SS Great Britain, Museum ship in Bristol, England
The SS Great Britain sits in a dry dock and displays a 98-meter iron hull with a screw propulsion system that was new when it was built. The site includes the restored ship, a museum area in the adjacent dockyard, and spaces dedicated to engineer Brunel.
The ship was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843 to carry passengers across the Atlantic. It later transported more than 16,000 emigrants to Australia during the gold rush of the 19th century.
School groups and families often visit together to learn about steam navigation through guided tours and hands-on workshops. Visitors walk through crew quarters and passenger cabins that show how differently people traveled depending on their class aboard.
Entry is valid for one year and covers all areas of the ship as well as the exhibitions in the Dockyard Museum and the Being Brunel gallery. Visitors should wear solid footwear since the stairs on board are steep and the decks can be uneven.
The ship sits in the same dry dock where she was built in the 1840s. A glass plate at water level seals the dock, and a thin film of water over it makes the iron hull appear to float. Below the plate, visitors can walk under the hull and see the propeller and rudder from beneath.
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