Fodor's Expert Review Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Portsmouth Historical

The city's most impressive attraction includes an unrivaled collection of historic ships, including the HMS Warrior (1860), Britain's first iron-clad battleship, as well as the Royal Navy's best-known warship, the HMS Victory which served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most celebrated naval hero at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and is still the ceremonial flagship of Britain's First Sea Lord. You can inspect the cramped gun decks, visit the cabin where Nelson met his officers, and stand on the spot where he was mortally wounded by a French sniper. There's also an interactive gallery that explores the ship's history and audio guides to take along your visit.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has extensive exhibits about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, a fine collection of painted figureheads, and galleries of paintings and mementos recalling naval history from King Alfred to the present. Action Stations, an interactive attraction,... READ MORE

The city's most impressive attraction includes an unrivaled collection of historic ships, including the HMS Warrior (1860), Britain's first iron-clad battleship, as well as the Royal Navy's best-known warship, the HMS Victory which served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most celebrated naval hero at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and is still the ceremonial flagship of Britain's First Sea Lord. You can inspect the cramped gun decks, visit the cabin where Nelson met his officers, and stand on the spot where he was mortally wounded by a French sniper. There's also an interactive gallery that explores the ship's history and audio guides to take along your visit.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has extensive exhibits about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, a fine collection of painted figureheads, and galleries of paintings and mementos recalling naval history from King Alfred to the present. Action Stations, an interactive attraction, gives insight into life in the modern Royal Navy and lets you test your sea legs with tasks such as piloting boats through gales. Boathouse 4 is a training center for traditional boatbuilding skills required to maintain and build wooden boats; it contains an exhibition that explores the role of smaller wooden boats in the Navy's history. HMS M.33 is one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence. You should allow one or two days to tour all the attractions in the Historic Dockyard. The entrance fee includes a boat ride around the harbor, and the all-attractions ticket is valid for one year.

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Historical Family Nautical Sight

Quick Facts

HM Naval Base
Portsmouth, Portsmouth  PO1 3LJ, England

023-9283–9766

www.historicdockyard.co.uk

Sight Details:
Rate Includes: £24 for one attraction; £34 for any three attractions; Ultimate Explorer Ticket £39 (includes HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, National Museum of the Royal Navy, HMS M.33, the Mary Rose Museum, Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum), Submarine and Explosion museums closed Mon. and Tues. in fall and winter

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