The Atkinson

This is now an entertainment/​cultural centre, with the art gallery, an auditorium, civic hall and botanic museum all within the grade 2 listed building.
The entrance/​foyer is welcoming and strikingly clean — statuary and paintings being the first things I saw. The bookings and information desks are unobtrusive, yet easy to find as the signage throughout is very clear. There are interesting display cases throughout. Up the impressive staircase are the toilets, the superb but expensive bar and the entrances to the auditorium.
As I was there for a music concert, this is the area I saw best. A superb setting for Fairport Convention as they attract a fair number of fans, yet like to connect with their audience as intimately as possible. The seating was comfortable and gave us all a good view of the band. The sound was just superb.

Ah, the Atkinson. Again, just another Southport landmark full of childhood memories for myself. Yep, my father used to bring me here regularly to ensure I had a lovely cultural upbringing, and it’s a marvellous gallery housed in a terrific building right in the centre of the seaside town itself, opposite Lord Street and the band stand.
Admission is free but donations are encouraged as every gift helps, no matter how small. And once you’ve walked around this spectacular yet strangely humble gallery you’d have to have a heart of ice not to want to give a little something. It has a varied and rather extensive collection, ranging from LS Lowry to John Piper, John Collier to Ernest Normand and many more. The Friends of the Atkinson Gallery are an organisation which helps to drum up even more interest for the gallery. It’s currently closed for refurbishments but plans to reopen bigger and better than ever as part of a Southport cultural overhaul, so get involved as it’s bound to increase in popularity after its makeover.
Southport might not quite rival Brighton yet in the seaside artsy stakes, but it’s getting there, and with the help of the Atkinson it’ll get there a lot faster!

Southports Art Gallery housing a mix of work by different artists and holds regular specialist exhibitions.
It has british 17^th-​20^th century art with works by Lely, Cotman, Ford Madox Brown, Sickert and Ginner.
It also has The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West.
There is also a vast collection of watercolours by British artists, etchings and engravings.
It is open 10:00 — 5:00 Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; and 10.00−1.00 Thursday and Saturday
CLOSED MONDAYS
It also has disabled access