The Anfield Stadium Tour

If you’re a big Liverpool fan, or even just a sports fan hoping to take a tour of one of the most iconic stadiums in the game, you might well want to get yourself along to Anfield at some point and take a tour of the ground.

If you do so, you’ll get to enjoy a fun experience in which you’ll head to areas such as the dressing rooms, the players’ tunnel onto the pitch and the dugouts. Depending on the type of tour you opt for, you might be taken around the ground by one of the club’s legends.

You can even incorporate it with an abseil down the side of the Main Stand, should that interest you.

Anfield Stadium Tour Parking

When it comes to parking for the Anfield Stadium Tour, it depends when it is that you are heading to the ground. If it is on a match day then it is important to note that there is restricted parking in place around the stadium, so the chances are high that you’ll get a ticket if you park in a restricted area.

There are restrictions in place on non-match days too, but you’re more likely to find somewhere close enough to the ground where you can park legally. If you’re a disabled pass holder then you’ll be able to park on the Main Stand side of the ground in disabled bays.

Similarly, you’ll be able to park on roads close to the ground that are usually limited to locals, but obviously make sure you’re obeying the rules of the disabled pass. There are big car parks close to the ground that you might be able to park in on non-match days, but it is always important to check the rules and regulations around that.

On days when no matches are taking place, the parking close to Anfield is much more flexible than on match days, but just make sure that you have a look to see what the parking signs say before locking up and heading off to the tour.

Usually Anfield will direct you to park in the Stanley Park car park on non-matchdays, which is free and around a five minute walk to the tour reception.

How Much Is The Anfield Stadium Tour?

First things first, then, and the cost you can expect to pay when doing the tour. Obviously this is the current pricing structure and it is possible that it will have changed by the time you’re looking to go, but it will at least give you a sense of what to expect.

The prices differ depending on the situation of the person doing the tour and what sort of tour it is you’d like to do.  The table above shows a breakdown at the time of writing.

If you have an infant then they will be able to do the stadium tour for free. In instances where the option isn’t listed, such as the lack of Child tickets for the Anfield Abseil, it is because they are not able to do it. At the time of writing, the Liverpool FC website lists the following as possible Legend Guides that you could get:

• John Aldridge
• Ian Callaghan
• Jimmy Case
• David Fairclough
• Phil Thompson
• Alan Kennedy
• Jan Molby
• Phil Neal
• Bruce Grobbelaar
• Steve McMahon

Whilst you can but the likes of souvenir guide books and photo packages online, they are available on the day and are no cheaper than buying them that way.

How Long Is The Anfield Stadium Tour?

If you are heading off to do the Anfield Stadium Tour, you might well be wondering how long it is going to take you to do it. The good news is that you don’t need to worry if you’re older or disabled, given that there is no rush to complete the tour within a specific time frame. On the generic tours, the fact that you’re given an audioguide to listen to means that you can take your time and do it as you see fit. It means you can spend as much time in each location as you wish to, rather than rushing to keep up with a tour guide in order to hear what they’ve got to see in each place.

You would do well to give yourselves about an hour and a half when it comes to time to complete the tour. You will definitely be able to do it quicker than that if you don’t mind rushing and not doing all of the things that the audioguide offers, such as quizzes etc, and you’ll also be able to take longer than that if you want to. When it’s the likes of a Legends Tour, things are slightly different because there are specific timings involved. It would be surprising if you took longer than two hours to complete the tour, whilst the museum is only maybe an extra half an hour. Don’t forget to leave time to go to the club shop though!

How The Tour Works

You will almost certainly need to book ahead if you wish to do the stadium tour, given that it tends to be extremely popular and there are limited places in each time slot. That being said, there are plenty of time slots throughout the day, so the likelihood of you being unable to do a tour is slim. What happens on the tour will obviously depend on what type of tour you’ve paid for. If you’ve opted for the Matchday Stadium Tour, for example, then there will be some areas that you won’t be able to see, such as the dressing rooms. It is also worth noting that some areas may be closed on certain days.

