Diving Museum
Museum of diving history in a Victorian gun battery at Stokes Bay, Gosport, with five galleries of helmets, suits and diving equipment.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Diving Museum is run by the Historical Diving Society, a charity founded in 1990 to research the history of underwater exploration and to preserve related archives and objects. The society opened the museum in 2011, and it describes it as the only museum of its kind in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated with the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
The museum occupies No. 2 Battery, an earth-covered Victorian gun battery on the shore of the Solent at Stokes Bay, Gosport. The site has links to the history of diving: Gosport is associated with the Deane brothers, who made a commercial dive off the Isle of Wight in 1832.
The collection covers diving from ancient times to the present day, including bells, chambers and atmospheric diving suits. It is arranged in five themed areas: Pioneers, Military Diving, Commercial Diving, Sport Diving, and Communication and the Body. A prototype helmet used by the Deane brothers is a key exhibit, and a historic observation chamber and objects bequeathed by a former chairman of the society are also shown.
Highlights
- Prototype helmet used by the Deane brothers
- Atmospheric diving suits, diving bells and chambers
- Five themed areas from early helmet diving to sport diving
- Historic observation chamber
- Setting in a Victorian gun battery on the Solent shore
Permanent exhibition
- Diving through the ages – Five themed areas cover pioneers of diving, military, commercial and sport diving, and the science of diving, with helmets, suits, bells and chambers.
- Founded
- 2011
- Operated by
- Historical Diving Society
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £8.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £7.50Seniors, students and visitors with disabilities |
| Children & teens | £5.50free up to age 4 · Youth ticket for ages 5 to 17; youth concession for visitors with disabilities is £4.50. |
| Visitors with disabilities | £7.50 |
| Groups | –Group rates for 10 or more people are available on request. |
| Families | £23Two adults and up to three children. |
Members of the Historical Diving Society enter free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Entry is up a short flight of steps, and a platform lift has recently been installed. Some areas can only be reached by steps; staff help on request. Public toilets, including an accessible one, are right outside the museum. The adjacent car park has 11 disabled bays. Dogs are welcome on a lead.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £23 · Two adults and up to three children. |
A Learning Zone for children offers puzzles and fact games. The family ticket covers up to three children. The museum took part in Kids in Museums Takeover Day in 2025.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Stokes Bay Home Park (bus 5)
Bus 5 (Gosport to Southampton) stops outside at Stokes Bay Home Park; bus 9 (Gosport to Fareham) stops at Bay House School, a few minutes' walk away. The nearest stations are Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour; from Portsmouth Harbour take the Gosport ferry and then bus 5 or 9 from Gosport Bus Station.
By car
Parking available
A public car park is next to the museum, with 11 disabled bays.
- Accessible parking
From the M27 leave at junction 11 (Fareham) and follow signs via the A27 and A32 to Stokes Bay; the museum is at the western end of the bay.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
There is no café in the museum, but a beachfront café is next door.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photography is welcome, and visitors may share their photos. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum is cool inside, so warm clothing is advised. Group visits outside opening hours and evening events can be arranged by email. |
