Western Approaches Reviews Summary

Staff and Volunteers

Pros:

• "Staff are very helpful and friendly providing assistance where appropriate."
• "The volunteers who run it are very friendly, polite and dedicated."
• "Staff very welcoming."
• "The staff were the most friendly and helpful people you could come across, with a great depth of knowledge, which made the visit so memorable."
• "Staff made them feel special at start and beginning."
• "The staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful and the ticket price reasonable and lasts for 12 months - so you can go back for free in that time."
• "Staff are really helpful."

Cons:

• "Don't book here as staff are quick to take your money but don't allow you in if they have school tours and they don't tell u if they have a school tour."
• "No-one there to give you more info other than the girl on entrance desk."
• "Spoke to the guide who shrugged his shoulders, our friend spoke to one of their teachers who basically said what can you do?"
• "They had actors in who hadn't a clue about anything about the place or the role they were playing."

Museum Experience

Pros:

• "A true gem of a museum."
• "This place is fantastic, such a lovely experience."
• "Best museum experience ever."
• "Absolutely loved the museum, we were down from Glasgow and had been recommended to go and it was well worth it."
• "Really interesting interactive museum. It is a bunker from the Second World War in which you can learn a lot of facts about this period."
• "Had a really interesting morning here, well worth a visit for all ages. Lots of hands-on things for children and adults."
• "Great Sunday afternoon spent at Western Approaches."

Cons:

• "was a let down. I am surprised it has had such good reviews TBH. No atmosphere. Nothing interactive. Could be vastly improved on."
• "Although this was very interesting I feel like there could have been more interactive displays and simpler explanations of what specifically was going on in each room."
• "Even though it is supposedly in the original headquarters it is full of anachronistic details and it is not clear what belonged to the place, what is recreated and what is fake."
• "The museum fails to tell a coherent story."

Educational Value

Pros:

• "If you like WW2 history this is definitely worth a visit."
• "This is where the Battle of the Atlantic was controlled from."
• "Very thorough exhibit on the very important activities undertaken here during World War 2."
• "A fascinating way to spend a couple of hours."
• "To stand in the Operations Room, not a mock-up, but the ACTUAL room itself, was incredible."
• "Very interesting to learn about Liverpool's role in WWII and naval operations in the Atlantic."
• "The very place where movements of U Boats, merchant supply ships, Navy escort vessels and defence aircraft were monitored and co-ordinated."

Cons:

• "Museum could do with a little more explanation about what happened there and how they worked, perhaps more photos would have brought their work to life."
• "The sad part of the story of this museum is that the original space was about three times larger, but the space was filled in and paved over for a parking lot."

Accessibility and Facilities

Pros:

• "Very secure, covid wise, with a one way system, sanitiser stations and some pretty spacious areas."
• "We felt really safe during our visit as the tour is based on a one-way system and there is hand sanitiser available through the building."
• "Cups of tea and biscuits are available for free in the canteen at the end of the tour."

Cons:

• "I wasn't told on entering that there would be any stairs."
• "One issue there is no wheelchair access and allot of steps."
• "Having finished work early and gone into town to visit Western Approaches for the first time yesterday, I was very disappointed to be turned away at 3.25PM."
• "Google reviews said it was open. Closed until 1st march 2016. You would think it would be open on a rainy winter saturday. What a wasted journey."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "The ticket price reasonable and lasts for 12 months - so you can go back for free in that time."
• "Got an annual pass so will more than likely go again. Good value especially for seniors and Blue light card holders."
• "Helpful, friendly staff and extremely good value annual passes."
• "Prices are fair considering it is run on donations with no help from government."
• "Tickets are valid for a year so will definitely be back for another visit."
• "Great value as well pay once and you can visit as many times as you want then for another 13 months."
• "Your entrance ticket is valid for a year too!"

Cons:

• "Only let down would be the gift shop is pretty poor, not loads to buy."
• "It looks more like a ragman shop."
• "This was reasonable, but as a private (I assume un-subsidised) museum, it cannot compete in value terms with the free public museums."
• "The tickets were a bit pricey but I don't think they have any other funding."
• "Not impressed, and definitely not worth the entry price of 14 GBP."