For the purposes of ease, we’re going to focus here on what to expect on the standard tour that is run on a non-matchday. When you get to Anfield, you should head to the Kop end of the ground and there you’ll find an area with a big sign saying ‘Stadium Tours’ that you can’t miss. If you have any bags, they will be checked on your way in, at which point you show your booking information to someone who will check you in and give you a receipt for an electronic audioguide and a band to wear on your wrist. You then collect your audioguide, which can be programmed for a wealth of languages, so don’t worry if English isn’t your first language.

One thing that is a bit of a disappointment compared to in the past is the fact that the tours are no longer given by a physical person. Instead, your audioguide is voiced by the actor and Liverpool fan David Morrissey as well as someone who used to give the tours. This means that the personal touch is missing from the tour, although there are countless people dotted around Anfield to answer any questions you may have. Even so, it runs the risk of meaning that people end up staring at a portable device the entire time rather than looking around at the stadium itself.

The Opening Stages

First things first, you’ll be allowed through into the area underneath the Main Stand. At this point, a real person will come in and instruct you how to use the touchscreen device that is supplied to take you on the tour and also give you some other information. From there, you are invited to go up the escalators that will take you all the way to the top of the Main Stand, which is very high. As you ride up the escalator, Mr Morrissey tells you some information on your audioguide and you can see some replicas of famous LFC flags that are attached to the walls on your journey.

The good news is that you aren’t made to look out of the windows, though you obviously can if you wish to, but if you’ve got a problem with heights then that is the sort of thing that you’ll want to avoid doing. If you do, you’ll be able to see Goodison Park on the other side of Stanley Park, as well as the likes of the Metropolitan and Anglican Cathedrals, which dominate the Liverpool skyline. Once you’ve got over the incredible view, you’ll notice that the entrances onto the stand itself are all closed, leaving you to instead see the areas where fans mill about before kick-off.

Manager’s Alley

There are a number of different large banners at the top of the Main Stand, which tell you a bit of information about the most famous managers in the club’s history. They start with Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, before Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish, Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez all adorn them. Each features a quote from the manager, often about the ground or the supporters. Walk around the corner and you’ll see one of Jürgen Klopp, meaning that the main managers that are conspicuous for their absence are Roy Hodgson and Brendan Rodgers, neither of whom won a trophy with the Reds.

After you’ve had a chance to look over the banners, you go into another area with a big screen. At that point you are greeted by a pre-recorded message from Jürgen Klopp, with the German welcoming you to Anfield. The video tells the story of the trophies that Liverpool have won over the years, which are numerous, complete with footage of winning goals and trophy lifts. Jürgen invites you to follow him, walking out onto the gantry in the middle of the Main Stand. Once again it’s a chance to enjoy some amazing views, this time of the pitch and the rest of the stadium.

Seeing More Of The Ground

Having taken in the likes of the Kop and the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, you are then invited to walk down the stairs, or take the lift if you’re unable to, and make it onto a lower floor of the Main Stand. This, of course, has been redeveloped in recent years and you can see where the money was spent. It looks impressive, complete with a section where the original wooden seats that were in place in the stand are available for you to sit on. Older supporters might well want to get their younger friends or relatives to sit on them in order to be told that they don’t know they’re born with the new much more comfortable seating.

At this point on the tour, there is another money-making opportunity for the club. You can, if you wish to, stand in front of the Premier League and Champions League trophies, getting your photo taken with them in front of a green screen. At the end of the tour, you’ll have a chance to purchase copies of the photos, complete with a background of your own choice. More stairs or a lift will take you to the next part of the tour, which is probably the most interesting bit in the eyes of most people. It is all in the Main Stand, but that’s because that’s where the best bits are.

Dressing Rooms & More

At the point at which you enter the lower areas of the Main Stand, you’re able to walk along some corridors adorned with information such as ‘This Is Anfield. We Are Liverpool’. There is also an area where you can pretend that you’re being interviewed after the match, not least of all because you can go into the Press Room where the manager deals with the media in the wake of a game. You get to sit in the chair the manager uses and pretend you’re him, with the ability to take photos or have official ones taken in which the manager can be super-imposed next to you later on.

There are then a series of recesses where the post-match interviews with players take place. Here you can pose next to the likes of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Alisson Becker, should you wish to. As the tour goes on, you walk through the Players Dining Suite, where you can see the sort of things that the players are able to eat and drink. That leads through to the Home Dressing Room, where you’ll see the shirts of all of your favourite players hung up in the spot that they would sit in on a match day. If you want to, you can take a set under their shirt and have your photo taken.

