Mary Rose is the most fascinating story presented at the Portsmouth Dockyard. It is done through a…read morevery modern engaging museum, with multimedia introduction and well interpreted artifacts, as well as the huge portion of hull.

This was a highlight of my most recent trip to the U K. My wife and I spent Christmas in London…read morewith our daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren eight and five. My son-in-law and I are history buffs and decided that we had always wanted to see the Victory and Mary Rose so we were going to travel down to Portsmouth, spend the night and see the various ships on display. We all had some misgivings about leaving our comfortable VRBO in London and taking the train to Portsmouth but we did it anyway and we were glad we did. We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express located a short walk from the museum area. You can enter the dock area which houses the Victory, Mary Rose, Warrior, and other museums free but you have to buy a yearly pass to actually visit anything on exhibit. The pass lets you see everything and is well worth the price. The Mary Rose fascinated everyone including the children. The various artifacts give you a real sense of everyday life in the middle of sixteenth century England. The layout was absolutely fantastic. Even the kids enjoyed it. I was less impressed with the Victory. It was not well maintained and the layout wasn't informative. Too bad because the potential is so great. Don't miss the Warrior and the various museums. Our two days there was really not enough time. BTW the new British Aircraft Carrier Queen Elizabeth was there but of course we could not tour her.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must visit for history nerds and boat lovers...not so much for…read moreeveryone else. You'll get to see amazing historic ships, going back over 500 years of of Royal Navy history. HMS Victory: The Royal Navy's flagship that led the important Battle of Trafalgar, which the French Navy was put to shame during Napoleon's destructive wars. Arguably the most famous warship in British history. It's barely holding together as much maintenance and restoration ongoing work continues, but you still can decks and learn about life onboard during the Georgian era. The Mary Rose: King Henry VIII's flagship, which sank in 1545 and was famously salvaged in 1982. The museum showcases the preserved half hull and thousands of artifacts recovered from the wreck, offering a unique glimpse into 16th-century sailor life. Be sure to watch the 4D video! HMS Warrior: was the world's first iron-hulled, armored warship, built in 1860. Its still incredibly well preserved and structurally sound...as it never saw a single battle! Still very cool seeing how modern it felt compared to the older ships. £46/$62 3 Attraction Ticket: as fun this all was, it is really expensive for what you get, so minus one for that.

Saw Spanish galleon not original but has been made as a replica but still good not quite the victoryread more

I have put A-Ok as I have not visited the new facility where the Mary Rose is now situated, it…read morelooks like underneath a boat turned up side down. I have not watched the film that you see in the Mary Rose Shop. However I have been in the Shop, few knick knacks, not lots thought

Situated on the harbor looking out to the Naval yards across the water in Portsmouth is this…read moretreasure of a museum. Clean, well staffed and organized, this small museum is packed with power. Each exhibit has been extensively thought out and presented with audio, visual and an artistry that is rarely seen in a museum of this size. Things are hung from ceilings and below foot peaking out through glass, video and interactive stations abound and wall carvings worthy of awards complete your walk through the history of fire power. They ask that photos not be used on commercial sites, but I can tell you that the people carved into the walls are wood, metal and brass, and the floor to ceiling sculptures are extraordinary. Top all of this off with a cafe that makes their own scones and lasagna, and this museum rushes to the top of my worldwide must see list. It has won many awards for good reason. They know how to teach the public in an eye-catching and engaging manner. Three jolly cheers and five stars for Explosion!

This is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and has been turned into a museum. It also…read moreserves several ceremonial duties. The USA's claim of the oldest commissioned warship (USS Constitution) is qualified as the oldest commissioned warship afloat since the Victory has been in dry dock since 1922. The Royal Navy has put considerable effort into preserving her and making her accessible for tours. It is well worth the visit and includes a free audio tour recounting Admiral Horatio Nelson's crucial victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Victory is under years-long maintenance, but the interior is barely affected and that's the…read morehighlight. It has been incredibly restored to the condition at the time of Nelson. The included audio guide does a great job in both exploring the ship and setting the context of the Battle of Trafalgar.

An offshoot of the Royal National Armoury collection housing a wide range of cannon and field…read moreartillery from the age of Henry VII through to Saddam Hussains mega cannon . Set in the vast Victorian fortress Fort Nelson which is more than worth a visit itself as a classic example of fortress design . Very good displays . Best of all it's totally free .

This is a great Museum to take the family. The Museum is free and there's plenty of free parking…read more You can explore the ramparts and tunnels, it covers the history of artillery and they have a reasonably priced cafe.

This was so interesting and I think very well done!! The staff were all very welcoming and the…read moremuseum was not crowded (we went during the week).

A lot of information extremely laid out. A lot of personal stories too. I was not aware of the…read morepersonal sacrifice. A lot of people made in Southampton for the sea let alone the shipyards and the Titanic. All the staff easy to talk to and encouraged us to keep looking around.

