What to do and see in Wirral, England: The Best Free Things to do

The Black Pearl is an interactive artwork to be enjoyed by all age groups it has been created and maintained by a small group of pasionate pirates. Allow your imagination to soar or just absorb the work and detail in the carefully selected driftwood and ships ropes. There are many sculptures and carvings to be found on and around the ship . If your lucky you may even find treasure in her treasure chest. The golden sands surrounding The Pearl are cleaned every day and perfect for the children to play on. The area of Cosy Cove is loved and treasured by the local community who always keep a close eye on her. Pirates At Art

On Easter Monday 1847, the gates were opened to the very first publicly funded park in the world. Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton - Birkenhead Park was created to be the People's Garden - a place where the lowliest peasant to the British Monarch could stand together to enjoy a piece of the countryside in the middle of the city. In 1850, Fredrick Law Olmstead visited the park and with its inspiration, then went on to design and create what is arguably the most famous public park in the world - Central Park New York. In 2004 Birkenhead Park underwent an £11.8million restoration return it to its former glory. Today, Birkenhead Park is a Grade I listed landscape and carries the prestigious Green Heritage Award. It caters for all visitors with a number of sports such as Football, Cricket, Bowls, Angling and cycling, as well a visitors centre and access to some of the original structures around the park.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery is a real treasure, housing a stunning collection of paintings including many Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, the world's finest collection of Wedgwood jasperware, exquisite furniture, Chinese ceramics, tapestries and sculpture, Paintings on display include works by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Stubbs, Turner, Leighton, Millais, Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Holman Hunt and Waterhouse, to name but a few. Admission is free, booking essential at www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever

Birkenhead Priory is a unique family outing – experience the history, wonder and beauty of this 850 year old site. As the oldest standing building on Merseyside, the Priory offers a unique insight into the town of Birkenhead and its historical and spiritual importance in the development of Wirral. Now surrounded by factory units and shipyards, the Priory is an oasis of calm in a busy world and affords unrivalled views of the river and surrounding area. The Chapter House is consecrated as a Church of England chapel hosts regular church services as well as Baptisms, Weddings and Funeral. The Scriptorium is the home of the Friends of HMS Conway. The Conway was a training ship which formerly stood in the River Mersey off Rock Ferry. The Undercroft houses a small museum tells that the story of the medieval Priory. Above the Undercroft is the Refectory, now covered with an award winning roof. Today visit the refectory to dress up or complete some grave rubbings. St Mary's, the first parish church of Birkenehead (1821), survives now as only a tower and spire, having been demolished in the 1970’s. This late-Georgian church ruin, with cast iron tracery in the surviving windows, is available to climb the 101 stairs to give unrivalled views across the River Mersey. The tower is now dedicated as a memorial to the 99 men lost in the 1939 disaster aboard the Laird's built submarine HMS Thetis.

Wirral Transport Museum & Heritage Tramway is a working museum and working heritage tramway preserving Buses, Trams & other local transport related vehicles We are open every weekend from 1pm (Saturday & Sunday) and during school holidays we are open Wednesday, Thursday & Friday plus every Bank Holiday Monday. you can ride on original fully restored heritage trams, see our collection of preserved local Buses and in the museum our ongoing restoration projects and a huge working Model Railway. A HISTORY OF BIRKENHEAD TRAMWAYS Back when Birkenhead was a pioneering industrial town it was the first place in Europe to adopt a street tramway. Those trams ceased operating in 1937, but in 1995 they were revived and you can now travel on one of a series of historic vehicles and experience tram travel for yourself. Trams dating from as early as 1901 operate to make the short journey from Woodside to the Wirral Transport Museum, where you can view the rest of the fleet - tram cars from Birkenhead, Liverpool, Wallasey and a recently restored car from Lisbon, Portugal. The Museum is a proud winner of the Wirral Unsung Hero of The Year 2012 with their volunteers. The transport collection was created as a celebration of Birkenhead's place in the history of public transport, and set up in collaboration with the volunteers of the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, who restore old trams. In addition to trams, the museum houses a collection of local buses in running order and a group of cars and motorbikes from the Baxter Collection. There is also a 27 foot long model railway layout. Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society Limited is a Registered Charity . No. 1092127.