Skip to main content

Find us in the middle of the iconic Lord Street and just 3 minutes’ walk from Southport train station.

Exterior of The Atkinson on a sunny day

Opening Times

Box Office
Monday – Saturday. 10am – 4pm.
Open one hour before performance start times.

01704 533 333

Museum, Gallery & Shop
Monday – Saturday. 10am – 4pm.

A Great Little Place Café
Monday – Saturday. 10am – 4pm.

Southport Library
Monday – Friday. 10am – 5pm.
Saturday. 10am – 2pm.

Closed
The Atkinson is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The Museum will temporarily close from Monday 12 May to Friday 16 May for essential maintenance. We will re-open at 10am on Saturday 17 May. Caring for our collections and creating engaging displays for you to explore are our top priorities. We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you back very soon!

Address

The Atkinson,
Lord Street,
Southport
PR8 1DB

Getting here by Road

With a variety of road networks leading into Southport taking in some stunning views, it is easy to travel to Southport by car:

From the South, take the M6 to exit 26; the M58 will take you to Ormskirk and then take the A570 to Southport.

From the North, follow the A59 from Preston (exit 31 from the M6) and then follow the signs to Southport.

Parking at The Atkinson

The Atkinson does not have a car park.

There is on-road pay and display parking around Southport as well as a number of off-road car parks. After 6pm there is free on street parking available down Lord Street and throughout the town. For more detailed car parking information in Southport please visit the Sefton Council website.

If you hold a Blue Badge, you can park in either of the 2 designated parking spaces outside The Atkinson. These spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. Parking is only for The Atkinson visitors and not for general disabled parking for the town. Access is from the bollards outside Southport Town Hall, please press the button and a member of the team will let you in.

There is a coach drop of point just 100 yards from our main doors on Eastbank Street.

Travelling by Train

The nearest railway station is Southport which is approximately 3 minutes walk from the venue and has frequent services to and from Liverpool, Wigan, Manchester and further afield. Train times are available from the National Rail website nationalrail.co.uk.

Merseyrail run fast and frequent services between Liverpool South Parkway (for Liverpool John Lennon Airport), Liverpool City Centre and Southport. merseyrail.org

Northern Rail operates regular services to Southport from Manchester Airport, Manchester (Piccadilly, Oxford Road, and Victoria stations), Bolton and Wigan. Connecting services to / from the North East and Yorkshire are available at Manchester Piccadilly and from the North, Scotland and the South at Wigan. northernrailway.co.uk

Travelling by Bus or Coach

The nearest bus stop to The Atkinson is on Lord Street outside Christ Church.

Arriva Bus operate the local network, arrivabus.co.uk.

Merseytravel operate a number of bus services to and from Southport, merseytravel.gov.uk.

National Express coaches serve Southport from all major UK towns and cities, nationalexpress.com.

Travelling overseas via Aeroplane

With 3 airports less than an hour away, Southport is easily accessible by air:

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is one of the UK’s longest established operational airports, and is located 7 miles from Liverpool City Centre with major operators including KLM, Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is fully integrated into the North West’s Public transport system and located just ten minutes from the major motorway network making it easily accessible.

Blackpool International Airport offers passengers a congestion-freealternative for air travel in and out of the Northwest. It is conveniently located at the end of the M55 which links up with the M6 and has public transport links nearby.

Manchester International Airport is one of the UK’s most accessible international gateways operating to more than 200 destinations. You can connect to the airport via a number of options including train, coach and road links.

Donkey Riding on Southport Sands (1869) by W Watson. Atkinson Art Collection.