Liverpool's natural history and ethnographic museum is part of the great William Brown Street ensemble. The collection runs from dinosaur skeletons and an Egyptian gallery (including several mummies) to ethnographic material brought back by Liverpool's merchant ships from every continent. Upstairs there is a planetarium and a small but well-presented aquarium.
The building dates from 1860 but was rebuilt after wartime bombing. Entry is free, and it is one of the best rainy-day stops in the city for families. Allow at least half a day to do it justice.