Liverpool City Hall

The town hall, in Liverpool

The town hall of Liverpool is a majestic Georgian building with a colonnaded pediment and a dome, witness of the history of the city. The Liverpool audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this building designed by John Wood, architect of Bath, rebuilt after the fire of 1795, whose dome crowned with the statue of Minerva was added by James Wyatt, great master of English Gothic.

The Georgian building with the dome of Minerva

This majestic building, with its colonnaded pediment and its fine dome, is the town hall of Liverpool. It is owed to John Wood, the famous architect of the city of Bath, who drew the plans of this sublime Georgian building. But in 1795, a fire ravaged the building, that had to be partly rebuilt. It is then that James Wyatt, immense architect of English Gothic, added the dome surmounted by the statue of Minerva, who, let us recall, is in Roman mythology the goddess of elevated thought, wisdom and reflected and strategic war. Today, the façade of the building impresses and was entirely renovated in 2015 to revive its past splendour. But the town hall is not there only to look pretty: it has lived great hours and was the witness of key moments of history. It is here, on its balcony, that illustrious personalities were received, and that receptions, banquets and great ceremonies of the city took place. Inside unfold sumptuous state rooms, crystal chandeliers, gilding and refined decorations, among the finest Georgian interiors of the country. Symbol of the prosperity of Liverpool at the time of its port grandeur, the town hall remains the seat of the city council and a high place of the heritage of the city. A Georgian building and a municipal seat, the town hall is a fine stop of the discovery of Liverpool.

What to see

Here you admire a majestic Georgian town hall with a colonnaded pediment and a dome, designed by John Wood of Bath, rebuilt after the fire of 1795; James Wyatt added the dome crowned with the statue of Minerva, goddess of wisdom. Renovated in 2015, it shelters sumptuous state rooms among the finest of the country. The town hall is a symbol of the prosperity of Liverpool. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The town hall of Liverpool lies in the centre, near the business district, reachable on foot. You admire its façade from the street; the interior is visited during open days or guided tours whose hours and conditions vary. It is best to enquire before coming. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Who designed the town hall of Liverpool?

The architect John Wood, famous for his achievements in Bath, drew its plans in a Georgian style; after the fire of 1795, James Wyatt, great master of English Gothic, rebuilt it partly and added the dome surmounted by the statue of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom. Renovated in 2015, it shelters sumptuous state rooms and remains the seat of the city council.

Where is the town hall in Liverpool?

In the centre of Liverpool, near the business district, in England.