We had a free day in Greenwich and decided to visit the National Maritime Museum. As with most of the museums in the London area, this was a FREE attraction. The museum has plenty to offer - BOTH for adults and for kids. There are a number of kid-centric areas and exhibits to entertain the younger set. We spent about 2 hours in the museum and could have easily spent 2 more hours. There are a lot of exhibits - both educational and histroic in nature. The staff is great - pleasant, helpful and very knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the National Maritime Museum. read more

The Maritime Museum was one of our stops while on our trip; it's free to enter and offers a number of historical exhibit pieces to browse. We had gone around the time they opened and had the opportunity to explore without many others around. All and all, it took us maybe 2 or so hours to walk around. There are many employees around the museum who are happy to answer questions and chat with you. This is worth a stop if you have time, but it is a bit further out from the other sites in London. read more

One of the main destinations, for those of us stretching our legs from one of the river cruises. The Cutty Sark is also nearby. Quite a bit to take in, journeying through the displays and artifacts of Great Britain's Maritime history. Bring your walking shoes. But after maybe one hour, we were ready to make our way back out. Admission is Free read more

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This was such a dogshit museum, if it had cost any money it would've been 0 stars. Why is there a large open space with a map on the floor? Who cares about a map of the ocean. I don't want to talk about the seagulls but they needed some work. read more

Maritime offers a nice educational experience near Greenwich Park. It's free so that's also a huge positive. The staff are helpful and welcoming, and there are plenty of areas for children to learn at various ages. Grab some food at the cafe, and plan for an hour at least to wander. We'll return. read more

Ever wonder why 'The Sun Never Set on the English Empire'? Every history buff needs to remind themselves of the realm of power-projection and reaching out to every point of the known planet .. .. Well laid out, and a super-neat place to bring kids, a terrific half-day out .. .. With the ROYAL OBSERVATORY & CUTTY SARK just steps away, there is toms to do .. .. And, when you're ready for food, heads towards the charming GREENWICH MARKET where there is nary a chain restaurant to be seen .. .. And, by the amount of lunch crowd milling about, I bet that food is really good! read more

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This a beautiful (and free!) museum in Greenwich is full of maritime artifacts. The museum is very well laid out and a great opportunity to learn about the history of travel and exploration of the sea! There is a huge map in the center of the museum that is a fun picture opportunity. I made the mistake of walking in 40 minutes before the museum closed, and I'll definitely be back! read more

National Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

The "Titanic Memorial Garden" is representative of my experience with the National Maritime Museum - I was under-whelmed. The Memorial Garden is a simple narrow plot along the north wall of Greenwich park on the grounds of the National Maritime Museum. It had a cracked sign and poorly tended Peace Roses surrounded by Rosemary and Purple Sage (interesting that I have these three plants in my yard at home). Looking at it I thought "this could be so much more". My thoughts on the Maritime Museum were similar - I enjoyed going but kept thinking it could be better. The National Maritime Museum (also referred to as The Maritime Galleries) is also associated with the Royal Observatory and the Queens House. We visited the Galleries and the Observatory. It is possible to visit all three in a single visit. And like most museums in the London area, access if free. So you definitely get your moneys worth. There were some impressive exhibits in the Galleries and the building is rather large, so there is plenty to see. It seemed to me to be scattered a bit - and the large number of yelling schoolchildren got on my nerves after a while. The Observatory is pretty cool also, but there is not a lot to see and the crowds are pretty large. Everyone wants their picture on the Prime Meridian. NOTE: since my visit in 2009, the Galleries have been expanded with a new wing and new Titanic exhibits. And along with that, the Titanic Memorial Garden has had the broken sign fixed and the roses have been better tended (having seen more recent pictures). Part of the fun that day was taking the boat ride from London to Greenwich and exploring the area. So the day as a whole was a lot of fun. So my recommendation is if you are in downtown London, is to take one of the River buses to Greenwich and arrive by the Thames river. Heck, it's the Maritime center, of course you would arrive by river. Then spend the day exploring Greenwich - working your way to the Maritime Galleries and Observatory, with a stop at the Queens House. Then work your way back through town to the docks for the return ride home. And stop at a pub for a pint an the way back to the river bus. read more

