Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol

About

Step on board the world’s first great ocean liner, Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol’s no.1 attraction and one of the England’s top ten museums (TripAdvisor 2024).

One of the most important pieces of Maritime engineering in History; Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s iconic steam ship is the heart of a multi award-winning visitor attraction.

Step ‘underwater’ for a unique and magnificent view of the ship below the beautiful glass sea, explore the Great Western Dockyard and learn more in both the Dockyard Museum and Being Brunel. With storytelling and games for children to in-depth historical research in the Brunel Institute, there is something for everybody at Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

The Ship
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of life on board! Dressed with flags and ready for departure, just as the ship looked when it was launched in 1843… The ship has been painstakingly restored to recreate Victorian life at sea on the world’s first great luxury liner. Climb aboard and explore scenes so life-like you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. Some days you may even bump into a Victorian, talk to a seaman, or hear passengers stories from their voyage. Even Mr Brunel himself sometimes makes an appearance. 
Combining sounds with props, the scenes show what life was like for passengers and crew on a 65-day voyage to Australia. The ambitious soundscape covers idle gossip and plotting gamblers, grumbling stewards, and musicians tuning their instruments. All the scenes are inspired by true stories taken from passengers’ accounts and show how First Class passengers used the saloon for dining and entertainment.

Whilst wandering through the Great Western Dockyard where the ship is situated, you'll wander past the Victorian Pissoir Soundscape, which will include authentic sounds of whistling, tinkling and chattering from unseen dockworkers!

The Dry Dock
Head below the ‘glass sea’ for incredible views of the SS Great Britain in her original dry dock which dates back to the 1830s.
The huge covered space and modern technology protect the fragile iron hull, keeping the air as arid as the Arizona Desert. You can walk all the way around the ship for a truly unique experience, getting up close to the hull and the screw propeller which made the SS Great Britain one of the most innovative ships in the world. Try designing your own ship in our ‘Full Steam Ahead’ game, developed in partnership with Aardman Animations. 

Being Brunel
Set inside the location of Brunel’s Dock Office where he designed and built the SS Great Britain, Being Brunel showcases the world’s most significant Brunel collection, celebrating the engineering genius who ‘built Britain’ and helped shape the world. The museum features six galleries setting out some 150 of Brunel’s personal artefacts – many had never been seen in public before - to provide unprecedented insight into his life, family, interests and creative mind.

Dockyard Museum
Travel through four time zones as you discover the SS Great Britain’s incredible history. Ranging from her beginnings as a luxury transatlantic ocean liner, then an emigrant clipper on voyages to Australia, and finally as a beached wreck in the Falkland Islands before her dramatic homecoming to Bristol in 1970. 

The dockyard museum contains many fun interactive displays. From a propellor lifting machine to a ship’s wheel. Explore our global stories database to discover the stories of passengers and crew on board the SS Great Britain. You may even discover a relative who travelled on board.

Whilst in the Dockyard Museum, why not step into Flash, Bang, Wallop! A Victorian photographic studio and dressing up experience - step back in time and travel across the world to a Melbourne photographer’s studio in 1852. The ‘Flash, Bang, Wallop!’ exhibition is just one of the many activities on offer to families when they visit Brunel’s ss Great Britain.

Discovery Talks
Attend one of our volunteer led Discovery Talks and hear unique stories on a wide range of topics. Hear how the SS Great Britain transported plants across the globe, learn what it was like to travel in steerage class and find out the stories of the women who travelled on board. Each talk lasts 25 minutes and gives a great insight into Brunel and the social history of the ship. 

Archive in Five
Get closer to history in the Brunel Institute as maritime curators and volunteers take you on a journey of discovery with precious items from the Archive Vault. 

Bloomberg connects
A new free app provides written and audio guides including the ship, Dry Dock, the Dockyard Museum and Being Brunel Museum. Text information can also be translated into google translate enabled languages.  

Gift Shop
A trip to Brunel’s SS Great Britain is not complete without visiting our onsite gift shop! Find your perfect souvenir or gift for a loved one inspired by our collections. Bring the memories of your day out home, from ship memorabilia to our unique Mr Brunel duck, there is something for everyone.