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A “Magical Mystery” vacation of 5 The Beatles hotspots

By Brian Miller

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 24: The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings on March 24, 2020 in London, England. The Beatles made the pedestrian crossing famous after featuring a photograph of the group walking on it, near to Abbey Road Studios. The album and connected artwork celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year. British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced strict lockdown measures urging people to stay at home and only leave the house for basic food shopping, exercise once a day and essential travel to and from work. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to at least 182 countries, claiming over 10,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 24: The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings on March 24, 2020 in London, England. The Beatles made the pedestrian crossing famous after featuring a photograph of the group walking on it, near to Abbey Road Studios. The album and connected artwork celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year. British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced strict lockdown measures urging people to stay at home and only leave the house for basic food shopping, exercise once a day and essential travel to and from work. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to at least 182 countries, claiming over 10,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) /
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Turn your vacations into a “Magical Mystery Tour” with these top five The Beatles locations.

It has been decades since the “Fab Four” last played live together but The Beatles’ music is still relevant and new fans find them daily.

I am a huge The Beatles fan and it is my mission in life to hit up as many historical sites across the world to stand where they once stood. For me, I have to incorporate my vacation trips to entice my wife to go along who is not really all that much of fan but these five places should be on your list if you are.

Abbey Road Studios

There are several places that you will have to take in if you are in the U.K. and Abbey Studios is an obvious choice you can’t pass up. The iconic crosswalk is famous the world over thanks to the cover of the Abbey Road album which stands today as one of their best studio albums.

Be prepared for more than a few tourists around and don’t expect to merely cross the walk and get that stand-alone picture as traffic and tourists could put a damper on your plans. The crosswalk is a protected site now.

Some believe that the rooftop concert in 1969 was held on the roof of the Abbey Road Studios but the impromptu event was held at their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row. That too is a must-stop on your London tour just don’t expect to see a lot from street level.

Hop a train out of London and you can experience more of The Beatles’ history. Liverpool is only a couple of hours away and that is the birthplace of the band and several members. The childhood home of John Lennon still stands as a museum that is tourable and remains untouched circa 1963.  Liverpool itself is a homage to the band that cut their chops in the bars.

Take in the Cavern Club where it all started and The Beatles statue that is down by the pier near the Meresy River.

John Lennon
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 08: Flowers and candles are left on the “Imagine” memorial in honor of John Lennon on the 40th anniversary of his death at Strawberry Fields in Central Park on December 08, 2020 in New York City. John Lennon was shot and killed by a gunman outside his apartment in the nearby Dakota building. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) /

New York, New York

Visiting New York doesn’t have to be about the Big Apple and no, it wasn’t named the Big Apple because John Lennon moved there (Apple Corp). While Lennon made his home in New York post-Beatles career, the band made its debut to the American public on a stage downtown.

The Ed Sullivan Theater continues to be a big tourist stop and it was where The Beatles first played to a live studio audience in the U.S. Back then, it was Studio 50.

In Central Park, you can visit Strawberry Fields. This is where John Lennon’s ashes were reportedly scattered by Yoko Ono following his murder. The quiet area of Central Park features a mosaic “IMAGINE” tiled on the walkway. It receives a lot of visitors daily but the entire area of Strawberry Fields is an homage to Lennon.

The Dakota is located across the street from Strawberry Fields. This is where Lennon lived and where he was murdered. From the Central Park side, you can see the windows that Lennon often looked out of.

Reeperbahn
HAMBURG, GERMANY – JUNE 22: The Reeperbahn is illuminated in red light as part of the “Night of Light” campaign on June 22, 2020 in Hamburg, Germany. With the “Night of Light”, the events industry is drawing attention to its coronavirus-related emergency. Event locations and venues across Germany, Austria and Switzerland will turn red on June 22 from 10pm to 1am the next morning to raise awareness over the detrimental impact Covid-19 and the accompanying lockdown measures have had on the live events industry. Scheduled events, including trade fairs, fashion shows and many others, were cancelled beginning in March and no resumption is likely before August 31. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /

Hamburg, Germany

What once was a seedy Red-Light district, Hamburg was the home to the Fab Four until George Harrison was sent back to the U.K. for being underage. The four slept behind a theater screen while staying there and while the Reeperbahn has changed over the decades and is now more chic The Beatles influence is still seen.

Plaques mark historical The Beatles locations of where they played, slept, and more.

Hollywood Bowl

Located in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Bowl gets the honor of having two The Beatles concerts. One in ’65 and one in ’64. There is a museum on-site as well. The live performances were recorded and in 1977 were sold as “The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl” long after the band had broken up and, of course, it went platinum.

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

You probably don’t think of Arkansas as a must-stop visit for anything Beatles related but this little gem is a quick can’t miss visit. The Beatles spent only a small-time at Walnut Ridge, like a really small amount of time. They simply changed planes at the airport following their concert in Dallas as they headed to Missouri for a much-needed break.

Today, there is an annual Beatles at the Ridge Festival that commemorates the plane switchover. The festival even includes The Beatles cover bands, music, memorabilia, and so much more and is a must-visit for any The Beatles fan.

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