[Disclosure: This post was contributed with support from our partner.]

By Thomas Kavanagh

This autumn, Liverpool is the destination for a magical family exhibition, which is travelling there specifically. This is an ideal event to coincide with a stay in the city which is permanently full of things to do. The touring Magic Worlds exhibition from the London Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood starts its journey in Liverpool from October 19th 2013 to March 2nd 2014.

These are some of the fantastical features you will find fascinating:

Alice in Wonderland

Alice, previously a regular in Wonderland and also through the Looking Glass is still a popular character – and indeed a brand with themed shops in Oxford and Brighton:

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

The exhibition includes an interactive encounter with the gateway to Narnia; the wardrobe that the Pevensey children used to travel to their magical world when staying in an English country house during the war, as told in C.S. Lewis’s book.

One of the attractions of an exhibition like this is that it may encourage the children to read the many books in the series.

Harry Potter

More than 150 objects and memorabilia from the world of magic and fantasy are the famous Cottingley fairy photographs (have they yet been proved to not be real?), Sooty (and his magic wand) plus Harry Potter’s broomstick.

One of the attractions of an exhibition like this is that it may encourage the children to read (or re-read) the Harry Potter Books.

More childhood Memories

The V&A Museum of Childhood has several touring events underway into 2014. One we are particularly looking forward to is the Teddy Bear Story:

So, we will be researching teddy-friendly Liverpool hotels in the area.

By Thomas Kavanagh