National Maritime Museum

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After a spectacular entrance through the sound of breaking waves you arrive in one of the greatest maritime museums of the world containing models, displays, paintings and trophies from every continent of the world. Arranged in a series of themed exhibition galleries you can recall the romance of the great ocean liners, appreciate the elegance of Prince Frederick’s golden barge, delve into the traditions of maritime London and study the controversial history of trade across the Atlantic.

Children find plenty to engage them in the All Hands gallery while young people can try their hand on the professional ship simulator on the Bridge or study the impact of careless behaviour on the ocean environment.

The museum has a full programme of free family events, serious lectures, an important reference library of books and manuscripts and an e-library for personal research. It is a large museum with many items of particular interest to maritime specialists and model-makers. Take a break during your visit at the Paul patisserie and coffee shop or dine economically in the Regatta licensed restaurant.

Before you leave take time to visit the well-stocked shop which includes a large number of exclusive items relating to the museum collections including some of the NMM’s own publications

In recent years this museum has won Visit London awards for the quality of customer service and its sustainability and access policies. It aims to set a high standard and is accredited as a Quality Visitor Attraction.

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Opening times:	Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. The museum stays open later in the summer - check for details.
Booking and payment details	Free

Though it hardly sounds like a crowd-pleaser, this museum designed to tell the long and convoluted history of Britain as a seafaring nation is the most impressive sight in Greenwich. From the moment you step through the entrance to this magnificent neoclassical building you'll be won over. And it just gets better as you progress through the glass-roofed Neptune Court into the rest of this three-storey building. The exhibits are arranged by theme, focusing on Explorers, Maritime London, Art and Sea and much more. Visual highlights include the golden state barge built in 1732 for Frederick, Prince of Wales, and the huge ship's propeller installed on level 1. The museum also owns the tunic that Britain's greatest sea-faring hero, Horatio Nelson, was wearing when he was fatally shot (including the actual bullet), plus a replica of the lifeboat James Caird used by explorer Ernest Shackleton and a handful of his men on their epic mission for help in Antarctica.The environmentally minded are catered for with the Your Ocean exhibit on level 2, examining the science, history, health and future of the sea. Kids will love firing a cannon in the All Hands exhibit or manoeuvring a tanker into port by using the state-of-the-art bridge simulator on level 3. Even fashionistas will be wowed by Rank and Style (uniforms) and the Passengers exhibit (classic travel posters and the mock-up of the cocktail bar of a cruise ship).

Traveller Rating:

Based on 3 reviews

Ranked #38

Latest 3 reviews of National Maritime Museum

Superb (free!) museum for all the family

Greenwich (London!) is steeped in maritime history and this excellent museum celebrates Britains love of the sea. It's very well laid out with historical and new items, lots of interactive exhibits...

Greenwich (London!) is steeped in maritime history and this excellent museum celebrates Britains love of the sea.

It's very well laid out with historical and new items, lots of interactive exhibits and covers naval, merchant and passenger shipping as well as some other exhibits related to the sea.

It's a short day visit but there's other things to see in the vicinity-

- The Royal Observatory where Logtitude and GMT (which forms the basis for our world's clocks) started (you can literally stand on the Greenwich meridian).

- The Naval college, a magnificent Wren (St Pauls cathedral) designed collection of buildings.

- Greeniwhich market.

And ALL FREE!

Go there by the river boat and see London from a different perspective rather than underground.

28 August 2008

by Empathology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Nice museum for a day out in Greenwich

Well done museum covering Britain's maritime history. Has some interesting exhibits are parts of ships and boats. Well worth the time and money.

21 January 2006

by A TripAdvisor Member, Des Moines, Iowa

Updated Maritime Museum--great family attraction

The National Maritime Museum has transformed itself from a rather staid collection of nautical artifacts into an interactive, hands-on family museum. A museum that could display just old ship models and pictures of dead naval heros instead has created dozens of kid-friendly exhibits--areas where children can both play and learn about maritime history.

An ideal day trip from central London, the museum is within walking distance of the Old Royal Observatory and other sights in quaint Greenwich.

6 August 2003

by KidsToLondon, Columbia, MD USA

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Prices and Booking for National Maritime Museum

Prices:

Admission free except to events and special exhibitions.

Location Information National Maritime Museum

Address:	Greenwich, Romney Road, London London SE10 9NF
Telephone:	+44 (0)20 8312 6565
Email:	bookings@nmm.ac.uk
Website:	www.nmm.ac.uk
Public transport:	Rail – Greenwich (zone 2) DLR – Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich By boat – from most central London piers