National Maritime Museum - Anchor's Away - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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This was a very interesting day out. I'm not usually a museum lover, but this one was quite lovely. The exhibits were interesting and the place is light, bright, and very enjoyable to visit. I'm so glad I went. read more

Free museum at the foot of Greenwich hill. England is an island and a major sea power. So my expectations were already quite high. I was not disappointed. From the 9+ ton anchors outside to the water displays inside, this is the best place to learn about the sea and the people who float upon it. Neat exhibits. Details on the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas that explain why Brazilians speak Portuguese and the rest of Latin America speak Spanish - blame Pope Alexander VI. The stern decorations from the Implacable (1800) - originally a French ship that was captured by the Brits. The shiny steel Miss Britain III (1933) that was the first to exceed 100 mph on open water. A massive brass propeller. Several displays of rather boring stuff (to me - others might find it more exciting) include a collection of naval swords and ships badges. Certainly worth an hour or two of learning. If you're in Greenwich, stop in here. read more

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The National Maritime Museum is a wonderfully fun and educational activity for adults and kids alike -- and it's free! The museum offers a ton to see and do, and you can easily spend a couple hours here. Learn about Britain's naval history, travel to the Caribbean and the Pacific islands, and even explore uncharted waters in the Arctic and Antarctic. There are some kid-focused activities too, including a large open play area on the top floor by the cafe perfect for running around and burning off steam. Overall a fun place to visit! read more

I love coming to museums as a grown up. I appreciate them so much more now that I am not at school. Then you feel like education is being forced upon you; now I choose to learn. Having said that, the school kids who had come to this Maritime museum were having a great time. Almost a whale of a time, boom boom. I enjoyed myself too. The museum is free to get in, but leaving a donation is most welcome. It is not huge, but very informative. I have fascinated by the sea, and there is information about every little bit of the ocean, from the different types of waves and tsunamis, to the different types of life living at various depths of the ocean. Other parts of the museums include artefact's from Britain's seafaring and naval past, and an in depth look at polar expeditions which took place in the late 19th Century. When museum fatigue sets in, there is a large upstairs seating area, complete with a Paul's bakery. I rested my weary legs here, before going back downstairs to find out more about Britain's strong connection to the sea. read more

National Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

This is a very dull, very socially 'woke,' and very 'politically correct' museum. Some interesting artifacts, but the focus of the museum is not on the simple fact that Britain was the greatest maritime power in history, for centuries. Instead, it focuses on the evils of slave trade, and plastic pollution in the world's oceans. Almost no military content at all, as if the Royal Navy is something to be ashamed of. I've been there twice, once by myself and again with my family, only because we were staying in the Greenwich area. It is free, so I can't complain. But overall, I found it to be very read more

Especially since it's free, the National Maritime Museum is a great place to bring the family. read more

National Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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A wonderful building in a wonderful setting. What a chance to showcase the awesome history of the world's most significant maritime power. Yet it falls flat. In fact, it never even gets going. There's no sense to the place. No timeline or order. Rather, there are random displays of modern small boats, giant propellers and way too many models in a nation that has actual ships. There are a few rooms dedicated to specific themes (slave trade, spices) or timelines - but these are usually thin on WOW. The board of this museum needs to radically change things up. Not for me. But for the 20 centuries of Islanders who've taken to the sea here. Their stories aren't being told with vim, vigor or wow. read more

Really good museum where you have to go too for your culture. The entrance is free but the other expositions are not free and it's a little bit expensive. The museum is clean and well maintained with beautiful pieces. A cafe is at your disposal in case your want. read more

National Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

This museum is in a great setting and had some interesting things to see but the layout isn't easy to navigate round at all. We ended up walking back through areas we'd already walked round and missing other bits out because we couldn't work out how to get to them. For a Sunday afternoon with no other plans, it's not bad, and it's free so worth a look but I've seen much better museums with more interactive displays that engage with you more. I'd suggest not planning hours here but if you're in the area on a rainy day you could have a stroll around it. read more

Great location, pretty building, interesting artefacts... but the layout is really awkward and makes it difficult to connect everything together. The pieces that are in the museum are interesting, however the museum is quite sparse and everything is laid out really far apart from each other. The most memorable piece in the museum is the coat that the Lord Nelson was shot in. You can still see the bullet hole... read more

Having lived in Canary Wharf I've come to appreciate the relative quiet of the Docklands. As part of my tour of London museums I again found myself at the Cutty Sark on a random Tuesday. The Maritime Museum could be slightly hard to find without Google Maps; more signposts would've been helpful. Once in, guests are greeted with larger than life naval artifacts: a beacon of a lighthouse, restored figure heads once mounted on the bows of mighty ships, and also models of boats both civilian and military. Most interesting to me was the trade gallery, chronicling the flow of goods between Europe and the world, including the rise and fall of the East India Company, competition with its Dutch rival, and the political fallout from the opium and slave trade. Lots to see, lots to learn. read more

It was hot. It was a bit unsophisticated. A lot of things weren't so interesting. But I got to see Admiral Lord Nelson's ponytail. 18th-century foppish WIN! read more

Very nice museum to visit next time you're in the area. There's a lot more than you expect after. Much of it is interactive which keeps it interesting (and brings in the children). They have special exhibits on usually which cost £9 for an adult ticket, but the rest of the museum is free. I especially enjoyed some of the model boats and the giant map of the world on the second floor. Something about seeing it laid out so big grave you an idea of the true size of things. read more

Hmm. The pros: It's free. It's in Greenwich which is beautiful. There are some cool mastheads and astrolabes. Some interactive touchscreen jobbies. The cons: It's hot. It's bare-bones. The new Titanic exhibit is one tiny room. No coherent flow to the place. One room is 1805, the next is 1941. Did I miss a room in between? Nope, sure didn't. The boat simulator was broken. I think that about covers it. read more

I went last night to a Maritime Halloween event.It only cost £8 (adults only). It was a tour of certain parts of the Museum's naval history, looking at Nelson, War Medals and Crew at sea. It sounds boring but it wasn't.I loved it, you were given a complimentary rum cocktail on arrival (I got 2)and the best curator's who knew their stuff, very informative and fun at the same time. I would definitely go again next year. read more

National Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

Had a lot of fun taking part in one of the museum's late night openings - there was a big mystery event being run for Halloween - so while I didn't get to see the actual museum properly (although at least now I know I want to go back!). So upon arriving, I got a free shot of Pusser's Rum while waiting for the event to start. When we got going, it was an interactive mystery that had you speak to actors to try to track down where a missing item went. While this might seem a bit dull, there were several highlights - for example when giving a certain piece of information to one of the security guards, it began a set piece where they went and talked to another guard. There were also clues to decipher as you went around from objects and papers - one lark was using a blacklight to read papers in the dark and working out the clues from those. In the end, we never even got close to answering the overall puzzle, but we had a great deal of fun trying to! read more

For a maritime nation with such a rich heritage of seafaring, I can't help feeling that the national maritime museum is a missed opportunity and could be so much better. I've been here twice and was somewhat disappointed with the content. I am interested in Maritime history and present but somehow it didn't interest me much. Some random exhibits and themes that don't really deliver on content. It all needs overhauling and updating. The museum is an imposing building with a big space so the potential is so much higher. By way of comparison, I visited the Liverpool maritime museum which is streets ahead of the national museum in Greenwich. Museum of London or Imperial war museum do a much better job with a lot more depth to the exhibits. Maybe it's lacking in funding. Whatever the reason it could be much better. read more

