Photo of National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port in North West1 / 3
Museums & Landmarks

National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port

๐Ÿ“ Ellesmere Port, North West

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โ˜…4.6(2,089 Google reviews)๐Ÿ‘ถAll ages

Seven-acre museum spanning restored Grade II listed dockyard buildings, interactive narrowboat exhibits, a waterways playground, and seasonal boat trips along the Shropshire Union Canal. Dog-friendly throughout with free parking and a waterside cafe.

โœ“ Dog friendlyโœ“ Working exhibitsโœ“ Boat tripsโœ“ Free parkingโœ“ Accessibleโœ“ Historic dockyard

๐Ÿ† Funzaroo Verdict

Best for families who enjoy industrial heritage and outdoor exploration - the working blacksmith and live engines captivate older kids, the waterways playground holds younger ones. Boat trips book up fast on summer weekends, so reserve online. Dog owners can bring pets on leads throughout all seven acres.

โ„น๏ธ What to Know Before You Go

๐Ÿ’กBook boat trips online in advance - they sell out on peak days
โฐReserve a blacksmith lesson at the front desk on arrival
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธBring a picnic - plenty of waterside benches available
๐Ÿš—Dogs welcome on leads across all seven acres

๐Ÿ’ฌ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews โ†’
4.6
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2,089 Google reviews

5โ˜…
1,441
4โ˜…
492
3โ˜…
103
2โ˜…
23
1โ˜…
30

G Reviews from Google

M

Maggie Savidge

8 months ago

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โ€œAbsolutely loved it here! Great day out for families AND dog friendly (must be kept on a lead). There is a cafe, reasonably priced & food & coffee were good. Service was a little slow, but it was quite busy. It has a 5* food hygiene rating. There are plenty of picnic benches if you wish to take a picnic. The museum itself is very interesting, has lots of exhibits you can interact with. Plenty of toilets, which were clean, tidy and well equipped. Staff were pleasant, polite and helpful. Large free car park, with disabled spaces. The museum and cafe are wheelchair friendly. Gift shop with good choice of merchandise, but a little expensive. There are boat rides available, but they were sold out when we arrived (they had a special offer on for free admission with a lottery ticket). Highly recommended day out if you're into history or boats!โ€

V

Viola z My British Journey

8 months ago

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โ€œA weekend visit, and quite a success. The museum is truly well-organized, with numerous artifacts and information not only about the history of inland navigation but also about the entire Wirral region. It's an ideal place to learn about the region's history. In summer, the canal itself is certainly bustling with life, and you can watch the barges passing by. I definitely recommend visiting the museum on a sunny day. Outside, there's a large playground and benches, indicating that after the education, it's time for fun and relaxation.โ€

K

Kerami Roberts

a year ago

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โ€œNicely done Canals and River Trust! A nicely laid out and well maintained collection of buildings and cool stuff where access is really nicely done.. Lots of info on web Yes, some places hard to get to in wheelchair but plenty to do and see that was easy to access. I was SO CHUFFED that the Friendship narrow boat was all ramped up and easy for me to get on it! This is rare! Information was often contained in booklets with plain English and large text such as in the stores area. We really enjoyed how the museum was laid out... Outside area had lots of seating some in sun, some in shade so we could eat our (free!) picnic... Then gets cake to have at the cafe...โ€

๐Ÿ“Š Commonly mentioned in Google reviews

Based on Google review tags

Canal boats

71 reviews

Engines

42 reviews

Barges

32 reviews

Canals

29 reviews

Canal history

14 reviews

Overview

Spread across historic docks and locks, the museum preserves a boat hoist, working blacksmith (bookable lessons), an engine room with live demonstrations, and a fleet of restored narrowboats. Discovery trails suit toddlers through teens. Views extend across the Manchester Ship Canal. The waterside cafe holds a 5-star food hygiene rating, and picnic benches line the quayside for packed-lunch families.

๐Ÿ• Opening Hours

MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday10:00-16:00
Thursday10:00-16:00
Friday10:00-16:00
Saturday10:00-16:00
Sunday10:00-16:00

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