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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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
Play Tuesdays
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
Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition
Exhibitions

Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum
Open daily until July 2025 | 10am-5pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Character Encounters at the National Maritime Museum
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
Saturday Art Club
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
Safe Harbour
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 30 November 2024 | 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Ticketed | Free
National Maritime Museum
BSL Tour: Amazing Animals in Maritime History
Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Amazing Animals in Maritime History

Join historian and guide John Wilson at the National Maritime Museum, for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour about remarkable animals
Saturday 15 February 2025 | 1.15pm-2.15pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Pirates
Exhibitions

Pirates

Explore the myth, discover the truth: get ready for a major new exhibition coming to the National Maritime Museum in 2025
29 March 2025 – 4 January 2026
Tickets on sale soon
National Maritime Museum

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National Maritime Museum

  • Guaranteed entry time
  • Access to all free galleries and activities
  • Special exhibitions free in 2024
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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Become a Member

  • Unlimited entry all year
  • Royal Observatory
  • Cutty Sark
  • Planetarium Shows
  • Special exhibitions
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Individual: £50 Individual: £60
Family: from £60 Family: from £70
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