5 reasons to take your kids to visit SS Great Britain, Bristol

Things to do with kids in Bristol: SS Great Britain review

I’ll be completely honest.  When I received an email inviting my family and I to visit the SS Great Britain in Bristol I was going to politely decline, assuming that it wouldn’t be suitable or a particularly fun day out for my young sons (3&6).  My eldest son has recently visited with school so I also didn’t think he would want to visit again.  It turns out I was very wrong…  “Mummy that ship changed the world.  It’s brilliant you will love it.  The inside of the ship smells gross and a man shouts at you with a funny voice when you try to open his toilet door!” 

Well if that didn’t change my mind nothing would!

I’m so pleased that my son did convince me to accept the invite because we had a brilliant family day out.  SS Great Britain and the new Brunel Museum was nothing like what I’d expected at all.  The exact opposite in fact.  I was worried that my hubby and I would spend the day reminding our boys not to touch exhibits and stay close to us.  In reality the attraction is very child friendly with lots of hands on interactive fun and space for kids to explore freely.

If like me you need convincing to take your kids to visit SS Great Britain read on!

Things to do with kids in Bristol: Five reasons to visit SS Great Britain

Explore SS Great Britain inside and outside

You don’t need to be a engineer to be impressed with how well the ship has been preserved since she was rescued from the Falkland Islands in 1970.  At the time it was feared she wouldn’t last six months as her hull was so corroded, so it’s incredible to think that she now attracts 175,000 visitors every year after her extensive and ongoing restoration.

We started with a walk around the Dockyard and then went under the glass ‘sea’ to the dry dock to get up close to the ship’s original iron hull.  It was fascinating to see the giant dehumidification machine at work preserving the hull by keeping the air dry.

Next we heading to the Dockyard Museum to read about her adventure filled life carrying the wealthy as a luxury liner, the Australian gold rush of the 1850’s where she made 32 voyages carrying emigrants around the world and her role in two World Wars.  To be honest I could have stayed in the museum for hours reading stories by crew members and passengers but my eldest was acting as our guide, enthusiastically pointing out everything he had learnt during his school visit.  He couldn’t wait for us to take on a new identity and explore the inside of the ship.

Just before we boarded SS Great Britain we had to choose a character we wanted to be from 36 different boarding cards.  It was fun to learn about our new character from facts gathered from ships records and personal diaries.  Of course I chose a first class passenger and I was so glad I did after our very realistic tour below decks where it really did feel like we had stepped back in time!

The highlight of our day was exploring the upper and lower decks of the ship.  My boys were very amused seeing, hearing and smelling how the lower class passengers and crew travelled down below decks.  They were running about pointing out a mother giving birth to her baby and the ship’s doctor performing a very realistic operation.  Being typical boys they thought the gross toilet smells and rather rude noises coming from the crew quarters were absolutely hilarious!

Climb the rigging for incredible views over Bristol waterfront

For an extra cost you can experience how sailors used to feel climbing the rigging to over 25 metres above ground level.  My husband and I nearly didn’t go through with this using our boys as an excuse, (you have to be 10+ to take part) but I’m so glad that we did.  It’s a brilliant experience and one that we would both recommend if you have a head for heights!

We went through the safety briefing and got harnessed up at the same time and then took it in turns to climb.  (Being the good wife I volunteered to stay on the ground watching the kids first so I could see how it was done).

We both found the actual climbing of the rigging quite easy, it was the edging out over the main yard that was pretty scary.  My hubby managed it but my legs started to shake so I just hung onto the boom for dear life, had a quick look around and then began my descent back down the 25 metre high rigging.  We were both on a massive adrenaline rush after. (As a bonus our boys thought we were the coolest parents ever!)  You can check it out for yourself here – Go Aloft.

Explore the brand new museum – Being Brunel

We only spent an hour in here although we could’ve spent much longer exploring the six new galleries which display the achievements of one of the greatest engineers of the 1800’s – Isambard Kingdom Brunel.  My boys loved riding in his replica railway carriages and stepping inside his brain (literally!)  My hubby and I enjoyed reading about his greatest inventions, (the Thames tunnel, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Great Western Railway to name just a few).  It was refreshing to find that the museum doesn’t shy away from giving a balanced view of the innovator, his failures and faults are very clearly acknowledged.  To be honest it was fascinating to gain an insight into the real Brunel, a brilliant innovator and artist who was also a cigar chain-smoking workaholic who wasn’t particularly nice to work with apparently!

Interactive fun for kids

The whole attraction is very interactive and hands on for kids.  My two particularly loved dressing up in Victorian clothes, scrubbing the decks (they were absolutely spotless when we eventually persuaded them to leave!) and talking to the actor dressed as Brunel (who was happy to answer their MANY questions!)

Pay once and return again and again all year 

I wished we lived closer because I would definitely visit here frequently with my boys.  I think the SS Great Britain entrance prices are very reasonable at just £16.50 for an adult, £9.50 for a child and under fours free with free unlimited return visits for a year. (If you purchase your tickets online you can save 5% too).

Further info – SS Great Britain

www.ssgreatbritain.org

P.S Don’t let having a child in a pushchair put you off visiting SS Great Britain.  I was amazed at how well they’ve adapted the attraction for infants in pushchairs (and wheelchair users).  The Dry Dock, Museum and ship are fully accessible with wide entrances and lifts which is brilliant for families wishing to explore without the need to wear a baby carrier .  For more accessibility info click here. 

For other family attractions in Bristol and nearby check out our reviews of At-Bristol Science Centre, Wild Place Project, Cattle Country and Berkeley Castle. 

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Disclaimer – My family and I were invited to visit SS Great Britain in return for this honest review.