National Waterways Museum

The National Waterways Museum is housed on an attractive seven-acre site, that was previously a thriving canal dock.

The handsome Victorian buildings that house the Museum’s displays sit amidst a scene of locks and moorings, vibrant with historic and visiting narrowboats and rich with canal wildlife. Designed by Thomas Telford under the direction of William Jessop, the docks at Ellesmere Port were still in use as late as the 1950s. The locks, docks, warehouses and workers cottages are still present and may be visited by the public.

How to get to the National Waterways Museum

Road
From junction 9 on the M53 follow brown signs for ‘The Boat Museum’.

Train
Ellesmere Port – 10 mins walk. There is a Merseyrail half-hourly service from central Liverpool and stations on the Wirral.

Bike
The towpath alongside the Shropshire Union Canal runs right up to the museum.

Bus
Ellesmere Port bus station – 20 mins walk. There are a wide range of services including from Caernarfon, Chester, Liverpool, Neston, Runcorn and Wirral.

For full details about local bus and train services please visit Mersey Travel journey planner.