HMS Belfast
Visit London Gold Partner

About HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is the largest surviving example of Britain’s twentieth century naval power and is now moored on the Thames between Tower and London Bridge. She is the first ship to be preserved for the nation since Nelson’s HMS Victory. Best known for her role during the Second World War in supporting the Allied troops on D-Day, HMS Belfast provides nine decks of history for visitors to explore. From the Captain’s Bridge to the sailor’s mess deck, operations room and engine rooms, visitors will hear her battle stories and experience what life was like for her 950 crew.

HMS Belfast is one of five Imperial War Museum branches.

Facilities

Opening Times 1 March - 31 October: 10.00 - 18.00 (last admission 17.00) 1 November - 28 February: 10.00 - 17.00 (last admission 16.00) Closed: 24, 25 & 26 Dec

HMS Belfast Address

Address:
Morgans Lane, Tooley Street, London
London
SE1 2JH
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7940 6300
Fax: +44 (0)20 7403 0719
Email:
Website: http://www.iwm.org.uk

Related Categories

 

Also near here:

 

Prices for HMS Belfast

Adult: £10.70 (USD17.73)  per ticket
Senior Citizens and students: £8.60 (USD14.25)  per ticket
Unemployed and visitors with disabilities: £6.40 (USD10.61)  concession
Child (under 16): Free (USD0.00)

Free entry to carer acompanying a visitor with disabilites. Children must be accompanied by an adult

 

Location Information for HMS Belfast

Address:
Morgans Lane, Tooley Street, London
London
SE1 2JH
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7940 6300
Fax: +44 (0)20 7403 0719
Email:
Website: http://www.iwm.org.uk
Public transport: London Bridge, London Underground
By Road: Exit the station via the Tooley St exit and walk through Hays Galleria towards the River Thames, HMS Belfast is moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

Getting There

Going to HMS Belfast using public transport? Find the fastest route:

Advanced options
Get here with Journey Planner
 
HMS Belfast
Maps provided by Collins     © Collins Bartholomew 2009

What else is near HMS Belfast?

London Explorer
 

Reviews of HMS Belfast

Access in London review of HMS Belfast

Reviewed by: Access in London
This cruiser saw service during the Second World War, and supported the Normandy landings. She was active until 1965 and served in Korea. Now permanently moored on the riverside just upstream of Tower Bridge and run by the Imperial War Museum. Admission charge. Car Park on the corner of Tooley Street by Tower Bridge. The shop and ticket sales point are somewhat congested, and accessed via a threshold and Door width 75cm. Entrance flat, with an open lift down to the level of the quarterdeck bypassing -4 steps. Note that the lift can only be reached along the right side of the gangway, which is normally the exit route. There is a steepish ramp to the boatdeck on an upper level. Wheelchairs are available for use. They have gone to considerable lengths to make parts of the ship accessible, but it's difficult, as there are narrow gaps and doors to gun turrets, and high thresholds/bulkheads (which were designed to keep water out during rough weather). The decks are quite rough with various ridges and protrusions. Chair users will find that help is vital especially to get inside, as some of the ramps put over the bulkheads are very steep. You can get close to some of the smaller guns on the boatdeck. Towards the bow, where the anchors are laid out, there is a barrier 25cm high to get over. Going up inside to see the bridge and wireless room, and down to the engine room and living quarters, involves steep ladders and well over 100 steps, and is only possible for the relatively agile. In spite of this, there's enough to see in the accessible parts of the ship including all of the quarterdeck, to make it an interesting visit. There's a wheelchair toilet (Door width 90cm Side transfer distance 100cm+) on the quarterdeck level with portable ramps to help you negotiate the bulkhead threshold (which is 35cm high) to get to the loo. You need to ask, and the ramps involved are pretty steep.

Visit London review of HMS Belfast

Reviewed by: Visit London
With free entry for under 16s, HMS Belfast is a fantastic value attraction for the whole family. If stuffy museums don't appeal, this is the ideal place to have fun and learn about the fascinating history of this huge battleship. As well as 9 decks to explore, there are regularly changing exhibitions and special family activities on the last weekend of every month.
 

TripAdvisor ®

Traveller Rating:

4.0
Based on 16 reviews
Ranked #82

  Latest 5 reviews of HMS Belfast

great fun

We came up for a special event at The London Bridge Experience but had some time to kill and we decided to visit the Belfast, I've not been onboard her for a long time. The ship is really interested...

We came up for a special event at The London Bridge Experience but had some time to kill and we decided to visit the Belfast, I've not been onboard her for a long time. The ship is really interested and good fun. My kids loved the opportunity to elore such a large and amazing ship.

