exclusively to the band and its four young lads. Your themed adventure will start with audio guides narrated by Paul McCartney, where he tells you how he first met John Lennon, and by Julia Lennon, who discloses the Living History of the band. You'll follow the Beatles in their hometown, to Germany and the Star Club, back to Liverpool in the famous Cavern Club and the next stops: London, USA and USSR. In addition, you can visit the "Going Solo" halls, the interactive Discovery Zone, FAB4STORE-1 with a multitude of souvenirs and merchandise for you and your family, the specially-designed Starbucks Coffeehouse and even see some of the band's original instruments. Address: Britannia Vaults, Albert Dock, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and David Poblador B) Fab4D - The Beatles Story (must see) Fab4D is the second site of the Beatles Story, situated at the famous area of Pier Head in the Mersey Ferries Terminal, along with the Three Graces of Liverpool: Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building. Fab4D offers a unique experience. The 4D theatre will take you on a excursion through the Beatles' history. The greatest hits of the band accompany you on the journey, combined with the latest in animation technology, visual effects and computer graphics. It was directed by the Red Star 3D company, which won the "Best Children's Film Award" at the Stuttgart Animation Festival 2008. Besides Fab4D you can enjoy some special exhibitions: "White Feather: the Spirit of Lennon" and the "U.S. Memorabilia" which displays rare 1960s American memorabilia. You can also visit the 2nd FAB4STORE. Address: PierHead, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of The Beatles Story - Page 5 -
- Page 6 - C) Hard Days Night Beatles Boutique Hotel Be sure to stop at the greatest Beatles-themed hotel, called Hard Days Night. It is a Grade II listed building with a classic decor which dates to 1884. It is an elegant edifice decorated with artists' statues. There are even 2 special rooms for Beatles' fans: Lennon Suite and McCartney Suite. Also remarkable is the stairway adorned with exclusive Beatles photographs and other memorabilia, like a Yellow Submarine jukebox in the hotel's lobby. The music never stops and it contributes to the special atmosphere. Do not miss Hari's Bar - you will discover many of Ringo's photos and other interesting objects. Address: 26 N John Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Flickr and puptoes74 D) Mathew Street Mathew Street is an unassuming side road in Liverpool city centre that houses a world famous musical attraction the Cavern Club, the city s most famous music venue and a place forever associated with the Beatles. The Liverpudlian four piece, considered by many to be the world s greatest ever band, played at the venue several times in their early years. As a result, the street is visited by thousands of tourists each year, and is the centre of the Cavern Quarter, a bohemian area of arcades filled with must see attractions for Beatles fans. In addition to the Cavern Club, which is still a hugely popular night-time venue, the street hosts a music festival each August. The largest free festival in Europe, the Mathew Street Festival plays host to dozens of tribute bands with a Beatles act usually headlining. The street is also notable for the Grapes pub, often frequented by the Fab Four, and an unusual statue by Arthur Dooley, depicting the four band members in a religious pose. The statue, built into the wall on Mathew Street, bears the inscription Four Lads who Shook the World. The street was also believed to be visited by renowned philosopher Carl Jung; a plaster statue of the great Swiss thinker also stands on the street. Address: Mathew Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Man vyi - Page 6 -
- Page 7 - E) Mathew Street Art Gallery A hidden gem for fans is the Mathew Street Art Gallery. It specializes in Lennon's art, displaying some of his works: "Poet," "Power To The People," "Everyday In Every Way," and "Sleepless Night." Also at the gallery you will find framed prints made by Yoko Ono, as well as Astrid Kircherr's and Klaus Vormann's photos and prints. There are no permanent exhibitions at the Mathew Street Art Gallery (they change occasionally) and every time they try to offer something special. All objects are available for sale with prices ranging from 400 to 6000. You can also visit the Beatle Shop, located nearby. Address: 31 Mathew Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Flickr and Cap'n Jo F) Statue of Eleanor Rigby The Statue of Eleanor Rigby can be found on the pavement of Stanley Street, a couple of blocks from the Cavern Club on Mathew Street. A sculpture of an apparently middle aged woman, wearing a head scarf and holding a hand bag, it is placed on a bench with a space for visitors to sit next to it. Dedicated to all the lonely people of Liverpool, it was crafted, remarkably enough, by English entertainer Tommy Steele, who had a lesser known talent for sculpture. London-based performer Steele donated the statue to Liverpool out of fondness for performing in the city. He claims to have placed a number of items inside the sculpture, including a four leafed clover, a football sock and a page of the Bible. The statue is of course a tribute to the Beatles hit song Eleanor Rigby. Released in 1966, it was a No.1 hit in the UK. The title character is portrayed as a melancholy soul, reflected in her solitary, bedraggled appearance in Steele s sculpture. Eleanor Rigby is a fictional character, though the name has been found on a gravestone in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton. The real Eleanor Rigby died in 1939, and her tomb has become an attraction for many Beatles fans visiting the city. Address: Stanley Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Benkid77 - Page 7 -