Considering London's selection of World class museums and the magnificent building this museum this is housed in, this could be a lot better than it is, but it's certainly fine if you come with the right expectations. There is a large amount of play areas for kids and interactive "exhibits" so this is probably a rather good outing if you're a family with young children, but the museum on the whole is more focused on activities than history. I enjoyed the wall of figureheads and a few relics from the Napoleonic era, but found myself not really able to linger, as I was almost crowd-surfing out on the wave of children running through the place. *Family* fun, adults might want to miss this and enjoy a stroll around the magnificent buildings outside instead. read more

So, let's see here. I remember it was free when I went. That was pretty great. Especially when you're a Canadian in London and a loaf of bread costs you $8 CAD when the exchange rate isn't in your favour. Being a huge history nerd, I appreciated seeing a British-spin on the famous naval battles of history. I was used to seeing an America-centric spin on everything. The part of the museum showing off artifacts from the American Revolutionary War (the staff at the museum told me Brits call it "The War of Those Traitors' Independence" [that's a bad joke]) was unusually tiny - I felt like a lot of Americans would get a kick out of it, as most American museums I've visited would normally have an entire building devoted to that war. I also felt that Canadians would get a kick out of the artifacts from the War of 1812 - the one where Canadians and Brits burned down the White House. That's another event in history where I was all too used to seeing an "AMERICA ROCKS!" perspective in museums. Anyway, it was pretty cool, it was pretty cold that day, and it was pretty free. Oh, and a word to any other Quebecois people reading this - if you get bored, a statue of James Wolfe claiming "WOLFE - CONQUEROR OF QUEBEC" sits a stone's throw away. It's a great place to sit down and weep after visiting the museum. Side note: If you hate museums and/or hate history and/or hate maritime activities, then you will hate this museum. You will also hate this Yelp review as it has nothing to do with your interests. read more

When I visit a museum, I want to see artifacts which help me to understand the period in question. So what did I remember, the trade with India and China, the Battle of Jutland, WW1, Nelson and his fight against the French, and the slave trade. Some of the artifacts were just fantastic like Nelson's uniform which he wore while dieing, to prints of how slaves were stored in the holds of ships during the transport to their destinations. Weekends can get quite busy. read more

The National Maritime Museum is a breezily nostalgic institution tucked in behind the old hospital in Greenwich, at the foot of the gorgeous Greenwich Park. It's certainly not for all tastes, but anyone with an interest in the conduct of nation and of empire on the high seas (and consequently anyone at all curious about the tactical history of the British Empire) should thrill at what they'd find here. I am one of them, although I must confess that the endless nautical ephemera can get a bit fatiguing. I have thus learned to take my time and exit when I'm over it. It's free, after all. read more

Wow! There's so much to learn in this museum about the UK's rich naval history. It really does a great job of explaining how the UK used naval power in becoming a great empire. If you have 3 hours, I would highly recommend a visit here. And best of all, it's free! read more

Fun museum to visit with children. Our toddler (and we!) liked the big map upstairs, the play area, the big ships, and the kids play time session with the museum staff. The museum is surrounded by a large beautiful park and is a nice walk to the Greenwich prime meridian. I'd strongly recommend this museum to anyone with kids under 10! read more

The museum cafe is so bad. My chicken was terribly dry--almost too dry to choke down. The chips were cold. The only edible part was a small Greek salad. My husband's sausage roll was barely seasoned, overcooked on the edges and undercooked in the middle. The crust was stale. If you come to the museum (which is lovely), definitely pack a picnic for the park. I would not recommend that my worst enemy eat in the cafe. read more

If your time in London is short, don't waste it here. The museum is nicely done, and very kid friendly, but it's a very hard location to get to and from, and not worth the time it takes to do so. I would have enjoyed being elsewhere more. read more

Free admittance, but the London Pass gets you into one paid exhibit free. The entry hall is a little 'whatever' and sterile but as you experience the other exhibits you have more in depth exhibits. Most notably the Holocaust exhibits made to experience the full potential of it all. read more