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Planning your visit to the Beatles' Childhood Homes

Five visitors outside the brick front of Paul McCartney's childhood home, of 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool.
Visitors on a tour of 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool, childhood home of Paul McCartney | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

This tour is the only way to get inside the childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney. Lots of other tours will take you to look at the outside but this is the only way to see inside the unique places where John and Paul grew up and the Beatles were born. Find out more about how to book and plan your visit.

How to book

Please make sure you select the correct pickup location when booking.

  • Tours at 10.05am and 10.45am leave from bus stand 2 at Liverpool South Parkway station.
  • Tours at 1.30pm and 2.10pm leave from Speke Hall.

If you would prefer to book over the phone or your booking includes tickets for wheelchair users, carers or children under 5, please call 0344 249 1895.

We recommend booking well in advance, especially if you're planning to visit during peak times of the year such as July and August. Spaces are limited to 15 people per tour and tickets can sell out quickly. If you're planning a trip to Liverpool specially to take this tour, please book as far in advance as possible.

Tickets are non-refundable as we cannot guarantee we will be able to re-sell your ticket. To cancel your booking, please call our booking team on 0344 249 1895. To change the date or time of your booking, you can do this through your online account up to 24 hours before your booked timeslot. Please see your booking confirmation email for instructions.

Book your visit

10.05am and 10.45am tours

To check availability and book your place on a tour at 10.05am or 10.45am, click here. Your pickup location will be bus stand 2 at Liverpool South Parkway.

1.30pm and 2.10pm tours

To check availability and book your place on a tour at 1.30pm or 2.10pm, click here. Your pickup location will be Speke Hall.*

*On selected dates such as Bank Holidays, all tours will depart from South Parkway. Please check the booking system to ensure you are booking your preferred departure point.

Accessibility

Wheelchair users are very welcome to join a tour. The upstairs of 20 Forthlin Road and Mendips are not wheelchair accessible unfortunately, however we have photographs of the upstairs rooms for you to enjoy as part of your visit. To book your visit as a wheelchair user, you'll need to call us on 0344 249 1895.

Guidebooks

We're unable to sell guidebooks on the tour. If you would like a guidebook, please simply select the guidebooks option when booking your tickets and they'll be waiting for you when you start the tour.

Changing your booking

If you set up an account when you made your booking, you will be able to amend the date/time of your booking online up to 24 hours before the date of your visit, or by calling 0344 249 1895

If you are a member and can no longer attend, please let us know by giving us a call on 0344 249 1895

Meeting for your tour

Where does my tour leave from?

The 10.05am and 10.45am tours depart from bus stand 2 at Liverpool South Parkway train station, which is 2.5 miles north of Speke Hall and easily accessible from the city centre by train (approx. 13 mins). The 1.30pm and 2.10pm tours depart from Speke Hall, a National Trust property which is 7 miles south of the city centre, next to Liverpool Airport. Please see 'How to get here' on the homepage for more information.

Where do I need to wait for my tour?

Please be at your departure point 15 minutes before your tour time. Tours will depart at their set start time and latecomers will not be permitted access to the houses.

If your tour departs from Speke Hall, please ask the members of staff in reception and they'll show you where the bus picks up from.

If your tour departs from Liverpool South Parkway, please wait at bus stand 2. Our minibus driver will meet you there.

What do I need to bring with me?

Your booking reference number and, if you're a National Trust member, proof of your membership. You can show your reference number on a phone or tablet, as a printout of your confirmation email or just written down, the choice is yours!

Can I meet the tour at the houses instead of taking the minibus?

No, everyone must arrive on our minibus. Both houses are in residential neighbourhoods and we must carefully manage entry to the houses so as not to cause disruption to the neighbourhoods. Tours will depart at their set start time and latecomers will not be permitted access to the houses.

While on the tour

How long does the tour last?

Approximately 2 hours. Every tour slot spends the same amount of time at both houses.

Can I leave my bag on the bus?

Sorry, there's no space on the bus to store belongings. You'll have to take everything with you on the tour. Space is limited at the houses so your bags, cameras etc will be stored safely in a locked space at each house. Please note that we don't have the space available to store large bags and suitcases so please don't bring them with you on the tour.

Can I bring food and drink?

Food and drink cannot be taken into the houses, so we advise you to finish drinks and place any disposable cups in bins provided at Speke Hall or Liverpool South Parkway before you begin the tour.

Can I take photographs?

Unfortunately photography isn't allowed inside the houses for copyright reasons. There's some time at each house for you to take pictures outside though. You also have the option of purchasing a guidebook when booking your ticket, which will be ready for you to pick up when arrive. We're currently unable to sell guidebooks at the houses.

Can I bring my dog?

Sorry we can't allow dogs on the tour, except for assistance dogs.

Kitchen, Mendips, Liverpool, John Lennon's childhood home

Book your visit

Please note you need to book tickets for a combined tour of the Beatles' Childhood Homes in advance.

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The facade of Paul McCartney's childhood home, 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool
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Inside the childhood homes of the Beatles 

Book a guided tour to explore the birthplace of the Beatles as you visit the childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney in Liverpool. See where they rehearsed many of their earliest songs.