The National Maritime Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the world.

The galleries and displays allow you to discover ships and boats of all shapes and sizes, voyage across the world’s oceans, and experience epic adventures of exploration and encounter. After your visit, the sea will never be the same again.

From historic treasures to family favourites, hidden gems to major exhibitions, get a taste of what you can see and do at the National Maritime Museum today.

Book free tickets

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A woman looks at a dress displayed in a glass case inside the Pacific Encounters gallery of the National Maritime Museum

Travel the world in the Museum's free galleries

Explore everywhere from the icy Arctic to the islands of the Pacific in the National Maritime Museum's permanent galleries.

recommended visitor route will guide you through many of the highlights of the Museum, including relics from the Titanic, and the uniform that Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar. Listen to the free audio guide on your phone to find out more about the stories behind the objects.

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Image of a small proportion of the Sun, which is lit up in golden yellow at the surface and moves to darker colours away from the surface. A golden plume of a coronal mass ejection is coming out of the Sun and flowing parallel to it.

Journey through the universe

Astronomy Photographer of the Year is an annual competition featuring the world’s greatest space photography. Photographers from across the globe compete to take home the prestigious title.

Now it's your chance to see their spellbinding work for free. The new exhibition is free for all visitors, and opens on Friday 13 September.

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A boy climbs a cargo net in the National Maritime Museum's new playground, with his sister looking on from the ground

Swing over to The Cove

Let your children's imaginations run wild at The Cove, a brand new outdoor playground next to Greenwich Park.

Clamber aboard the ship and take the wheel, spin on the compass roundabout, scramble through the mighty Kraken’s tentacles and come face to face with the giant Cutty Shark!

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Adi Yet the drua in the Pacific Encounters gallery

See a real Fijian canoe

Fijian canoes, known as drua, can only be built by members of the community who inherited the right to use their skills from their ancestors. See this one in the Pacific Encounters gallery, where you can discover the traditions, histories and cultures of the Pacific. Learn about encounters between Europeans and the Te-Moananui-a-Kiwa (people of the Pacific Ocean), and the legacies still felt today.

Chill out in the Polar Worlds gallery

Discover tales of polar exploration, and learn more about the indigenous communities that live in the Arctic and Antarctic.

In such a crucial time for climate change, come and discover more about this incredible region.

Step inside

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A model ship in a glass bottle in front of the National Maritime Museum.

Take a photo of the Ship in a Bottle

Yinka Shonibare's richly decorated replica of Nelson's ship HMS Victory is one of the most photographed artworks in London. But how did it get in that bottle in the first place? Try to work out the solution when you spy it outside the Museum café.

Marvel at Nelson’s jacket

The jacket that Nelson was wearing when he was shot and fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar is on display for free at the National Maritime Museum's Nelson, Navy, Nation gallery. If you look closely you can even see the hole in the fabric where the bullet entered.

Find out more

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A guide takes a tour group around the Museum

Uncover the stories behind our objects 

Our daily tours and gallery talks are the perfect way to discover the must-see highlights of the Museum, led by our friendly and knowledgeable guides.  

Whether you want to take part in our guided Treasures Tour; listen to extraordinary tales during our Gallery Favourites talks or delve into the past with our volunteer guides, come and embark on a voyage of discovery. 

Join a fantastic free festival

Vibrant Diwali celebrations, Lunar New Year lion dances, Windrush Day commemorations – the National Maritime Museum plays host to some truly memorable events throughout the year.

From major festivals to inspiring workshops, make sure you check our what's on listings to see what you could take part in.

See what's on

Find your connection to the sea

Ever felt the pull of the ocean, the tug of the tide? The hundreds of objects in Sea Things may help you understand why.

This gallery delights, tantalises and entertains with its focus on quirky, poignant and unexpected objects. It includes everything from a coat hook made from an albatross beak to a flotilla of ship models, talking sculptures, objects you can touch, and even a pocket watch worn by a victim of the Titanic disaster.

Come and see

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Research your ancestors

The Caird Library contains over 100,000 books, 20,000 pamphlets and 8000 rare books, which covers everything from the Royal Navy and piracy to shipwrecks and the two World Wars.

Want to discover more about your past? If you have family members who served or travelled on ships you can trace their history, and learn more about your ancestors. 

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A parent and child looking at model ships.

