The National Maritime Museum is the largest museum of its kind in the world. A trove of maritime treasures, we have picked our top things to see during your visit. Book free tickets Image Find yourself on the Great Map Right at the heart of the National Maritime Museum, the Great Map is an ideal starting point for your National Maritime Museum adventure. Many of the main galleries lead off from this huge glass-domed space, or you could simply stop and stand on the map itself. Performance space, playground, place to relax – head to the Great Map for a chance to get your bearings. Find out more 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 Image 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. Find out more Image 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. Find out more Image Discover Turner’s largest painting JMW Turner’s The Battle of Trafalgar is the artist's largest work - and one of his most controversial. Depicting the famous naval battle, the painting hangs its own dedicated gallery. Take a look 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 Image Explore the AHOY! Children's Gallery Little sailors will have lots of fun in this playful and immersive space for under-7s. Stoke the boiler of a steamship, buy and sell fish in the marketplace, and make new friends in the interactive boatyard. Expect pirates, polar stories and plenty of adventures. Come and see Explore Britain's newest polar research ship Understanding the Arctic and Antarctica is key to understanding our changing planet. As global temperatures rise, ice melts and sea levels rise. What happens in the frozen north and south affects us all. That's where RRS Sir David Attenborough comes in. The state-of-the-art vessel is capable of breaking through the ice and sending submersibles down to explore the ocean depths. Poles Apart: Explore the World of RRS Sir David Attenborough is a brand new gallery at the National Maritime Museum that aims to shine a light on the challenges facing our polar regions, and the people striving to make sense of them. Find out more Image 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. Find out more 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 Image Choose your figurehead Figureheads are carved wooden sculptures that traditionally sat on the prows of sailing ships. With over 230 figureheads in the collection, including Medusa from the HMS Implacable, there's a wide range of creatures and styles available. Which one is your favourite? 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 Image 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. Find out more Image 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. Find out more Image 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. Find out more Keep exploring Visitor information Find opening times, tickets, travel information and maps to help you plan your visit to the National Maritime Museum Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum Shop Treasures of Royal Museums Greenwich £10.00 Beautifully illustrated and accompanied by extraordinary histories, this book is a celebration of 100 of the most important and exquisite objects in the Royal Museums Greenwich collections, including some of the most significant new acquisitions of the last ten years... Buy Now What’s On Events at the National Maritime Museum. Workshops | Talks & courses Saturday Art Club Join the weekly creative drop-in for young people aged 13-16 Saturdays from October - April | 10am-1pm Free National Maritime Museum Free displays Sea creatures: real and imagined See this beautiful banner created by Willow Dene School, inspired by maps and monsters in the National Maritime Museum Open daily | 10am-5pm Free National Maritime Museum Talks and tours Character Encounters Visit the National Maritime Museum every Saturday to discover a different character from history with their own fascinating story to tell Saturdays Free Entry National Maritime Museum Exhibitions Astronomy Photographer of the Year See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum Open daily | 10am-5pm Adults £10 | Concessions £6.50 | Children £5 National Maritime Museum Free displays | Identity Pioneers: A Renaissance in South Asian Creativity A series of portraits of South Asian creative individuals, on display at the National Maritime Museum. Are you ready to meet the pioneers? Open daily | 10am-5pm Free National Maritime Museum Exhibitions Our Connection to Water Life source, sacred ritual, scarce commodity? Seven artists share what water means to them at the National Maritime Museum Open daily until 25 February 2024 | 10am-5pm Free National Maritime Museum Family fun SENsory Sailors Come along and enjoy this brand new sensory play session for children with special educational needs Once a month on Saturdays | 11am-12.30pm Free | Pre-booking required National Maritime Museum Talks and tours | Member events Flamsteed lecture: Are We Alone? Are we the only technologically advanced beings in the Universe? Find out in this talk by Dr Robin Catchpole. Monday 11 December 2023 | Doors at 6.30pm, event starts at 7.15pm Free | Flamsteed Astronomy Society Members only National Maritime Museum 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 Talks and tours | Identity Seeing Ourselves: Sharon Walters in conversation with... Ekow Eshun Join artist Sharon Walters and writer / curator Ekow Eshun for a discussion exploring representation in museum spaces Wednesday 13 December 2023 | 6pm-8pm Pay what you can National Maritime Museum Family fun | LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ Family Network A safe space for local LGBTQ+ families to meet one another, get involved in creative activities for all ages and explore the stories within the collection 20 January 2024 | 10am-12pm Free National Maritime Museum Family fun | Christmas Members' crafting: Christmas stars Join us for a special Christmas themed craft workshop Sunday 17 December 2023 | 11am-11.45am, 12.15pm-1pm, 1.30pm-2.15pm, 2.45pm-3.30pm Free for Members – booking required National Maritime Museum Family fun Safe Harbour A programme for foster and adoptive families. Monthly: Next date 30 December| 12.30pm - 2.30pm Ticketed | Free National Maritime Museum Talks and tours | Member events New Members' Tour Embark on a voyage of discovery around the Museum in the company of one of our volunteer guides Various dates | 11am - 12pm Free | Booking essential National Maritime Museum Conferences Weaving Waves: The History and Conservation of Maritime Tapestries Join us for 'Weaving Waves', a symposium welcoming speakers and attendees interested in the curation and conservation of maritime tapestries. 12 January 2024 Adults £30 | Members, online, students, unemployed or underemployed, retired, early career researchers £20 National Maritime Museum Talks and tours | Member events Finding horror in the white spaces with Ally Wilkes Find out about the real-life - and terrifying - Antarctic expeditions and tales of the supernatural which inspired author Ally Wilkes Thursday 25 January 2024 | 6.30pm - 7.30pm Free for Members – booking required National Maritime Museum Events and festivals | Identity Lunar New Year Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a whole host of Lunar New Year activities, videos and performances Saturday 3 February 2024 Free National Maritime Museum 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 Events and festivals | Identity Women's History Month 2024 From fearless fighters to female activists, join us to celebrate the contributions and resilience of women throughout history Throughout March Free Entry National Maritime Museum Events and festivals World Oceans Day A family-friendly celebration of our ocean hosted at the National Maritime Museum Returning in 2024 Free National Maritime Museum Events and festivals Windrush 75 Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush's arrival in Britain, and find your own Windrush connection at the National Maritime Museum Throughout 2023 Free National Maritime Museum Events and festivals International Slavery Remembrance Day Explore the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and its abolition at the National Maritime Museum Returning in 2024 Free National Maritime Museum Visit the National Maritime Museum Discover epic stories of exploration and endeavour that have shaped our world today Book free tickets Find out more Royal Museums Greenwich Close Choose your tickets National Maritime Museum Guaranteed entry time Access to all free galleries and activities Paid exhibitions not included Free entry Book online BOOK NOW Special exhibition Astronomy Photographer of the Year The world's greatest space photography Over 100 images on display Entry to National Maritime Museum included Adult £10 Child £5 BOOK NOW Member tickets Free and fast-track Museums entry Priority booking Access using your membership card Membership card number required BOOK NOW Become a Member Unlimited entry all year Royal Observatory Cutty Sark Planetarium Shows Special exhibitions Direct Debit One-off Individual: £50 Individual: £60 Family: from £60 Family: from £70 JOIN TODAY