HMS Victory

About the museum

HMS Victory was ordered in 1758 during the Seven Years' War as a first-rate ship of the line with 104 guns, and was launched at Chatham in 1765. Because the war was ending, she spent her first years in reserve. She saw action in the American Revolutionary War and in the French Revolutionary Wars, and in 1803 Admiral Horatio Nelson raised his flag aboard her as commander of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Victory is best known as Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson was fatally wounded during the fighting, and visitors can stand today where he fell. After Trafalgar she continued in service and later served as a harbour ship at Portsmouth from 1824.

In 1922 the ship was moved into dry dock at Portsmouth, where she has been preserved ever since. She remains in commission as the flagship of the First Sea Lord and is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Visitors board her at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where the National Museum of the Royal Navy is carrying out the most extensive conservation project in her history. Work began in 2022 and is planned to last at least ten years, with scaffolding on and around the ship and some areas temporarily closed or restricted.

Highlights

• The decks where Georgian sailors ate, slept, worked and fought
• The place where Nelson fell at Trafalgar
• Historic cabins where major moments in history unfolded
• Victory Gallery with objects and stories linked to the ship
• Conservation work visible while the ship stays open

Permanent exhibitions

• HMS Victory – Explore Nelson's flagship from the upper deck to the hold, including the cabins and the place where Nelson fell.
• Victory Gallery – Personal stories, key moments and recent discoveries that show the wider world of HMS Victory.

Founded

1922

Operated by

National Museum of the Royal Navy

Admission & discounts

The day ticket covers one ship or museum of your choice; HMS Victory is one of the Dockyard's ships. Tickets with Gift Aid include a voluntary donation. UK serving personnel with a valid MOD90 card enter free on the gate, and several other groups, such as veterans and Blue Light cardholders, receive a 20% discount on walk-up tickets. Art Fund National Art Pass holders receive free entry to the Dockyard attractions.

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

HMS Victory has steep stairs, rope handrails, low ceilings, narrow and low doorways, low light and uneven floors, which can be slippery on the upper decks when wet. Wheelchair users can reach the Lower Gun Deck, where a video tour may be shown, and audio guides are available. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed from the visitor centre; booking is recommended. Accessible toilets with baby changing are in Boathouse 4, Boathouse 7 and the Mary Rose Museum. Fifteen disabled parking spaces are about 400 metres from the entrance. Most galleries have hearing loops, and audio transcripts or large print can be requested. Assistance animals are allowed everywhere, and carers receive a free ticket.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Children under 3 are free and children aged 3 to 15 pay a reduced price. Pushchairs are not allowed on board any of the ships; buggy parks are outside HMS Victory and by the harbour tours. Baby changing facilities are in the accessible toilets in Boathouse 4, Boathouse 7 and the Mary Rose Museum.

Getting there & parking

The Dockyard is less than 5 miles from junction 12 of the M27; follow the brown and white signs to Historic Dockyard. Coach parking can be arranged with the sales team.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available to visitors; users sign in and accept terms. Cafés in Boathouse 4, Boathouse 7 and the Visitor Centre; the Royal Navy Museum Shop and other shops on the site. Bags are searched at the entrance and large suitcases are not allowed; items removed are held at the visitor centre.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Venue hire is offered by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Plan your visit