Here are 25 historic Southport venues you can visit as the 2025 Heritage Open Days Festival takes place in Southport over the next nine days!
This popular annual event takes place from today (Friday, 12th September) to Sunday, 21st September 2025.
There are a number of tours and visits already available, including historic hotels, churches, theatres, parks, museums, and more.
This year’s festival is being organised by Southport Heritage Open Days Co-ordinator Heather Cook, with anyone keen to learn more about having their building involved in subsequent years invited to email her at: southport.hod@hotmail.com
Heather Cook said: “We have some amazing buildings which will be welcoming visitors during the festival.
“The Heritage Open Days Festival is a brilliant chance to get a behind the scenes look at some fascinating buildings in Southport.”
Southport Heritage Open Days Festival venues 2025:
1 – Theatre and Studio Open House
The Atkinson, Cambridge Hall, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1DB
18 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Ever wondered what The Atkinson’s theatre and studio spaces look like during the day? Come along and drop in to see the wonderful architecture of our building and how these spaces have changed throughout the years.
Southport Masonic Hall, Duke Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1LS
13 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
A rare opportunity to visit one of Southport’s hidden gems. Located on the corner of Duke Street and King Street.
3 – ‘Dan in Action’ – Meet the Artist sessions inspired by Southport’s Architecture
ArtHouse Gallery, 65 Eastbank Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1EJ
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
The ArtHouse Gallery is proud to showcase the work of Daniel Adler, whose art is inspired by Southport’s beautiful architecture. Join Daniel on his Meet the Artist sessions to watch him in action and find out more about his creative process.
4 – Holy Family Catholic Church Southport
Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, Brompton Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6AS
21 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Come and see inside our Church, formally opened in 1912. Most of our stained-glass windows were commissioned from John Hardman and Co. of Birmingham beginning in 1912. There are three more modern windows designed by Patrick Reyntiens in the mid-70s.
5 – HSBC Bank – Old Banking Memorabilia
331 Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1NJ
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
Explore the beautiful 19th Century architecture, inspired by the Roman Corinthian style, and enjoy the various photos, books and archive items on display, detailing the building’s history.
6 – Silcock’s Stories of Southport – Heritage Talks
Silcock’s Pier Restaurant, Pier Forecourt, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1QX
13 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking preferred
Join Serena Silcock-Prince and Justin Prescott to learn more about the history of Silcock Leisure in Southport, as well as Serena’s personal family history dating back to the early years of the town’s tourism industry.
7 – ‘One Family, Sixty Years’ – Stories of The Masters Putting Course
Pier Restaurant, Pier Forecourt, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1QX
13 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Join Charles Law at the Pier Restaurant to celebrate his family’s stories from their 60 years of running the Arnold-Palmer-designed Masters Putting Course on Kings Gardens.
Hesketh Park, Albert Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9LJ
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
Visit a genuine mid-Victorian wooden observatory containing a 6-inch aperture Cooke telescope manufactured in 1869, together with its original clockwork drive. The Observatory was installed in historic Hesketh Park in 1901.
9 – The Prince of Wales Hotel – Guided Tours
Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1JS
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking required
We are inviting our local community to join us for Guided Tours around our beautiful Grade II listed Prince of Wales Hotel on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th of September 2025 from 10:30am until 2pm. With the tours main theme of Architecture!
10 – St Philip & St Paul with Wesley, Southport
Scarisbrick New Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 6QF
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
St Philip and St Paul with Wesley is a Grade II listed building designed by the Manchester-based architect R.F. Tolson. It has stunning stained glass windows, woodwork, and alabaster font & pulpit. Building contains the best of old and new.
11 – St John’s Church, Crossens
St. Johns Church, Rufford Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8JA
20 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Crossens history in photos. Various displays. Everyone welcome!
12 – At The Cutting Edge – Unique Experience Tours at the British Lawnmower Museum
106-112 Shakespeare Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 5AJ
12 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking required
See the biggest, the smallest, the fastest, the most expensive, & ‘Lawnmowers of the Rich & Famous’ from King Charles & Princess Diana, Queen’s Royal Rock legend Brian May to Top Gear’s James May, and many mower!
Scarisbrick Mausoleum, 198 Rufford Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8JH
20 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
We will be opening the doors of this beautiful Grade II listed building to the public on Saturday 20th September 2025, one of the hidden gems of North Meols cared for by NW Heritage CIC & Friends of Scarisbrick Mausoleum.
14 – Marshside Fogbell
Adjacent to 176 Marshside Road, Marshside, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9SZ
13 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Opportunity to see and learn about the history of this small but unique building with a fascinating history, now in the stewardship of NW Heritage CIC and currently being restored.
15 – Tours of the Former Conservative Club, Stanley Street
Rickety’s, Stanley Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0BY
18 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Hidden between Bath Street & Lord Street lies the Members’ Entrance of the grand former Conservative Club, opened in 1934. Now a vintage store & soon-to-be coffee house, join Ricky for tours of this hidden architectural gem.
16 – The Clue Is In The Architecture Tour
Cambridge Hall, Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1DB
18 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking required
Join a walking tour of The Atkinson to uncover the architectural beauty and history of its three Grade II listed interconnected buildings. Explore their intricate details, both inside and out, while learning about their original purposes.
17 – Walking Tours of Kings Gardens
Kings Gardens, Promenade, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1QX
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking preferred
Discover the stories of Southport’s Kings Gardens with a family-friendly guided walking tour, from its Victorian origins through to the present day.
18 – Over 150 years of history at The Windmill pub
12-16 Seabank Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0EL
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
Pre-dating St Marie’s Church, The Windmill is one of the town’s oldest pubs, dating back to Southport’s years as a bathing village.
19 – Hesketh Park Conservatory
Hesketh Park, Park Crescent, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 9NW
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
Visit this beautiful conservatory at the heart of the Grade II listed Hesketh Park and find out about their history and plans.
20 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Southport
Preston New Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 8PP
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking not required
Come and tour this church, which has been recognised as the only building of 1960’s architectural merit in Southport. Learn about the local members who helped build it and join us for a live musical performance to hear its acoustics on 21/09/25 6pm
21 – 150 yrs of Swimming and Fitness at the Promenade
Central Promenade, Opposite the Marine Lake Bridge at the top of Neville street, Southport, Merseyside, PR90DS
Multiple dates available In person Pre-booking required
The legacy of the Victoria Baths is still evident today in part of the original building. Victoria Leisure Club still operate 3 separate pools which were part of the original suite of swimming baths which characterised the original building.
22 – ‘Around Birkdale & Southport in Past Times’ – Heritage Talk
Trafalgar Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2HF
18 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking required
Join Martyn Griffith at Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club on Trafalgar Road for an illustrated talk about the history of Birkdale and Southport.
Fully booked
23 – Ainsdale – the mystery of the seaside garden village
Ainsdale Station, Ainsdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8
21 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking required
A walk round the site of Ainsdale’s Seaside Garden Village looking for clues to the planned exhibition of 1908 and investigating what happened next.
Fully booked
24 – Shopping on Lord Street with Mrs Dowson
Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8
18 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking required
A walk along Southport’s renowned shopping street inspired by the receipts left by Mrs Dowson of Birkdale, who patronised a wide range of Lord Street retail businesses in the years around 1900.
25 – The Lost Street – Uncovering Southport’s Victorian Past
Top of Nevill Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0DR
14 Sep 2025 In person Pre-booking not required
Discover the buried Victorian street that once bustled with seaside visitors on their way to the beach – thanks to the magic of 3D artist Joe Hill. **On SUNDAY 14 September – not as in leaflet**
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