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Being Brunel Museum

Go inside the mind that changed history.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel is not simply one of the greatest engineers of the 1800s. He’s the genius behind some of the world’s most radical engineering feats.

From bridges to tunnels, ships to railways, his creations were longer, faster and bigger than anything the world had ever witnessed. An innovator, a dreamer, an artist, not without flaws, you’ll meet every side of the Little Giant when visiting Being Brunel. Exploring his life and lasting legacy in the most significant collection of the man.

Opening Times

The museum is open from 11am – 4pm.  

Your entry, and a year’s access, is included in the admission for Bristol Dockyards.  

DISCOVER HOW ONE MAN’S AMBITION CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY

Brunel's Head Being Brunel Museum
Brunel’s Mind

Think you’ve got Brunel down? Good luck. Step inside his mind to see what he was actually thinking under that stovepipe hat, and wonder as you see his world, and many projects, unfold around you. 

Being Brunel Museum, Dock Office
Dock Office

Head back to 1850 and experience the sights, sounds and smells of The Great Western Steamship Company’s Grade-II listed headquarters. You might even help Brunel sign off a decision or two with the board. 

Being Brunel Shakespeare Room
Shakespeare Room

Brunel commonly hosted family and friends in the dining room of 17 Duke Street. Today, you’re invited. So take your seat, ‘guess who’ and marvel at the artwork depicting Britain’s most famed playwright’s work. 

Being Brunel Exhibition Hall
Exhibition Hall

Weave a path among exhibits, watch the Great Western Railway appear in front of your eyes and give Brunel’s drawing skills a run for their money, as you learn more about the man who engineered the impossible. 

A collage of illustrations and ephemera from the Bristol Dockyards' collections

GO BEYOND BRUNEL

Climb into a broad-gauge carriage and test yourself against Brunel’s ultimate challenge: drawing the perfect circle on a “moving” train.