International Slavery Museum

The International Slavery Museum is located on the upper floors of the Merseyside Maritime Museum building at Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool, England. It opened in 2007, on Slavery Remembrance Day on 23 August, and is the only national museum in the United Kingdom dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy. Liverpool was the leading British slaving port in the eighteenth century, and the museum addresses that history directly. Admission is free, with donations welcomed. The displays move through three broad themes. Life in West Africa before European contact presents the culture, art and trading societies of the region. Enslavement and the Middle Passage covers the capture, transport and sale of Africans, with objects such as shackles, ship models and accounts from people who survived. Legacy and resistance explores abolition, revolt, racism and the struggle for civil rights, and also celebrates African and Caribbean contributions to music, sport and public life. Audio and film are used in many sections, and the tone is serious, so visitors should allow time for reflection. A typical visit lasts one to two hours. Galleries can be emotionally demanding, and a quiet seating area is provided. Weekday mornings in term time are the calmest, while school groups often visit mid-week. Because the museum is within the Maritime Museum, visitors can easily see both in one outing; the Maritime Museum's Transatlantic Slavery gallery sets out Liverpool's mercantile context. Photography rules vary by display and are posted at entrances, and some films or objects may not be photographed. The Royal Albert Dock location offers cafes and benches outside for decompression afterwards. The museum is about ten to fifteen minutes on foot from Liverpool Central and James Street stations. Educational programmes, talks and temporary exhibitions run through the year, and the museum shop stocks books by African and Caribbean authors.