Cultural Quarter · Lime Street
William Brown Street
Until the mid-19th century this was Shaw's Brow, a coaching road out of the city. It was renamed after William Brown, the MP and philanthropist who paid for the library and museum that opened here in 1860; the Walker Art Gallery followed in 1877, the Picton Reading Room in 1879 and the Hornby Library in 1906.
- Former name
- Shaw's Brow
- Named after
- William Brown, MP
- Heritage
- Grade II* library buildings and Walker Art Gallery
- Admission
- Library, World Museum and Walker are free
The road climbing east from the old town was Shaw’s Brow, a coaching route out of Liverpool. It took its present name from William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist, who funded the building that opened here in 1860 as the William Brown Library and Museum, designed by the corporation surveyor John Weightman. Some 400,000 people came to the opening.
The street became the city’s cultural quarter. The Walker Art Gallery, given by the brewer and former mayor Andrew Barclay Walker and designed by Cornelius Sherlock and H. H. Vale, opened on 6 September 1877. The circular Picton Reading Room followed in 1879 and the Hornby Library in 1906.
In May 1941 a bomb left the museum burnt to a shell; parts reopened about fifteen years later, and after a £35 million refurbishment it was renamed World Museum in 2005. The Central Library reopened on 17 May 2013 after a rebuild by Austin-Smith:Lord that added a glass-domed atrium and a roof terrace. The library buildings and the Walker are Grade II* listed.
- 1860
The William Brown Library and Museum opens.
- 1877
The Walker Art Gallery opens on 6 September.
- 1879
The Picton Reading Room opens.
- 1906
The Hornby Library is added.
- 1941
A bomb burns the museum to a shell in May.
- 2005
The museum reopens fully as World Museum.
- 2013
The rebuilt Central Library opens on 17 May.
How much history this place holds
The Old Town Time Meter
Old Town Time Meter
75/100
Landmark
- Time on this spot166 years, since 1860 (William Brown Library and Museum)22/40
- Age of the present building166 years, built 186017/20
- Layers of history7 documented chapters15/15
- Heritage protectionGrade II* listed11/15
- Continuity166 years in the same use (library and museum)10/10
Part of the historic district of William Brown Street · district meter 69/100, Landmark
An index of the documented time and history held by this place, part of Old Town Liverpool's Quantum Energy Mapping. How it is measured.
Old Town Liverpool guides
With the story behind the building
Make an evening of it
What's on nearby
Things to do
Tours that start nearby
- Bus tours · Sightseeing from £15 per adult City Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- Beatles · Bus tours from £20 per adult Beatles Explorer Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- River cruises · Sightseeing from £14 per adult Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise Mersey Ferries Times, prices & meeting point
Sources: Wikipedia: William Brown Street; Wikipedia: Liverpool Central Library; Wikipedia: World Museum; Wikipedia: Walker Art Gallery; Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 16 October 2026.