Sail back in time

At the end of the 15th century, Europe embarked on a new age of oceanic voyaging, crossing the Atlantic to reach the Americas and rounding the Cape of Good Hope to enter the Indian Ocean.

Over the next two centuries, England, later Britain, emerged as a leading maritime power, whose prosperity was intimately connected to the sea. The Tudor and Stuarts Seafarers gallery charts this story, and assesses the often violent consequences of the growth of empire.

What’s On

Events at the National Maritime Museum.

Image of a small proportion of the Sun, which is lit up in golden yellow at the surface and moves to darker colours away from the surface. A golden plume of a coronal mass ejection is coming out of the Sun and flowing parallel to it.
Exhibitions

Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily until 11 August 2025 | 10am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
A man dressed in period sailor costume leads a tour of the National Maritime Museum, with kids and parents following behind
Talks and tours

Character Encounters at the National Maritime Museum

Visit the National Maritime Museum every Saturday to discover a different character from history with their own fascinating story to tell
Every Saturday
Free
National Maritime Museum
Close-up shot of a person's hands as they use a felt-tip pen to draw an intricate pattern on a small piece of wood
Workshops

Saturday Art Club

Join the weekly creative drop-in for young people aged 13-16 during term time at the National Maritime Museum
Saturdays from October 2024 - April 2025 | 10am-1pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
The gold hilt of a sword against a dark fabric background. The outline of a human skull has been digitally superimposed on to the right side of the hilt, creating an unsettling central motif
Exhibitions

Pirates

Explore the myth, discover the truth: Pirates at the National Maritime Museum is now open
Open daily until 4 January 2026 | 10am-5pm
Adult: £15 | Student: £11.25 | Child: £7.50
National Maritime Museum
Adults and children enjoying a storytelling session.
Family fun

Play Tuesdays

Bring your under 5 on a different adventure every week! Explore the Museum together through song, dance and stories
Term time Tuesdays | 10.30am, 11.30am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm
£4 per child and accompanying adult | Under 6 months free
National Maritime Museum
A group of four with adults and children participating in a craft.
Family fun

Safe Harbour

Safe Harbour is a series of free workshops created to provide a safe space for foster and adoptive families with children under 13 years
Monthly: Next date 28 June | 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Ticketed | Free
National Maritime Museum
Sensory Sailors
Family fun

SENsory Sailors

Come along and enjoy this brand new sensory play session for children under 13 years with special educational needs
Once a month on Saturdays | 11am-12.30pm
Free | Pre-booking required
National Maritime Museum
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Family fun

Discover Sundays

Each Sunday come and explore the Museum's collection through hands on creative activities
Term time Sundays | 11am - 1pm | 2pm - 4pm
Free | Drop-in
National Maritime Museum
The gold hilt of a sword against a dark fabric background. The outline of a human skull has been digitally superimposed on to the right side of the hilt, creating an unsettling central motif
Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Pirates

Join John Wilson for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of our Pirates exhibition at the National Maritime Museum
Thursday 15 May and Saturday 1 November 2025 | 2pm-3pm
Adult: £15 | Student: £11.25 | Child: £7.50
National Maritime Museum
Girls doing craft
Family fun

May half term at the National Maritime Museum

Find fun for all the family at the National Maritime Museum this May
24 May – 1 June 2025 | 11am-4pm
Free | Drop in
National Maritime Museum
A child holds her mother's arm as they both peer curiously at a small crab held in front of them
Events and festivals | Ocean Court

World Ocean Day

A family-friendly celebration of our ocean at the National Maritime Museum
Saturday 7 June 2025
Free
National Maritime Museum
Robbie Atatoa at Pacific Encounter Gallery
Workshops

Spotlight on Polynesian traditional crafts: Mangaian carving

Join distinguished Mangaian carver and cultural educator Robbie Atatoa as he leads a special workshop
Wednesday 11 June 2025 | 12.30pm-4.30pm
Adult: £7 | Student: £5 | Child: £5
National Maritime Museum
Group of people sitting facing away from camera on yoga mats on the floor which is a giant map, looking towards instructor
Experiences | Ocean Court

Movement on the Map: Yoga

Get moving on the new Ocean Map with some gentle yoga sessions
Friday 13 June 2025 | 9.30am
Free
National Maritime Museum
photo with a model of a woman, standing on a map and a canvas tent behind her, like an animation
Events and festivals | Refugee Week

