Discover life onboard and the history of one of King Henry VIII’s favourite warships via displays of valuable artefacts and interactive activities.
Experience what life was like for sailors on a Tudor-era warship at the Mary Rose Museum. With some 19,000 period objects and audio-visual displays, a visit to the Mary Rose Museum is a great day out for all ages. Come to the museum to be part of living British naval history.
Housed inside a huge boat-shaped building, the museum features the boat’s recovered wreck alongside state-of-the-art exhibits. Constructed around 1510, the Mary Rose served the British navy and Henry VIII for 35 years before it sank in battle. The ship’s recovery from the seabed in 1982 was one of the nation’s most notable feats of marine archaeology.
Look into the ship’s decks and hull from viewing galleries set at varying levels. On the recreated gun deck you can see how the ship’s weapons would have been positioned for battle. Collections of original personal items brought by the crew give an insight into life aboard this Tudor vessel. They range from carpentry tools, kitchenware and surgical instruments to coins, a nit comb and a wooden backgammon set.
The Battle of Solentexhibit retells the ship’s role in a naval battle between England and France and its unexpected fate. Handle bronze, ceramic and wooden items recovered from the seabed. See the skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s faithful dog.
Find the ship museum in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is a 5-minute walk from Portsmouth Harbour train station. Local buses stop close to the museum. Use the metered car parks at the dockyard if you travel here by car. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and The National Museum of the Royal Navy are other attractions situated in the dockyard.
The Mary Rose Museum is open daily and there’s an admission fee. Discounted tickets are available when purchasing in advance via the museum’s official website. Purchase the Premium Pass to benefit from a guided tour, souvenirs and discounts at the museum café. The Portsmouth Pass includes admission to other selected attractions in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
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