Want to continue the post-Coronation fun? Ready to explore incredible underwater worlds or make new (four-legged) friends? Then Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has everything you need for a magnificent May half term!
We’ve got brand new exhibitions, amazing activities, and world class attractions all within easy reach of Portsmouth’s main travel hub. Whatever the weather we have something for everyone to enjoy, so read on to our handy guide of what’s new at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this May.
Best for: Technologically inspired Tudor buffs and big-screen story lovers
Let’s start with the big one – Dive the Mary Rose 4D is a must see for anyone visiting Portsmouth Historic Dockyard!
This brand-new immersive experience uses incredible tech to take you under the water, where you’ll see for yourself the wonder of uncovering the Mary Rose from the seabed, just as the original divers did. This show truly earns it’s 4D credentials, as not only will you see everything in 3D on the big screen, but you’ll also really feel wind and bubbles as you journey from above to below the waves. Honestly, words cannot describe this experience, it’s truly a matter of seeing it for yourself!
Entry to Dive the Mary Rose 4D is included with a valid ticket. Please be aware that this attraction may experience high demand so plan accordingly.
2. Join the Conservation Crew (26/05/2023 to 04/06/2023)
Best for: Science fans and bug collectors
Ships like HMS Victory look impressive, but they take a lot of looking after. Uncover the skills needed to keep them looking as good as the day they were launched with the Conservation Crew. Find special stations dotted around the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Identify insects, clean coins and ensure that the artefacts are safely stowed away for future generations.
The Conservation Stations can be found in the Victory Gallery of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower throughout May half term. A valid ticket to these museums is required.
Best for: Sea-faring explorers and salty sea-dogs
What’s better than a life at sea? Well, we can’t actually offer you that, but you can enjoy a fantastic 45-minute tour around the harbour included with our Ultimate Explorer ticket. Set sail from the jetty next to HMS Warrior and take in the stunning views as you journey across the water. Get up close to some of the awe-inspiring ships that call Portsmouth Harbour home. As you make your way around, you’ll get a live tour from the captain, who’ll talk you through our various vessels as well the stories from the dockyard’s history.
Access to the Harbour Tour is weather-dependent so please check on the day.
4. Keep bad humours at bay with your very own Tudor pomander (29/05/2023 to 02/06/2023)
Best for: Budding herbalists and craft-loving perfumers
Learn all about petals, peppercorns, and pomanders with Tudor Apothecary Craft at The Mary Rose Museum. Inspired by the real-life discovery of the original ship’s surgeon’s equipment (try saying that 10 times fast), get hands-on with the medicine, Tudor-style. Learn all about the Mary Rose surgeon and how he treated the ship’s crew with his weird and wonderful remedies; then use your new-found skills to make your very own pomander, a Tudor method of keeping bad smells and ‘humours’ away, using dried flowers.
Activities take place at the Mary Rose Museum Learning Centre. A valid ticket to the museum is required for entry.
5. Uncover some animal adventures from the high seas (various dates across May/June)
Best for: Animal lovers and puppet pals
Meet some of the four-legged friends that accompanied sailors on their travels around the world with our roaming puppeteers, telling the stories of some of the Royal Navy’s cutest crewmates. Find these pioneering pets in the Victory Gallery, Nelson Gallery, Sailing Navy Gallery, and HMS Gallery of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, every Sunday throughout May, as well as 28 May, 3 June, and 4 June.
A valid ticket to the National Museum of the Royal Navy is required.
6. Discover a Tudor Wise Woman’s secrets (27/05/23 to 03/06/23)
Best for: Wanna be witches and inquiring mindsÂ
Want to know what life was like when too much knowledge as a woman could find you at the wrong end of a pitchfork? Meet the Tudor Wise Woman and uncover her secrets as she used knowledge of herbs and flowers to help cure the sick. You’ll find her travelling through the Mary Rose Museum galleries, telling stories of healing the sick during Tudor times and how her life walked a fine line between helpful healing woman and being accused of witchcraft!Â
A valid ticket to the Mary Rose Museum is required for entry. Â
Best for:Â Conscientious conservators and nautical history buffsÂ
See one of biggest conservation efforts the National Museum of the Royal Navy has ever undertaken with Victory Live: The Big Repair. This incredible experience allows you to get under the skin of HMS Victory and see the cutting-edge science involved in ensuring that she is preserved for future generations. After that take a walk underneath HMS Victory through our new under hull walkway and view all 3600 tonnes from a totally unique angle.  Â
Entry to HMS Victory, Victory Live: The Big Repair, and HMS Victory Under Hull Walkway are included with a valid ticket.Â
Want to enjoy Portsmouth Historic Dockyard all year round?
Then the Ultimate Explorer Ticket is the best value option for 12-month entry to all the attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard plus the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, both a short hop over the water in Gosport.  Â