I really recommend a visit with the family good fun.

 
4.0
2 November 2009
by jonny879, Southampton
 

Eight year old boy thoroughly enjoyed this more than the Tower etc

Having seen enough buildings and towers my eight year old son loved this visit, it was reasonable for the capital £10 something for me and he went free. We spent the whole afternoon going up and...

Having seen enough buildings and towers my eight year old son loved this visit, it was reasonable for the capital £10 something for me and he went free. We spent the whole afternoon going up and down ladders, looking in boiler rooms and from the Bridge - pretended to aim the gun battery at the Houses of Parliament but then remembered "they" are all off on holiday too. We had a sandwich (£2.75) which was the freshest tasting I have bought all week and managed to get a table on the deck lookng out over theTower of London, then to top it all a clipper came down and we saw Tower Bridge open up. It was a bit hot and you would have to be mobile for all those ladders but he enjoyed it and I treated myself to a slice of cake after the work out.

 
4.0
22 August 2009
by holidaytripperLeics, Leics
 

Great location but in a bit of a mess in places during refurbishment

A very nice museum with a lot to offer. Due to the ladders and cramped areas big bags and small children are not reccommended. You'll see a lot anyway if you don't go to those sections but if you...

A very nice museum with a lot to offer. Due to the ladders and cramped areas big bags and small children are not reccommended. You'll see a lot anyway if you don't go to those sections but if you can't do ladders you are going to be pretty stuffed and not get the best of what the HMS Belfast has to offer.

An old ship needs refurbishing now and then but the current/ongoing refurbishment has made one hell of a mess of the way you get around some of this ship. Routes don't match up to the audio guide and in some areas they have monitors playing videos about the area which has further inaccurate information (although signs do warn you of this). I think you could very easily miss sections out if you didn't work out the proper route in places. I know it might not be easy to do but maybe the audioguide should be changed to take in the layout changes, which don't look that temporary.

You need to do things to keep the ship going as an active museum (which they are doing - the bridge is being totally refurbished and the outside area is having it's paint stripped off) and add new elements/exhibitions and show off how the ship used to look like which they are doing very well indeed.

It has a lot to offer people, the quality/cleanliness and well laid out information are very informative and it will probably take you longer to get round than you think. I took over 2 hours and thats with me missing the 3 exhibitions that were on.

As a 'warning' they are open until 6 but last entry is at 5. You'll never get round properly in an hour so unless you are a IWM Friend (as I am) and can come back for free I'd certainly not leave it that late to visit.

 
3.0
25 June 2009
by OpaqueEntity, Cambridge, UK
 

lovely museum, really interesting

This was a great attraction but what a maze me and my girl visited a few weeks ago and we just got completly lost. This place is so big and really interesting. The views you get form the boat were...

This was a great attraction but what a maze me and my girl visited a few weeks ago and we just got completly lost. This place is so big and really interesting.

The views you get form the boat were great and I have to say that I loved the staff they were all dressed in uniform and looked so cool.

Really recommend this place for people looking to learn somehting about the navy.

 
4.0
3 June 2009
by Madjon, Bristol
 

Unfair!

Took my boyfriend to here when we visited London, even through he is serving in the navy they would not give him armed forces discount and would not provide a reason why. Staff rather unhelpful and...

Took my boyfriend to here when we visited London, even through he is serving in the navy they would not give him armed forces discount and would not provide a reason why. Staff rather unhelpful and will definately not be visiting here again

 
2.0
20 April 2009
by smiler206u, Manchester
 

Are you a representative of HMS Belfast?
Respond to Reviews

Write a Review

Read more reviews on TripAdvisor

About TripAdvisor and Visit London

Please be advised that any comments, opinions and statements submitted herewith are entirely independent and do not represent views held by, or are in any way connected to Visit London.

Events at HMS Belfast

  • HMS Belfast

    Special event

    1 Mar 2009 to 31 Dec 2009

    HMS Belfast served throughout the Second World War, playing a leading part in the destruction of the battle cruiser Scharnhorst, and also the Normandy Landings. The cruiser hosts exhibitions, talks, lectures and family workshops relating to naval history and life at sea along with guided tours and interactive sessions.

     

  • Launch! Shipbuilding Through the Ages

    Exhibition

    1 Mar 2009 to 31 Dec 2010

    The exhibition focus on the science, engineering and social history of shipbuilding in Great Britain, and the interactive elements of the exhibition allow children of all ages to get involved and experience this history.

     
powered by Yedda

Questions About HMS Belfast

Get Answers to Your London Questions
Got a question? Ask on Yedda!

Ask the Community

Recent Questions

 
More Related Questions