Seized! The Border and Customs uncovered

Seized! The Border and Customs uncovered is a museum located in the basement of the Merseyside Maritime Museum at Albert Dock. It displays a collection of actual items confiscated at borders, ranging from everyday goods to items concealed in ingenious ways.

The museum was established in 1994 through collaboration between National Museums Liverpool and Britain's customs authority. It traces how border enforcement developed over more than 200 years and how methods for detecting smuggling have evolved.

The exhibition reveals how smuggling and rule-breaking at borders shaped the way customs work today. You see real seized goods and learn how these activities influenced enforcement methods and border security practices over time.

The museum is located in Albert Dock and is easily accessible on foot, about 20 minutes from Lime Street station. It operates as part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, so you can find facilities and information all in one place.

The collection features ingenious hiding methods that smugglers used to conceal their goods from authorities. These creative techniques reveal how resourceful people became when trying to evade detection at borders.

Location: Liverpool

Inception: 1994

Address: Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AQ

GPS coordinates: 53.40120,-2.99290

Latest update: December 13, 2025 11:42