Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre
Museum in the Georgian Royal Dockyard Chapel telling the story of Pembroke Dock, its flying boats and the ships built at the royal dockyard.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre is run by the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust, a registered charity founded in 2006. The Trust’s first aim was to recover and preserve a Short Sunderland Mk 1 flying boat, T9044 of 201 Squadron, which sank at its moorings in a gale in November 1940 and still lies in about 65 feet of water off the town’s waterfront. It is believed to be the only surviving Mk 1 Sunderland.
The museum opened shortly after the restoration of the Royal Dockyard Chapel in 2008. The chapel was completed in 1835 and is a Grade II* listed building described by the Trust as the only surviving Georgian military chapel in the UK. In 2017 the Trust widened its purpose from the flying boats to the whole history of Pembroke Dock, the only Royal Dockyard in Wales. The museum became fully accredited in July 2023.
Displays cover the dockyard and the military presence in the area, the Sunderland flying boats, and ships built in the town over two centuries, including the royal yachts and, famously, the Millennium Falcon prop for The Empire Strikes Back. A major exhibition looks at HMS Erebus, the ship built at Pembroke Dock that was lost in the Arctic on the Franklin expedition. The centre is staffed by volunteer guides and also holds talks, community events and the annual Falcon Fun Day.
Highlights
- HMS Erebus: from dockyard to discovery exhibition
- Short Sunderland flying boat displays and replica cockpit
- Pembroke Dock Memorial Window
- Millennium Falcon scale model and prop section
- Grade II* Royal Dockyard Chapel
Permanent exhibitions
- HMS Erebus: from dockyard to discovery – Artefacts, a cabin reconstruction and a scale model of the wreck of the Arctic exploration ship that was built at Pembroke Dock.
- Sunderland flying boats and the Memorial Window – The flying boats that protected convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic, with a replica cockpit and the Pembroke Dock Memorial Window honouring wartime personnel.
- Ships built at Pembroke Dock – Models and displays on vessels built at the dockyard over two centuries, including royal yachts and the Millennium Falcon.
- Founded
- 2009
- Operated by
- Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6Concessions |
| Children & teens | £4.50free up to age 6 · Ages 7 to 17; under 7s are free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | £4.50 per personGroups of 10 or more, booked in advance. |
| Families | £16Large family ticket: 2 adults and 2 children aged 7 to 17. |
| Small family ticket (1 adult and 2 children aged 7–17) | £10 |
Pay on entry; there is no advance booking except for groups of 10 or more. Gift Aid tickets are valid for re-admission for one year. Prices may vary during temporary exhibitions and events.
Accessibility
- 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
All public areas are step-free, with ramp access to the main door and flat paved routes from the car park. A unisex accessible toilet is near the main entrance and seating is available on request. Some display cases have low light levels for conservation reasons. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £16 · Large family ticket: 2 adults and 2 children aged 7 to 17. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
Free activity sheets and discovery trails, a dressing-up box, a replica flying boat cockpit with a video simulation, and child-height storyboards featuring the museum mascot Pembroke Duck. There are half-term family days and an annual Star Wars-themed Falcon Fun Day on the last bank holiday of May. Baby changing is in the ground-floor accessible toilet and breastfeeding is welcome. Dogs are welcome, with a maximum of three in the museum at a time.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Albion Square · 5-min walk
Trains from Swansea, Carmarthen and Tenby terminate at Pembroke Dock station, about a 15-minute walk. Buses 349 and 356 from Haverfordwest and Milford Haven stop at Albion Square, less than five minutes’ walk.
By car
Free parking
Free on-site car park with accessible spaces and room for coaches. When the car park is closed to vehicles for works, roadside parking is available on Commercial Row and Albion Square, with pedestrian access through a small gate on Commercial Row.
- Accessible parking
By road, follow signs for the Ferry Port on the A4139; the car park entrance is beside the dockyard wall, next to blue railings.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Coffee Bar with locally roasted coffee, teas, cakes and snacks, open to visitors without a museum ticket. Gift shop with books and souvenirs. Free Wi-Fi throughout the building; the password is shown at the Coffee Bar.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
A ground-floor meeting room seats 8 to 10 people boardroom style, and the Main Gallery can host about 20 people boardroom style or more in theatre style. Guide prices start at £10 per hour for the meeting room.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Volunteer guides welcome visitors. Group visits (10 or more, booked in advance) and coach tours are welcome, and school visits can be arranged by phone or email. |