Maritime Migration: Film Screenings and Panel Discussion | Refugee Week 2025

Join us for this special event to mark Refugee Week as we explore migration through a series of short films and a discussion with panelists who address this migration through their work.
Friday 13 June 2025 | 6.30pm-8.30pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
A portion of the Ocean Map at the National Maritime Museum showing major port cities around Asia and Africa
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Tour: Ocean Map

Join Tim May, Curator of Maps and Mobilities, to learn how the new Ocean Map was developed and about the deeper history of ocean-centric cartography
Monday 16 June 2025 l 11am-12pm
Free for Members
National Maritime Museum
Close-up view of a woodblock-style illustration of pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Bonny is in the centre holding a lamp, while Read is off to the right
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Lecture: Pirate Queens

Join Dr Rebecca Simon to delve deeper into the lives of two of the most infamous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who terrorised the Caribbean in and around Jamaica
Thursday 19 June 2025 l 6.30pm-7.30pm
Free | Members only
National Maritime Museum
Image of two women standing at a table, one is wearing a bright pink outfit and one a yellow top. They are both smiling at someone slightly off camera. They are inside a museum with a glass roof.
Events and festivals | Ocean Court

Windrush Day 2025

A day of creative workshops, informative talks and discussion to explore the significance of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and the legacies of the Windrush generation
Saturday 21 June 2025 | 11am - 4pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Photograph of the entrance to the National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals | Member events

Members' Summer Party

Join fellow Royal Museums Greenwich Members for a fabulous evening at the National Maritime Museum
Tuesday 1 July 2025 l 6.30pm-8.30pm (Sold out)
Free for Members – booking required
National Maritime Museum
Events and festivals

Teachers' Evening 2025

Celebrate the end of term at the National Maritime Museum and find out about schools sessions, resources, CPD and project opportunities at all Royal Museums Greenwich sites
Thursday 3 July 2025 | 4.30pm-7pm
FREE for UK school teachers and educators
National Maritime Museum
A group of people stretch their arms to the side
Experiences | Ocean Court

Movement on the Map: Tai Chi

Find your flow in these gentle sessions on the Ocean Map
Friday 4 July 2025 | 1pm-1.30pm and 1.45pm-2.15pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Portrait photo of the band Blue Machine, featuring the group of four stood on board historic ship Cutty Sark
Events and festivals | Museum Lates

Ocean Songs

Live music at the National Maritime Museum celebrating our ocean planet, its mythology, natural wonders and as-yet-undiscovered depths
Friday 11 July 2025 | 7pm and 8.30pm
£10
National Maritime Museum
A dance leaps beside Nelson's Ship in a Bottle sculpture
Events and festivals | Ocean Court

Rhythm!

Go with the flow at our vibrant dance festival, inspired by the ocean and movement
Saturday 12 July 2025 | 11am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
A mother and daughter sit on the Great Map during World Ocean Day at the National Maritime Museum
Family fun | Ocean Court

Ocean: above and below

Dive into an ocean adventure at the National Maritime Museum this summer!
Daily except Mondays | 23 July - 31 August 2025
Free
National Maritime Museum
A Black man wearing green sunglasses and a geometric patterned top stands contemplatively by the River Thames
Events and festivals | Ocean Court

International Slavery Remembrance Day

Explore the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition at the National Maritime Museum
Saturday 23 August 2025 | 11am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
A drawing of a Royal Naval Auxiliary tanker seen in starboard-quarter view, turning in the River Thames off Greenwich. In the background is the Old Royal Naval College. There is a black smoke coming out of the top of the boat
Conferences

Britain, Conflict, and the Sea conference

This conference seeks to explore the ways in which modern Britain has been shaped by ideas and practices of maritime war.
Friday 12 September 2025 9am-5.45pm | Saturday 13 September 9am-3.30pm
Adult £50 | Postgraduate Researcher/Student £25
National Maritime Museum

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National Maritime Museum

  • Guaranteed entry time
  • Access to all free galleries and activities
  • Astronomy Photographer of the Year currently included
Free entry
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Special exhibition

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

  • The world's greatest space photography
  • Over 100 images on display
  • Entry to National Maritime Museum included

Currently free

No need to book

Member tickets

  • Unlimited free entry
  • Priority booking and exclusive events
  • Access using your membership card
Membership card number required
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  • Unlimited entry all year
  • Royal Observatory
  • Cutty Sark
  • Planetarium Shows
  • Special exhibitions
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