SS Great Britain Experience
Propelled by ideas since 1843
Revered across the Avon.
Renowned across the Atlantic.
Sitting proudly on a glass ‘sea’, the steamship Great Britain is the crowning moment on Bristol’s historic harbourside. When she was launched in 1843, there was nothing else like her - the largest ship in the world, and the blueprint for every ocean liner that followed. Today, a ticket to Bristol Dockyards unlocks the full SS Great Britain Experience, best explored in three stages:
- Discover the new SS Great Britain Experience museum - artefacts, interactives and community-led stories spanning four decades of voyages, migration and life at sea.
- Sights, smells and sounds of Victorian life at sea. It's time to step aboard: scrub the deck, dress up in your finery to walk the Promenade, scale the rigging (if you're brave enough!) and climb into a steerage bunk.
- Venture beneath the glass sea and come face to face with the revolutionary engineering that made her possible - and the cutting-edge technology protecting her for future generations.
Together - the museum, ship and Dry Dock - tell the full story of Brunel’s feat of engineering which transformed travel, migration and culture forever.
10am-5pm
Your entry (and a year’s access) is included in the admission for Bristol Dockyards.
New Museum Coming In July
How many museums can claim they’ve travelled the world?
In our new museum, discover interactive exhibitions, digital recreations, historic artefacts and new community-led research that uncovers voices and stories from SS Great Britain’s 41 years of service. We like to think of it as the ultimate boarding experience.
Aboard the ship
Steerage
Life on a 60-day voyage to Australia would’ve been full of sounds, smells and incredible stories. Experience all three in Steerage class.
Galley
Listen out for bubbling pots and the singing chef feeding over 600 people a day. What's that squeaking noise?
Prom Deck
From the ship’s surgeon to a makeshift salon, every cabin on the Prom Deck has its tale to tell. Don't forget to visit the dressing up box.
Engine Room
Get hands-on with a working replica of Brunel’s original 1,000 horsepower engine, and the three boilers fuelling it on the deck below.
First-Class Dining Saloon
It wasn’t just food shared over dinner. Eavesdrop on the gossip between passengers as you feast your eyes on some traditional cooking.
Weather Deck
What would it be like for a first-class passenger on the virgin journey to New York? If you squint, Castlemead looks just like the Empire State Building!
Down in the Dry Dock
Beneath the glass sea
Suspended in her original Dry Dock, the ship's vast iron hull is revealed in full. A rare chance to come face-to-face with the innovation that changed the world, and to truly appreciate the sheer scale of it all.
Conservation
Suspended in her original Dry Dock, the ship's vast iron hull is revealed in full. A rare chance to come face-to-face with the innovation that changed the world, and to truly appreciate the sheer scale of it all.
Salvage Story
Just how did the ship get home? Follow the amazing salvage story - from abandoned coal store in the Falkland Islands to the jewel in the crown of Bristol's historic harbour.
