Summer Starts With Our New Museum

Discover a summer of history, family fun and unforgettable experiences at Bristol Dockyards – home of the iconic SS Great Britain.

Saturday 18 July 2026 is the busiest date on our calendar this year - and once it lands, it doesn't let up. We open the doors to our brand-new museum, expanding the award-winning SS Great Britain Experience with new stories, remarkable collections and interactive exhibits that bring Bristol's maritime history to life.

A free festival stage takes over Brunel Square. A summer's worth of family activities begins. And two of our offers keep the whole thing affordable for families all the way through to September. Here's everything kicking off, and how to plan around it.

A New Museum Opens at Bristol Dockyards

This is the big one. On 18 July we will be expanding the SS Great Britain Experience with our new museum.

Created in collaboration with local community groups and researchers, bringing fresh eyes and new voices to the history of this extraordinary ship, the museum draws on the Brunel Institute's extraordinary archive of more than 75,000 original drawings, letters, photographs and objects.

The stories you'll find inside are bigger, deeper and more diverse than ever before. You'll discover:

• The people who designed and built one of the world's most revolutionary ships.
• The Bristolians whose lives were shaped by the dockyards.
• Stories of migration as thousands travelled between Britain and Australia.
• The ship's connections with Crimea, India and communities across the globe.
• New perspectives that reveal the wider impact of the SS Great Britain on Bristol and beyond.

Every gallery adds another chapter to the story of one of Britain's greatest engineering achievements.

Ships & Giggles

Pack up your playmates and set sail for fun! From the dockside to the dining room, take part in interactive challenges inspired by the SS Great Britain’s global voyages. Here’s a taste of what’s in store: 

• Good Shout: Step into the Engine Room and listen carefully for your commands. Can you keep the ship running?
• Who Made All the Pies? Race against family and friends to recreate fruit pies from an authentic 1863 menu before the timer runs out.
• Hide & Sheep: A delightfully silly game inspired by the real sheep that travelled aboard the ship. Can your flock find every hidden sheep?

We're hosting a stage at Bristol Harbour Festival  

The new museum opening weekend also coincides with the Bristol Harbour Festival, making Bristol Dockyards one of the city's must-visit destinations. Head to The Dockyard Stage in Brunel Square for two days of free live music, dance and spoken word, right on our doorstep as part of Bristol Harbour Festival 2026.  

• Saturday 18 July: A day of music and dance from Bristol's twin and partner cities, with artists joining us from France, Portugal, Mozambique and Germany. 
• Sunday 19 July: A celebration of South Asian music, dance and storytelling, hosted by BCFM Radio and South Asian Voices. 

Kids Go Free + Dine for Just £2.50

One child goes free with every paying adult throughout the summer holidays. Better still, your annual ticket gives you unlimited return visits for 12 months, so you can come back again and again to enjoy changing exhibitions, seasonal events and everything Bristol Dockyards has to offer.

After a day exploring the dockyards, relax at The Board Walk. All summer long, every children's meal at The Board Walk is £2.50. That covers the full Little Seafarers menu (all served with sides!) – choose from:

• Pizza
• Pasta
• Plant-based sausages
• Chicken nuggets
• Flame-grilled burger

It's a small thing, but it means a day out on the harbourside doesn't turn into an expensive one.

Why 18 & 19 July?

The weekend of 18–19 July marks a remarkable moment in Bristol's maritime history.

19 July is a date woven into the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his world-changing ships. It was:

• 19 July 1837 – Brunel's first steamship, SS Great Western, was launched.
• 19 July 1843 – SS Great Britain was launched from the Great Western Dockyard.
• 19 July 1970 – After her dramatic rescue from the Falkland Islands, SS Great Britain returned home to the Great Western Dockyard.

Imagine standing among the Victorian crowds as the SS Great Britain first slipped into Bristol Harbour, or welcoming her home more than a century later after her extraordinary return.

This year, we're adding another chapter to that story. Join us over the weekend as we celebrate the opening of the expanded SS Great Britain Experience and become part of the next milestone in Bristol Dockyards' history.