M Shed
Free museum in a former dockside transit shed on Bristol's harbourside, telling the story of the city's places, people and everyday life, with historic cranes, boats and trains outside.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
M Shed occupies a transit shed on Princes Wharf beside the Floating Harbour in Bristol. The name comes from the way the port once numbered its sheds. The museum opened in June 2011 and replaced the Bristol Industrial Museum, which had closed in 2006. The conversion of the shed was designed by Lab Architecture Studio and was supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The museum is run by Bristol Museums, part of Bristol City Council, and admission is free.
The displays are arranged in three main galleries, Bristol Places, Bristol People and Bristol Life, which look at the city through its landscape and buildings, the people who have lived there and the way they have worked and spent their free time. A separate gallery shows changing exhibitions. The collection includes around three thousand objects, from aviation material such as parts of the Bristol Brabazon and aero engines to the Wallace and Gromit models and the record decks of the Bristol band Massive Attack.
A number of exhibits are outdoors on the quayside and still work. The harbourside cranes, built in 1951 as a group of eight, and a steam crane of 1878 that could lift up to 35 tons are part of the collection, and historic boats such as Mayflower, Pyronaut and John King are moored alongside. The Bristol Harbour Railway runs steam train rides from the museum's platform on selected days during its season, which began in late March this year. About 700,000 people visited in the first year after opening.
Highlights
- Three galleries on Bristol's places, people and everyday life
- Working harbourside cranes and historic boats moored outside
- Steam train rides on the Bristol Harbour Railway on selected days
- Wallace and Gromit models and Massive Attack record decks
- Free entry with level access throughout
Permanent exhibitions
- Bristol Places – A gallery on the landscape, buildings and communities of Bristol.
- Bristol People – A gallery about the people who have lived in Bristol and the stories they tell.
- Bristol Life – A gallery on how people in Bristol have worked, shopped and spent their leisure time.
- Founded
- 2011
- Operated by
- Bristol Museums (Bristol City Council)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 595,604
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free and donations are welcome. Some working exhibits, such as steam train rides, are charged separately.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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
Level access to the entrances, galleries and café, with wheelchair-accessible lifts with tactile buttons in both foyers. Accessible toilets are on all floors, and the ground-floor accessible toilet has a free-standing adult changing bench and a hoist (a Changing Places style room). Assistance dogs are welcome. Accessible parking is available behind the museum at the Wapping Wharf car park and at The Grove, and there is a drop-off road at the rear on Museum Street. Cobbles and tram lines outside the entrance can be difficult for wheelchair users. A free Little Bag of Calm with ear defenders and fidget toys can be borrowed from reception, and a digital sensory map is on the website.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
Little M Shed is a play area for pre-schoolers with dressing-up clothes, books, a pretend shop and a transport table. An ABC trail can be collected from the front desk, and sessions for under-4s and family activities run during the year. Baby changing is available in one of the accessible toilets.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Broad Quay · 5-min walk
From Bristol Temple Meads station it is about a 20 minute walk. Buses to the city centre stop at Broad Quay, around five minutes' walk away. A ferry stop is at Prince Street Bridge on the harbour.
By car
Parking available
Two car parks are nearby: The Grove (BS1 4RB) and Wapping Wharf (BS1 4RH), the latter behind the museum. Accessible bays are in both. The nearest set-down point for coaches is on Cumberland Road, where no waiting is allowed.
- Accessible parking
A drop-off road at the rear is on Museum Street.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café opening onto the quayside, and a museum shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The museum is listed as a venue for conferences and events on regional tourism pages; details are not published on the visitor pages.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Good to know | Steam train rides on the Bristol Harbour Railway run on selected days and are ticketed separately. The museum also runs workshops for home-educating families. |
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