Royal Navy Museums: Submarines
Museum on Gosport's waterfront telling the story of the Submarine Service, with the Second World War era submarine HMS Alliance and Holland 1.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum began as a Submarine Branch Collection kept above a church in HMS Dolphin, the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, from 1963. The Ministry of Defence recognised it as a museum in 1967, and in 1978 it moved outside the naval base so that the public could visit. The static training submarine HMS Alliance was given to the museum at that time, and raising her out of the water and onto a cradle cost about 410,000 pounds.
The new museum complex opened in August 1981 with HMS Alliance as its main exhibit, and visitors were able to enter the submarine from 1983. In 2001 a climate-controlled building was opened for Holland 1, the Royal Navy's first submarine, built in 1901. The collection also includes the midget submarine X24, a German Biber and other small craft and diving equipment.
The museum is part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, which now brands its sites as Royal Navy Museums, and it forms one of the attractions linked to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard by the waterbus. Visitors explore galleries on the history of submarines from early experiments to modern operations, walk through HMS Alliance and learn how the crews lived and worked.
Highlights
- HMS Alliance, the sole surviving British submarine from the Second World War
- Holland 1, the Royal Navy's first submarine, built in 1901
- The midget submarine X24
- Galleries on the history of submarine development and the Submarine Service
- Waterbus link with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Permanent exhibitions
- HMS Alliance – The sole surviving British Second World War era submarine, now a memorial to submariners, which visitors can explore to see how crews lived and worked.
- Holland 1 – The Royal Navy's first submarine, built in 1901 and restored in 1982, displayed in its own building.
- Founded
- 1963
- Operated by
- National Museum of the Royal Navy
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £36 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £26free up to age 2 · Child ticket for ages 3 to 15; under 3s are free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers go free. |
| Groups (15+ people) | –Groups of 15 or more are welcome and can book through the museum. |
| Families | £120Two adults and three children; this is a one-year ticket for all Portsmouth Historic Dockyard attractions. |
| Family ticket, one adult and three children (1 year, all Dockyard attractions) | £99 |
| Three ships or museums (1 year) | £46For one adult, senior or student |
| Ultimate Experience (1 year, all Portsmouth Historic Dockyard attractions) | £51For one adult, senior or student; child ticket is £36 |
The online shop sells a 'one ship or museum' day ticket for the Submarine Museum at £36 for an adult and £26 for a child; the museum is also included in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard ticket. Gift Aid is claimed by the charity from HM Revenue and Customs and does not add a surcharge to the ticket price. Discounts sold at the gate on arrival include free entry for UK serving personnel and free entry for Art Fund National Art Pass holders; children with a Blue Peter badge get free entry with a full-price Dockyard ticket; offers cannot be combined.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Main visitor areas are step-free where reasonably practicable, and wheelchair access is provided to the galleries on the first floor of the main building and to the aft torpedo compartment of HMS Alliance, which is reached by a lift. HMS Alliance and Holland 1 involve narrow spaces, stairs, high steps and low ceilings, and Holland 1 is entered by a ramp and steps. The site has uneven surfaces of cobbles, decking, tarmac and concrete. The waterbus from Portsmouth cannot take wheelchairs. Accessible toilets with baby changing are available, seating is placed throughout the galleries, and assistance dogs are welcome. Visitors with access needs are encouraged to contact the museum in advance.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £120 · Two adults and three children; this is a one-year ticket for all Portsmouth Historic Dockyard attractions. |
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
The museum welcomes visitors of all ages. A buggy park is provided, and accessible toilets include baby changing facilities. The Dockyard family tickets also cover this museum.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
A waterbus runs regularly from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to the museum, daily in summer and weekends only in winter, but is not accessible for wheelchairs. The Gosport Ferry is a larger alternative in rough weather. The museum can also be reached on foot from the sister site, Royal Navy Museums: Explosion, a walk of 2 miles (about 40 minutes).
By car
Parking available
On-site car park, which closes at 16:45; cars left after that time risk being locked in.
Satnav address: Haslar Road, Gosport PO12 2AS.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is available to visitors; you must sign in and accept the terms. Snacks, sandwiches, drinks and ice creams are sold at the Visitor Centre, and during Hampshire school holidays hot snacks come from the Harbour Coffee Stop. Visitors can bring their own picnic. A buggy park is provided.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | A dedicated schools programme is offered. Groups of 15 or more can book through the museum. Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothing, as parts of the site are outdoors and cold in winter. |
