Attractions · Heritage · Museums
Western Approaches Museum
by Western Approaches (Big Heritage)
Western Approaches Museum is at 1–3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, run by Western Approaches (Big Heritage). It lasts about 1.5 hours. Daily: 10am–6pm, last entry 5pm.
Booking is with Western Approaches (Big Heritage). Old Town Liverpool does not sell tickets.
The secret bunker beneath Derby House from which the Battle of the Atlantic was run. You walk through the hidden rooms and offices, see the tools used to track enemy convoys, one of only two surviving wartime phones with a direct line to the War Cabinet in London, and the Operations Room, kept as it was when its doors closed on 15 August 1945.
A self-guided visit takes about an hour and a half.
What you see
- The Operations Room as it was in 1945
- Direct line to the War Cabinet one of two surviving phones
- Hidden rooms
Opening hours
- Daily
- 10am–6pm, last entry 5pm
Where it is
1–3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags
1–3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 8SZ
On this spot
What was here before
Western Approaches Command moved into Derby House on 7 February 1941 and ran the defence of Atlantic shipping from its bunker until 15 August 1945. The reinforced core was too costly to demolish, opened as a museum in 1993, and has been restored by Big Heritage since 2017.
- 1941
Western Approaches Command moves into Derby House on 7 February.
- 1945
The command closes on 15 August.
- 1993
The bunker opens to the public.
- 2017
Big Heritage takes over and restores the site.
Old Town Time Meter
32/100
Established
- Time on this spot85 years, since 1941 (wartime command bunker)11/40
- Age of the present building85 years, built 19419/20
- Layers of history4 documented chapters12/15
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.
Make a day of it
Where to eat before or after
Restaurants and pubs close by, each with its own Old Town Liverpool guide.
And in the evening
What's on in Liverpool
More things to do
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Good to know
About Western Approaches Museum
When is Western Approaches Museum open?
Daily: 10am–6pm, last entry 5pm.
Where is Western Approaches Museum?
At 1–3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, 1–3 Rumford Street, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 8SZ.
How long does Western Approaches Museum take?
About 1.5 hours.
Where can I eat near Western Approaches Museum?
Close to the start point you can try The Denbigh Castle, Ye Hole in Ye Wall and Moose Coffee (Dale Street).
Times and prices are taken from each operator's own published information and can change. Old Town Liverpool does not sell tickets; please confirm with the operator before you travel. Last checked 9 October 2026.