September 2011

A full programme of events for children and family visitors to the historic Greenwich National Maritime Museum (NMM) and Queen’s House (QH). For Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Peter Harrison Planetarium events please contact the Press Office on 020 8312 6790/6732/6545

September Highlights

The programme of school holiday events finishes in the first week of September, but there is still the chance to enjoy the final Sea and Me activities. The Sea and Me programme celebrates the opening of the Museum’s new Sammy Ofer Wing and explores what the sea means to the Museum’s young visitors. The standard weekly programme of family events also runs throughout September.

The Sea and Me

Summer school holidays, until Friday 2 September 2011

Visit the new Voyagers gallery and discover more about how the sea has played a central part in people’s lives throughout history and today, and add your connections to the sea with a programme of holiday activities. Alongside a display of beautiful objects and innovative digital displays, Voyagers also features a specially designed children’s play area.

The last time I saw the sea….

Make a 3D scene to remember the last time you saw the sea. Where were you? Who were you with? What were the sights and sounds around you? Drop-in workshop

Dates: 1 and 2 September
Times: 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00
Venue: NMM – Propeller
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Neptune: King of the Seven Seas

Explore the galleries with Neptune and find out why sailors in years gone by feared his oceans. Interactive performance

Dates: Friday 2 September
Times: 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00
Venue: NMM – Stanhope Entrance
Ages:Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Creative cargo: ideas trolley

The sea represents many things to many people and evokes a wide range of emotions. Explore how the sea affects people from different places and times by writing, drawing and talking about what you discover in the Museum’s new Voyagers gallery. Drop-in workshop.

Dates: Thursday 2 September
Times: 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00
Venue: NMM – Voyagers gallery
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Voyagers of discovery

Go on a voyage with people from history and create a story about how you would like to make a world-changing discovery about the sea. Family trail.

Dates: 1 and 2 September
Venue: NMM – collect a trail card from one of the Museum entrances
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission:Free

Weekly Events

Explore Saturdays

Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that will bring maritime history to life.

Dates: Every Saturday
Times: 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Discover Sundays

Be inspired by our maritime past and explore your personal connections to the sea. Ask staff where the activity is today.

Dates: Every Sunday
Times: 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Play Tuesdays

Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the Museum through making, music, dance and stories. Timed sessions: collect free tickets from the Admissions Desk.

Dates: Every Tuesday
Times: 10.30, 11.30, 13.00, 14.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for under-5s
Admission: Free

Galleries

All Hands and The Bridge Interactive Galleries

These family-friendly galleries are ideal for younger visitors, allowing them to explore maritime skills and technologies past and present, from deep-sea diving to steering a ship into port.

Step aboard ‘The Bridge’ and discover the art of navigation and communication at sea. Become the captain of a ship and try your hand at manoeuvring into port using the state-of-the-art bridge simulator. Equipped with the very latest technology used to train real seafarers, the simulator brings to life the excitement, difficulties, hazards and skills of handling ships at sea. You could find yourself at the helm of a fishing boat navigating buoys in New York Harbour, following a helicopter rescue mission to a sinking vessel, navigating a frigate into position off Sydney shores or steering a P&O ferry into port in Dover.

Over in the All Hands gallery, children can have a go at everything from sending a semaphore signal to cargo loading, and even firing a canon.

Admission: Free

General Information

• The National Maritime Museum opens at 10.00 daily.
• Until 4 September the Sammy Ofer Wing will operate extended opening hours until 18.00 daily (the rest of the Museum will close at 17.00 as normal). From 5 September the whole Museum including the Sammy Ofer Wing, will close at 17.00.
• General admission to National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House is free.
• Admission to the Royal Observatory’s historic Flamsteed House, Time Galleries, Meridian Line Courtyard and Meridian Building is £7 for adults (£5 concessions). Entry for children under 16 is free. An annual pass is also available for adults priced at £10 (£7.50 concessions); this pass allows visitors to return as many times as they like within 12 months for no additional charge. Admission to the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre which houses three state-of-the-art modern astronomy galleries is free of charge.
• All events included here are free of charge to all visitors unless stated.
• The Museum is located a short walk from the Cutty Sark DLR, and Maze Hill and Greenwich train stations. The closest tube stations are North Greenwich (to change to local buses) and Canary Wharf (to change to DLR), both on the Jubilee line.
• For updated information prior to visit please visit our web site: http://www.rmg.co.uk or phone (020) 8858 4422.

-ends-

Issued July 2011 by the National Maritime Museum Press Office.

For further information or images please contact:
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6545/6732 | 07960 509 802
Email: press@rmg.co.uk