World Museum Liverpool Your thoughts on the Museum?

LeeMac13

Well-Known Member
Just wondered what peoples opinions where on the Museum, its collection past or present and if you feel any improvements or changes need to be made?
 
It's been a couple of years since I visited. I was slightly disappointed by the aquarium, as the tanks' decorations looked a bit synthetic and I was hoping for some larger tanks - perhaps that's unfair and I ought to visit again soon.
I remember the old aquarium, which was at ground level, very clearly. The design was unusual as most of the tanks were the same size, relatively deep and viewed end-on, giving really interesting opportunities for aquascaping. I particularly remember the shoal of minnows in the native section, a big conger eel in the native marines and then a lovely display of discus and some huge bleeding-heart tetras among the tropicals. I think Gordon McGregor Reid was the supervisor when it was first opened.

Alan
 
The 'new' aquarium is very poor. They advertised it to be on a smaller scale to Sea-life or Blueplanet, and I went just after it opened, and was very disappointed.
Even the bug section is under par, very minimal on the animals on show too, nothing special there neither. I think if your not prepared to do a good job on something, is it worth bothering in the first place?
 
Iv been visiting the museum regularly for the last 20 odd years and most say i prefered the layout of the old musuem than that of its modern counterpart.
 
Visited the Museum again today for the first time in a while. And again found it to be disapointing. It seems to be getting made smaller or smaller or space not being used correctly. The aquarium seems also to have changed but not for the better and the specimens kept both alive and dead have decreased dramtically in recent years across all of the floors.

Just wondered if anybody else had visited recently to give their opinions.
 
I had to be in Liverpool today, so I spent some time in the Museum. The first two tanks in the aquarium were empty for refurbishment: if I remember correctly they used to hold coral fishes and I presume that they will do so again. The other exhibits looked rather tired, with elderly fishes and out of date labels. The best specimens were a nice group of greater pipefishes and a dragonet, although they looked rather cramped in their exhibits.
The bugs display is newer and much better, with a decent range of species and some good models and educational displays - some of the adults trembled when the giant model spider started to vibrate its web over their heads :)
Some of my photos should appear eventually.
 
I visited last year, and I thought the aquarium was alright (this was my first visit so I have no memories of the old aquarium) and the mammal displays seemed good enough. Does anyone know the subspecies of lion used in the diorama with the zebra? The final part for me, which was the dinosaurs was disappointing - the megalosaurus/neovenator (not sure which one it was) looked cool but the allosaurus and camptosaurus display was horrible - the models accompanying the casts looked straight out of the 1920s, but I don't know how old the mounts are so I can't say much without previous knowledge.
 
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