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Visit Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower

Plan a visit

Explore the fascinating and powerful world of naval warfare at the award-winning Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower.

Uncover the incredible stories of designers, makers, and seaman who worked on armaments over the centuries and listen to first-hand accounts of the munition workers who dealt with dangerous materials.

Housed inside Priddy’s Hard, an 18th Century former Royal Navy armaments depot, you can marvel at missiles, torpedoes, small arms, cannons, and guns as well as the ammunition that was used inside them.

Don’t forget to visit the remarkable new permanent gallery; The Night Hunters: The Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces at War. Discover the high-risk, high-octane operations of the coastal forces in both world wars.

Museum Open
10am to 4.30pm | Wednesday to Sunday

Open daily during school holidays
Explosion Museum, Priddy’s Hard Heritage Way, Gosport, PO12 4LE
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An adventure for all the family

The Explosion Museum in Gosport is the perfect place for an adventure with family and friends. Discover a range of munitions and artillery from cannons to missiles and learn about the workers that created them.

Wander through the original buildings used to store armaments and weaponry for over 200 years. Immerse yourself in historic displays that tell the story of those who worked at Priddy’s Hard and the weapons they created.

What to see

The Night Hunters: The Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces at War

Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday | 11:30am to 3:30pm

Enter into the high-risk, high-octane world of the Night Hunters in our new exhibition at Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower.

Plan a visit

By car:

You can access our museum by car and if using a satnav device, please use the address: Heritage Way, Priddy's Hard, Gosport PO12 4LE

Polite notice: Whilst the postcode is correct, satnavs may direct you to the centre of the naval base. Please follow tourism signs for the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower once you've entered Gosport.

Waterbus:

A Waterbus from the Historic Dockyard runs regularly to the museum.

The waterbus operates between 10am to 4pm daily during Summer, unless weather or other operational restrictions apply. During Winter, the waterbus operates under a restricted service, weekends only and subject to weather or other operational restriction.

The Waterbus is, unfortunately, unable to accommodate wheelchairs, due to the unsuitability of the jetty and steps.

A suitable wheelchair can be pre-arranged to meet the waterbus on arrival in Gosport. Please ask a member of staff for details or email enquiries@nmrn.org.uk to confirm availability

Please note that your safety is our number one priority and the sea is subject to change. Due to this, the waterbus may not be running. In the unlikely event, the waterbus stops running when visiting one of our Gosport sites from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, you will need to arrange alternative travel back. This can be on the Gosport Ferry, which is larger than the waterbus so can operate in rougher conditions, or arrange a taxi from a local company. The National Museum of the Royal Navy will not be able to reimburse you for alternative travel arrangements.

Walking:

You are able to walk between our two Gosport sites. Please note however that this is a 2-mile walk and will take roughly 40 minutes.

We welcome all visitors to the Dockyard and we have tried to make it as safe as possible. However, some of our attractions are historic buildings and ships, and we know that there can be challenges for some visitors.

For those who believe they will be limited in their visit or need extra support, we do offer access restriction discounts, free carer tickets, and on-site additional support.

At Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, you are able to leave your buggy at reception. Please note that your buggy and any items left in the buggy are left at your own discretion and we take no responsibility for anything lost or stolen.

Accessible toilets are available to guests at the museum

Free WiFi is available to our visitors. You will need to sign in and agree to terms and conditions.

Camber Lights Café

Enjoy one of Gosport's best-kept secrets when you visit Camber Lights Café at Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower. Open from 11am to 3pm, relax and unwind whilst enjoying the scenic surroundings of Portsmouth Harbour. Our café is open to all, including non-museum visitors.  

Camber Lights Café serves a variety of sandwiches, hot pasties and sausage rolls, cakes and other tasty treats alongside a wide range of hot and cold drinks. Vegan and gluten free options are available daily, as well as our lunchboxes for younger adventurers.

We source our ice cream from Judes, Winchester. We are eager to stock local from other South Coast suppliers – if you are interested in supplying to our café, please contact us.

Visitors are also welcome to bring their own picnic to enjoy on-site.  

Find out more information on our dedicated school visits page.

Groups of 15 or more are welcome at the Explosion Museum.

Contact us to book your group visit today. Call at 023 9283 9766 (opt. 3) or Email groups@nmrn.org.uk

Want to come back and experience the thrills of the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower again?

Book your return visit today!

Book your tickets now

Book your ticket to Explosion Museum of Naval Power now

School visits

Find out how to plan a visit for your school and see our learning resources

Find out about school visits

Support Us

As a charity we rely on funding from many sources to preserve the rich history of the Royal Navy

See how you can support us

View our collection online

Discover our incredible range of items across the key branches of the Royal Navy with our online Collections Portal

See the collection

Gift shop

Browse our online shop for the latest collection of naval themed gifts and souvenirs.