The home dressing is large and spacious, with a clock letting you know the time and a huge flatscreen television for the management team to use to give their players information before and after the match. The toilet area, meanwhile, is luxurious looking and impressive. The away dressing room, meanwhile, is much smaller and far less pleasant. There is no television for information to be shared on, whilst the bathroom area isn’t as nice. It is a small thing, but done deliberately in order to ensure that the away team feels much less welcome and comfortable.

Pitchside

After you’ve seen the dressing rooms, you’re invited to make your way towards the Players Tunnel. If you keep your eye out, you might just spot the manager’s room, which is small and nondescript. In fact, it has the same sort of door as the laundry, such is Jürgen Klopp’s desire not to be given special treatment. Once you’ve had a good luck around, you can then head towards the Players Tunnel and the world famous ‘This Is Anfield’ sign that is in place above it. You can see the green of the pitch off in the distance, imaging what it must be like to head towards it on a match day.

Once you’ve got towards turf, making sure not to go on it, you can see the dugouts used by the two opposing teams. Look around and you’ll see the other stands, including being able to look back up at the area of the Main Stand that you were on a little earlier. If you’ve never been to the ground before then make sure to take advantage of the ability to have a walk along and stand on the Kop, which is arguably the most famous stand in world football. You can just imagine what it must be like to stand among fellow football fans, singing You’ll Never Walk Alone with your fellow Reds.

The Museum

Once the tour is over, you have the ability to go into the museum. For some, this is all the ticket you’ll have bought will allow you to do, but there is plenty to recommend it regardless. Before heading into the museum itself, you can have a look at the photos with the Premier League and Champions League trophies that you had taken earlier. Whether you wish to be stood in the dressing room, have the pitch behind you or have your favourite player super-imposed next to you, the options are plentiful. They do this thanks to the fact that the photo is taken in front of a green screen, so remember not to wear green on the day.

Photos bought or ignored depending on what you felt you were looking like, you then head up some stairs into the museum area itself. There is, as you might imagine, a wealth of different memorabilia on display here. From football boots worn nearly 100 years ago through to all of the different trophies that Liverpool have won over the years, the museum is full of fun stuff for all of the biggest Reds out there and even fans of other clubs who might just find it interesting regardless. There is one room that is full of replicas of the six Champions League trophies the club has won to date.

There is an in memoriam section, which plays host to an area dedicated to those that lost their lives at Heysel as well as those that died in the Hillsborough Disaster. There are 97 scarves hanging down from the roof in order to pay honour to them all. Move on and you can see sections devoted to specific players, including Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, plus more areas giving you a sense of what life used to be like heading to the ground. There is, for example, a section of the standing Kop with a big screen showing matches play out and allowing you to imagine yourself as part of the crowd.

In truth, the museum isn’t as well organised or as impressive as you might expect from a club of Liverpool’s stature. It is also unlikely to engage younger people, with the most interesting things being the likes of coin presses where you can turn a penny into a souvenir. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t head along, just that you should bear it in mind if you’ve got people with a short attention span. You will be able to see plenty of memorabilia and there are numerous different trophies on display that everyone will be wanting to look at and imagine themselves hoisting above their head.

Anfield Abseil

Away from the tours themselves, one of the things that you can do at Anfield nowadays is abseil down the side of the Main Stand. It launched in spring of 2023, giving you the chance to drop 100 foot off the side of one of the largest all-seater single stands anywhere in Europe. Having climbed up on the Main Stand roof, you will get the chance to enjoy immersive panoramic views of the city of Liverpool before leaning back and beginning your descent. Obviously the safety and abseil equipment is provided to you as part of the experience, as well as a safety briefing.

The descent takes you past a huge Liverpool crest, before you reach the floor and can breath out again as well as unclenching your buttocks. The minimum age to do the abseil is 10-years-old, with anyone under the age of 18 requiring the consent of an adult to take part. You can do it as long as you weigh less than 19 stone, provided you can fit in a harness. If you have accessibility requirements, you can still do the descent but will need to give the club at least two weeks’ notice. This is just so they can cater for your needs appropriately.