The HMS M.33 is a fascinating minor attraction in Portsmouth Harbour. The "M.33" moniker goes back…read moreto its production in WWI - where smaller ships weren't deemed worthy of getting a name (like Enterprise, Victory, Endeavour, Supreme Bleeding Product of Royal Incest of York, and the like) - instead, those "inferior vessels" were just referred to by a character and a number. The M.33 was one of six such ships - made to fight in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign - and the *only* ship that has survived. In fact, it is one of just British three warships from WWI that did. It is part of the tremendous "Portsmouth Historic Dockyard" experience (It also includes the HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, and the HMS Alliance, plus several museums) which offers at least a couple of days worth of exciting sight-seeing for adults as much as more the smaller fry. First things first: If you want to do all of the Portsmouth Harbour attractions in one day (better make it the full day, i.e. 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the summer and to 5 p.m. in the winter), make sure to book the "all attractions" ticket *ONLINE*, which will save you money: E.g. the single adult ticket costs UKP 32.00 on the door, but just 25.60 online. The HMS M.33 as an individual attraction alone costs UKP 10.00. The latter is not great value! While the HMS M.33 is by far the smallest of the four vessels in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard experience, it is by no means without interest. War isn't just about being slaughtered on glorious, prestigious flagships - it's about being slaughtered aboard small, "insignificant" vessels, too! - A visit (only small groups of about 20 people or so each are allowed on the ship at the same time, and there's a brief introduction by one of the guides before you're being left to your own devices exploring the ship) shouldn't take more than 30, 40 minutes. The HMS M.33, which after Gallipoli was further employed in the Russian Civil War of 1917 and beyond, has been painstakingly restored to a condition that not only includes its (modest) selection of cannons, but even the daily chaos in the kitchen and such minor, everyday details have been carefully re-created. Which adds to the fun. All the decks are accessible, and there are guides around on each who you can ask questions about the ship and its history. The HMS M.33 is just a stone's throw from the harbour's premier attraction, Lord Nelson's HMS Victory. So when you're basking in the memory of a significant, triumphant slice of naval history - why not spend half an hour on a centuries later, significant, non-triumphant (for the British anyway) slice of naval history as well?! Recommended.

The Brits plundered many fascinating archeological artifacts from around the world, and the…read moreBritish Museum displays some of the most famous, such as the Rosetta Stone. Admission: free Time budget: minimum 4 hours Free WiFi is available Plenty of clean bathrooms Caution: The museum has no air conditioning. I visited during a rare heat wave, and the museum was a sweat box. Also, if you don't like crowds, you won't like this museum. It gets packed early. Pre-opening tour: The museum offers for UK $35 various pre-opening tours. I took the Greece pre-opening tour. Pros: Small group of 20 before the unwashed masses crowd into the museum. Tour guides are knowledgable. Guides may offer extra time at no charge (e.g. 15-20 minutes extra). Cons: My tour guide did not enunciate or project his voice, so much of the tour was unintelligible.

How is this place free?!?! As they state themselves, it is the greatest collection of stolen items…read moreanywhere...lol. Meaning there are artifacts from countries all around the world. You do have to register for timed tickets ahead of time to get in. We got some just a few days before and they didn't check for times as we were almost an hour late. It was super crowded and getting through the queue took about 10 minutes. Once inside, we knew we had to move fast since they close at 5pm and you could spend all day here. The information booth was helpful as they gave us a map with the option of hitting the highlights, which was perfect for our amount of time. The items from the Easter Islands were my favorite and the library room right when you walk in was cool too. Of course the Rosetta Stone was amazing as well! There is food and a gift shop inside so get an early time and spend the day here.

Lots of bones! Plenty of old stuff! Great turn-of-the-century over-the-top ornate architecture!…read morePlan on an hour unless you're hardcore. Ride the escalator into the middle of the earth to find out what music is playing inside. See extraordinary taxidermy handiwork. Even see a fake dodo bird thought to be an adjacent species that didn't exist. And if you like dinosaurs this is your Mecca. Just don't dare sit anywhere like on some stairs in the corner or some overzealous guard will kick you right out. But otherwise you'll have a great time. Also enjoy the outside grounds for a stroll, and hit up the West entrance for zero lines while the hoards line up on the other side.

Housed in a grand and impressive building, the NHM is well curated, with impeccable displays, and…read moreit's free. However, a donation of £10 is HIGHLY suggested as you enter. As with all London museums, there is security checking all backpacks, but this museum was checking for alcohol! When you see all the school teens sitting on the stairways (perhaps waiting for parents to pick them up?), then the alcohol check is understandable. Out of all the displays, my favorite was the dimly lit Treasures room. Each piece exhibited tells an important story beyond what you actually see like an Iguanodon tooth from the Mesozoic strata and found by Gideon Mantell (or his wife) and the rivalry that ensued between Mantell and Owen, who later usurped Mantell's contribution in discovering the first known dinosaur species and shaping the early understanding of dinosaurs. While I find the digital text for each display as being the true treasures, only 1-2 people can read at a time so you feel a bit rushed if you're a person (like me) who reads everything, yet people are behind you waiting their turn. In addition to the wonderful displays, there is a photo booth whereby you can have 3 photos taken against a green screen depicting a dinosaur encounter. What they don't tell you upfront is that the photos are NOT free and can be downloaded (depending on the package you choose) from £12 to £22 pounds. When I asked the staff for information on particular exhibits, I found them to be more than helpful and friendly, too. Allow time for this expansive gem.