SS Great Britain Museum

Address: Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol BS1 6TY, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.ssgreatbritain.org

Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (check website for seasonal hours)

Admission: Adult admission approximately £18-20 (check website for current prices)

SS Great Britain is a mid-19th-century iron-hulled steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843, now preserved as a museum ship in Bristol, England. It is recognised for its pioneering iron construction and screw-propeller design.

The attraction centres on the restored hull and dock, with access to reconstructed passenger and crew spaces, and a visitor centre that presents the ship’s engineering, transatlantic and emigrant service, and later history. Exhibits cover construction, voyages and the salvage and restoration programme.

Built by the Great Western Steamship Company under Brunel’s direction, the ship served as a transatlantic passenger liner and later on emigrant routes; after several decades of service it was decommissioned and eventually scuttled overseas before being salvaged and returned to Bristol for conservation. The vessel underwent a major salvage and restoration programme in the 1970s and subsequent decades to create the present museum.

The ship is located in the Great Western Dockyard on Bristol’s Floating Harbour, within the city’s historic dockland redevelopment.

• Designer and launch: Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843, notable as one of the first large ocean-going iron-hulled, screw-propelled steamships.

What to See#

• The ship: Restored iron-hulled steamship preserved in a dry dock at the Great Western Dockyard, displaying the original hull, propeller and reconstructed interior spaces including passenger saloons and crew areas.
• Museum and dock: Visitor centre and museum around the dry dock that interpret the ship’s construction, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s design, 19th-century ocean travel and the vessel’s later history and restoration.

SS Great Britain sits in Bristol Harbour at the Great Western Dockyard, a short distance west of Bristol city centre. The nearest major rail hub is Bristol Temple Meads station - it’s a walk of around 20-30 minutes (about 1-1.5 miles) along harbour-side roads to the museum, or a short taxi ride; from central Bristol (Harbourside/Piazza area) it’s typically a 5-15 minute walk. If driving, the site is within a couple of miles of central Bristol and clearly signed from the A4/M32 approaches; on-site visitor parking and nearby public parking are available.

• Buy a timed-entry ticket online and arrive at opening time - the ship and dock are busiest mid-morning and at weekends, so an early slot gives quieter access to the decks and exhibitions.
• Enter via the main Great Western Dockyard visitor entrance on Gas Ferry Road (the museum complex) to pick up maps and audio guides before boarding the ship; the dry dock setting and visitor centre displays are part of the experience and are best seen first.
• Allow extra time to explore the dry dock and restored interiors - many visitors breeze through the decks but miss the ship's dockside exhibits and interpretation panels that explain Brunel's engineering and the ship's later history.