- Page 8 - G) Bluecoat Chambers Art Centre (must see) The Bluecoat is a Grade I listed building and claims to be the oldest arts centre in Great Britain. It was built as a residential charity school by Bryan Blundell. Construction began in 1716. The school moved to another site in 1906, and since then the building has been used as an arts centre. In 1925 a charitable trust, the Bluecoat Society of Arts, was set up to run the building. Over the years the Bluecoat has hosted a range of cultural and arts-associated events. These have included art exhibitions, debates, discussions, public meetings and campaigns, poetry readings, musical concerts and recitals, and cultural lectures. It has held book, record, and antiques fairs and became a centre for working artists and craftspeople. Some of the events have continued to hold a place in arts history. In 1911, a controversial Post-Impressionist exhibition took place, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, and Van Gogh, this being the first UK exhibition of these artists outside London. Address: School Lane, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Arthur John Picton. Sight description based on Wikipedia. H) Jacaranda A famed music bar founded by the first manager of the Beatles, Allan Williams, the Jacaranda is another must-see spot on the tour. Jacaranda, or simply Jac, is the place where the famous band used to rehearse, play and hang out. It is a small themed bar, with great drinks and endless Beatles tunes. The walls are filled with photos of the band, Cilla Black and Brian Epstein, the Quarrymen and other related people. There are lots of prints and memorabilia inside. Pay attention to the drum kit hanging on the wall and the stage on which the Beatles played. Address: 23 Slater Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Irate - Page 8 -
- Page 9 - I) Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and The Liverpool College... Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a renowned local institute as well the place where Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Mike McCartney and Ivan Vaughan (the person who introduced Paul McCartney to John Lennon) studied. 1985 was the year of LIPA's closure, but in 1996, under McCartney's sponsorship, it was reopened. Adjacent to the Institute for Performing Arts is the Liverpool College of Art, whose notable alumni include John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe and Cynthia Lennon. Address: Upper Duke Street and Hope Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and D.pendleton J) Gambier Terrace Gambier Terrace is a row of Georgian era townhouses which overlook Liverpool s Anglican Cathedral. The buildings are widely credited as the work of Liverpudlian architect John Foster, and were built between 1832 and 1837. Numbers 1 to 10 are the only houses built to his original specifications, and are Grade II* listed as a result. Gambier Terrace lies in the heart of what is formally known as the Rodney Street conversation area. Known to locals as the Canning area, it includes Rodney Street, Hope Street and the area around the Anglican Cathedral. Gambier Terrace is owned by Liverpool City Council, but is still residential and not open to the public. The terrace can be best enjoyed on a walking tour of this area s other historic sites, including the John Foster designed Oratory, Liverpool Cathedral, St. James Mount and Gardens, and 59 Rodney Street. The gardens that face the terrace are a public park, and are an excellent spot to enjoy a view of the buildings. Gambier Terrace has featured on the silver screen; Gumshoe, a 1971 detective comedy starring Albert Finney, was set on the street. Address: Rodney Street and Canning Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and John Bradley - Page 9 -
- Page 10 - K) Maternity Hospital John Lennon was born on 9 October 1940, at 6:30 p.m. in Liverpool's Maternity Hospital at Oxford Street. A German air raid took place that day. His mother gave him a combined name: John Winston Ono Lennon, named after his grandfather, John "Jack" Lennon and Winston Churchill. A plaque adorns the wall of the Maternity Hospital to memorialize his birth. Address: Oxford Street, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Flickr and mills70 L) 38 Kensington Road If you want to see the birthplace of the Beatles' initial band the Quarrymen, then the studio at 38 Kensington Road is the place to go. The Quarrymen, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lowe and Colin Hanton made their first recording here, directly onto a record. It included only two songs: "That'll Be The Day" and McCartney's first song, "In Spite Of All The Danger." This disc was the only one recorded in their hometown. On the 26th of August, 2005, near the entrance of the studio, a blue plaque was established which commemorates this historic recording. Address: 38 Kensington Road, Liverpool, England Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Irate - Page 10 -