Cutty Sark
A historic tea clipper in dry dock at Greenwich, where visitors walk across the decks, explore the cargo hold and stand beneath the hull.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Cutty Sark was built in 1869 as a tea clipper, a fast sailing ship designed to bring the new season's tea from China to Britain. She was among the fastest ships of her time, and her owner, Jock Willis, gave her a figurehead of the witch Nannie from a Scottish poem. When steam ships took over the tea trade, she was used on other routes before her working life ended.
The ship was preserved and, in the 1950s, placed in a dry dock beside the River Thames in Greenwich, where she became a museum ship and one of the best-known sights of the river. A large conservation project followed after a fire on board in 2007, and the restored ship reopened in 2012. She is now raised above the dock floor so that visitors can walk beneath the hull as well as across the decks.
Today Cutty Sark is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, together with the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory. On board, visitors learn about the crew, the captain's cabin, life at sea and the trade the ship served, with costumed characters and family activities at set times.
Highlights
- Main deck, mast and rigging
- The cargo hold, once used for tea
- The captain's cabin and the crew's quarters
- Walking beneath the hull in the dry berth
- Figurehead Nannie the witch
- Cutty Sark Characters, who tell the ship's stories
- Operated by
- Royal Museums Greenwich
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £22 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £16.50Students with valid ID |
| Children & teens | £11free up to age 3 · Ages 4–15; children under 4 go free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A carer accompanying a disabled visitor is admitted free; the carer ticket can be added online to any paid ticket. |
| Students & apprentices | £16.50Valid student ID required. |
| Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass (Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory) | £38Adult price; child £19. |
| Afternoon tea with Cutty Sark admission | £43Adult price; student £38, child £33. |
| £3 ticket for visitors on Universal Credit | £3Offer for visitors on Universal Credit; see the Royal Museums Greenwich website for conditions. |
Members of Royal Museums Greenwich enter free. The museum's pages also mention discounts for Art Fund National Art Pass holders, Museums Association members and English Heritage members. Tickets can be bought online in advance, which is recommended, or at the admissions desk.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description
The ship has five lifts (two platform lifts in the dry berth, one inside the ship and two in the access tower), but the lower hold has narrow, dim sections and several staircases of 12 or more steps, and only one wheelchair user can be on each deck at a time. Wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge if booked in advance but cannot leave the ship, and staff cannot push them. Accessible toilets are in the dry berth and at the top of the access tower. Hearing loops are at the admissions and shop desks but not inside the ship. Free audio guide in the Smartify app (22 chapters, including a BSL version), large print guides, tactile exhibits with braille labels, regular BSL tours, a sensory map and ear defenders are available. The ship is a registered dementia-friendly site. Five Blue Badge bays can be pre-booked in the National Maritime Museum car park.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
Children can meet the Cutty Sark Characters on weekends in term time, use play boxes and activity kits around the ship, play interactive games and touch the hull. Ship Mates offers sensory sessions for children under 5, and there are family activities in school holidays. Buggy parking is in the dry berth.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Cutty Sark DLR station · 2-min walk
Cutty Sark DLR station is a two-minute walk from the ship, and Greenwich and Maze Hill are the nearest National Rail stations. Greenwich Pier, next to the ship, is served by Thames Clippers and sightseeing boats. Buses 129, 177, 180, 188, 199 and 386 stop near Cutty Sark.
By car
Paid parking
A secure car park at the National Maritime Museum (Park Row, SE10 9NG) opens to visitors at weekends, bank holidays and school holidays, with limited weekday spaces, from £14 for the day. The council-run Cutty Sark Gardens car park (SE10 9HT) is the nearest town-centre car park.
- Accessible parking
Greenwich Foot Tunnel emerges outside Cutty Sark. Only cars may use the National Maritime Museum car park.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Lockers
Cutty Sark Café in the dry berth beneath the hull (sandwiches, cakes, cream teas and children's dishes) is for ticket holders only. Lockers cost £1. Gift shop on site.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
The ship and its dry berth are among the Royal Museums Greenwich venues that can be hired for dinners, receptions, concerts and weddings.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The free audio guide runs on the Smartify app; download it beforehand and bring headphones. Talks, tours and BSL tours run on selected dates, and volunteer explainers are on board during the week. Follow the recommended route from the lower hold up to the main deck and then down to the dry berth. Bookable advance tickets give a guaranteed entry time. |
