Portsmouth Historic Dockyard tops list as the South’s most fun educational attraction
19/06/2025
A recent study has found that Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the most fun educational visitor attraction in the South, and ranks 19th across the entire United Kingdom.
According to various scientific research papers, the human brain is more receptive to learning when having fun. Accordingly, a survey was carried out to discover which of the UK’s educational visitor attractions was the most ‘fun’ and therefore the best at helping people learn and remember scientific or historical information.
Looking at what visitors want from a fun and educational day out it’s no surprise Portsmouth Historic Dockyard came out on top in the South. With maritime history charting over half a millennium, and some of the most impressive and iconic historic ships in the world, offering visitors the chance to take on adventure everywhere they turn. The Dockyard encompasses such greats as Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, where you can take on the chaotic story of victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, the pride of Queen Victoria’s fleet HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose, a legendary example of maritime archaeology and icon of the Tudor era.
“This is great news, and a testament to the work of both ourselves and the Mary Rose Trust, as joint operators of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.” Matthew Sheldon, CEO of the National Museum of the Royal Navy
“We think Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the perfect mix of fun for all the family, while offering chances for genuine educational content, and it’s lovely to see people agree with us.” Dominic Jones, CEO of the Mary Rose
The survey was commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions and carried out by OnePoll. It asked 2,000 UK-based, adult full-time and part-time workers what the most ‘fun’ educational leisure attraction they’d visited in the UK was.
Saturn CEO, Chris Welsh, said:
“Every year there are tables of data about which visitor attractions are the most popular, but something that’s often overlooked is how much ‘fun’ they are. Both adults and children are more likely to learn and remember information if it’s part of a ‘fun’ experience, so we thought that it was important to find out which educational visitor attractions were most successful in making learning fun.
Our research found that nearly half of adults categorise something as being boring if it doesn’t have engaging activities. So, it’s no major surprise that so many of the highest-ranking educational visitor attractions in our research, like Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, have interactive exhibits and experiences on offer.”
The Ultimate Adventure Awaits
From submarines to shipwrecks, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the perfect day out for families who love to explore, get their hands dirty, and step back in time. Pack your curiosity and get ready for a day of fun-filled discovery. Take on a challenge with your little ones!