HMS Belfast

About the museum

HMS Belfast is a Royal Navy light cruiser launched in 1938. She served in the Second World War, taking part in the Arctic convoys that carried supplies to the Soviet Union, and on 6 June 1944 her guns were among those that bombarded the Normandy beaches on D-Day. Later she served in the Far East.

After the ship left active service she was saved from scrapping and brought to London, where she has been moored on the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge since the early 1970s as a floating museum. She is now run by the Imperial War Museums.

On board, about 950 people once lived and worked in a ship with its own chapel, bakery, sick bay and radio station. Visitors climb ladders and pass through hatches to see the engine and boiler rooms, the operations rooms known as the Nerve Centre, the mess decks, and the gun turrets, and an audio guide is included in the ticket.

Highlights

• Engine and Boiler Rooms
• The Nerve Centre, the ship's operations rooms
• D-Day Experience in a gun turret
• Mess decks, bakery, chapel and sick bay
• Captain's chair and the flag deck
• Stokers' Café and the rooftop bar

Permanent exhibitions

• Engine and Boiler Rooms – The machinery spaces deep in the ship, with a soundscape that recreates the noise of the engines.
• The Nerve Centre – The operations rooms where the crew used radar, radio and intelligence systems to direct the ship.
• D-Day Experience – A sound installation in a gun turret about the morning of 6 June 1944.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Imperial War Museums

Visitors per year

approx. 240,769

Admission & discounts

Standard prices valid 2 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. Online prices with a 10% voluntary donation (Gift Aid) are £29.50 adult, £14.75 child and £26.55 concession. IWM members enter free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

Wheelchair users can reach the main deck, quarterdeck, boat deck and café, but the upper and lower decks are not accessible because of the nature of the ship. There are six steps or a ramp at the entrance, and a lift to the quarterdeck takes a combined weight of up to 275 kg. The rooftop bar is reached by a lift in the admissions building. A gender-neutral accessible toilet with baby changing is in the shop building. Three manual wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge, and staff cannot push them. There is no Blue Badge parking for visitors. The audio guide includes a BSL option with captions and audio description, and an induction loop is at the ticket desk. Sensory backpacks and ear defenders can be borrowed. Trained assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family activities with clues and nautical puzzles run every weekend and daily in school holidays. Children can climb ladders, duck through hatches and sit in the Captain's chair. Pushchairs are only allowed on the exterior decks and can be left on the quarterdeck, so they are best left at home if possible. Children's birthday parties can be booked.

Getting there & parking

A Santander Cycle docking station is 0.3 miles away on Tooley Street; there are bike racks outside London Bridge station.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

Stokers' Café and The Bar at HMS Belfast, with riverside views of Tower Bridge. There are no cloakroom or locker facilities, and visitors with suitcases, wheeled luggage or large bags cannot be admitted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Venue hire is offered through IWM's commercial team.

Plan your visit