Ticketed

Essential Information

Type Talks and tours
Location
Date and Times Friday 28 March 2025 | 6.30pm-9pm l SOLD OUT
Prices Free for Members – booking required

Member exclusive. Not a member? Join now

Please note this event is now sold out

This event is now sold out, should you wish to be included on our waiting list, please email the Membership team at membership@rmg.co.uk with your name and the number of tickets you wish to reserve. 

Pirates at the National Maritime Museum traces the changing depictions of pirates through the ages and reveals the brutal reality behind the fiction.

The exhibition explores the perception of piracy in popular culture from comical characters like Captain Pugwash and Captain Hook to anti-heroes like Long John Silver and Captain Jack Sparrow  and examines why the idea of a pirate’s life still fascinates us today.

While often portrayed as swashbuckling scoundrels, the real history of pirates is far more complex. 

Pirates follows the global history of piracy from the South China Sea to the coast of North Africa, and explores the issues of modern piracy facing seafarers today. The exhibition illuminates real-life figures, including Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, William Kidd, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and reflects on how perceptions of pirates, both past and present, are shifting.

The exhibition opens on 29 March, but we are excited to invite our Members to a special preview evening prior to the public opening. Enjoy a drink and view this brand new exhibition alongside fellow Members.

Recommended for ages 7+

 

Not already a Member?

Join today for a host of exclusive benefits and events, including unlimited free entry to Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory, shows at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, and special exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum.

With Membership starting from as little as £50, what are you waiting for? Membership is your time to explore!

What’s On

Find more events for Members.

Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Tour

Embark on a voyage of discovery around the Museum with our volunteer guides
Various dates | 11am - 12pm
Free for Members | Booking essential
In Greenwich
Family fun | Member events

Members' crafting

Join us for exclusive craft workshops, just for Members.
Every other month | 11am-11.45am, 12.15pm-1pm, 1.30pm-2.15pm, 2.45pm-3.30pm
Free for Family Members – booking required
In Greenwich
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Lecture: The Battle of the Arctic

Join historian and author Hugh Sebag-Montefiore as he discovers forgotten heroes of the Arctic convoys
Thursday 13 November 2025 | 6.30pm-7.30pm
Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Delve Deeper tours: free tickets for Members

We're lucky to have secured a small number of tickets for our Delve Deeper tours at the Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre, just for Members
Thursday 13 November | 7pm-8.30pm (SOLD OUT)
Free for Members
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Lecture: Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic

Hear authors Mia Bennett and Klaus Dodds' vital account of the state of the Arctic today, the dangers of climate change and geopolitical competition
Wednesday 19 November 2025 l 6.30pm-7.30pm
Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Flamsteed Lecture: The Fermi Paradox - Where are the Aliens?

A Flamsteed Astronomy Society lecture with Professor Ian Crawford
Monday 24 November 2025 | Doors open at 6.30pm, event starts at 7.15pm
Flamsteed Members: FREE | Guests of Flamsteed Members: £15 | Royal Museums Greenwich Members: £12
National Maritime Museum
Experiences | Member events

Members' Experience: A Beginner’s Guide to Observing

Come along and begin your journey to observing the night sky on the historic Queen's House lawns
Wednesday 26 November 2025, Wednesday 21 January & Wednesday 25 March 2026 | 6.30pm-9pm
Free | Members only
Queen's House
Events and festivals | Member events

Members Christmas Party

Get in the festive spirit with us at this party exclusively for Members!
Tuesday 9 December 2025 | 6.30pm-8.30pm l SOLD OUT
Free | Members only
Cutty Sark