There is no place quite like Anfield, whether on a matchday or any other day of the week. But there’s something special about walking the halls when few others are around, and that’s what the stadium tour offers.
There is no missing Anfield, not with a Main Stand and new Anfield Road End that dominates the skyline – it is bold and you can’t help but keep your eyes locked on the view.
It is a place where countless memories are held and the stadium and museum tour is a brilliant way to experience some of the club’s greatest moments and get a rare look at the inner sanctum.
From the outside
Approaching Anfield from Stanley Park, you quickly appreciate the stature of the ground and the significance the club holds in the lives of so many.
As you make your way around the Main Stand – towards the entrance for the tour – you stop and pay your respects at the Hillsborough memorial on 97 Avenue.
Continuing on, there are nods to legends of the past and excitable faces of fans who are either making the trip for the first time or the 1000th – and this isn’t even on a matchday!
Once you find the entrance to the tour – opposite the club store – you pick up your wristband, video guide and souvenir club earphones, and that is when the experience truly begins.
All the way to the top
An introduction from a tour guide – with a few jibes at Man United thrown in – and you are on your way up what feels like an endless run of escalators – better than over 10 flights of stairs!
On the way up to the upper Main Stand you catch sight of a tradition that speaks to what makes this club so great, with famous flags and banners adorning the walls – trying to pick out a favourite isn’t easy.
You’re then greeted with a concourse of posters displaying our history of managers; you can go at your own pace as the tour itself is led by a handheld device, not a guide.
You select the options you want to discover more of, like how Bill Shankly transformed the club or how Rafa Benitez delivered the European Cup, and stories will be recounted with videos and images for you to enjoy on the screen.
Take the time to walk down memory lane, you won’t regret it. There are over 11 languages to choose from if you need.
And once you’ve taken in all the brilliant pictures, posters and plaques on the upper level, it is then time to take in the pitch for the first time from one of the best views.
What a sight it is.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it, it is just as special. It’s quiet as many reflect and take it all in – and the guide helps give you a sense of what it is like on a matchday for those who have yet to experience it.
To the inner sanctum
What comes up, must then go down as you make your way to the lower levels, where the concourse continues to tell the story of moments that made the club what it is today, evoking a whole range of emotions.
From original Anfield seats to brilliant artwork and stories of the latest generation of players, there is something for everyone – including a photo opportunity with some shiny trophies!
The walk of champions is in need of a change!
The inner sanctum, which fans rarely have access to, is certainly a crowd pleaser as you can walk where the players and manager do on a matchday.
You can see just about everything; where players do their pre and post-match interviews, where Arne Slot talks to the press, plus the home and away dressing rooms.
There is so much to take in, so many little details to absorb and appreciate. But an obvious one is how grand Liverpool’s dressing is compared to the visitors’ – it sends quite a clear message.
And we can’t forget the This Is Anfield sign. It’s mesmerising.
Be sure to touch it and then a friendly member of staff is there eagerly ready to take your picture before you make the walk pitch side and enjoy the view.
To the museum
Your experience is not finished once you leave through a Kop turnstile, in some ways it is still only just getting started as a collection of incredible artefacts await at the museum.
Here, you can celebrate individual players and managers and different eras of the club’s history in what is a newly enhanced and revamped space.
One of the most striking parts is as you first enter the museum and a new ‘Red White & Silver’ exhibit displays every trophy Liverpool FC has ever won; from old trophies to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Fans can take a walk down memory lane as the club’s story from the past to the present is depicted through memorabilia, silverware and interactive displays.
There is so much to look at and you will be surprised by what catches your eye and what you hold on to when you leave – with more than 133 years worth of history, you’ll never want to leave.
You can book your LFC tour and museum visit, here.
