SS Great Britain launches four new experiences for 2025

Published On: January 2nd, 2025

Sensory Trail is one of four new experiences at Brunel’s SS Great Britain for 2025

Unlimited return visits at no extra cost: Book a visit after Christmas to unlock 12 months of global adventures without leaving Bristol. With new trails, self-guided activities and audio tours, Bristolians are guaranteed a full year of days out.

Kick off the new year with an exciting visit to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, where new activities and immersive trails await; all included in the ticket price. Each ticket provides free return visits for 12 months, giving you the opportunity to discover four trails, explore 42 historic cabins and saloons aboard the ship, and view over 1,400 fascinating objects and exhibits across two museums.

Most visitors spend three to four hours uncovering the treasures within the ship, dry dock, and museums. With 2025’s expanded line-up of experiences, there’s even more reason to come back again and again for something new.

The new Sensory Trail enhances the multisensory nature of the experience, inviting visitors to touch, look, smell, and listen as they explore, creating an accessible and inclusive visit for everyone. The trail includes intriguing facts that bring history alive for all ages. During long voyages, the ship would have accommodated up to 700 passengers and 130 crew and – with passenger diaries and letters giving amazing insight into the sounds, sights and smells they lived with on board – visitors really feel like they’re stepping into the shoes of a Victorian traveller.

There are three further trails as well as well as a new audio tour:

For those intrigued by Brunel’s genius, Brunel’s Curiosity Quest dives into his pioneering engineering feats within the Being Brunel museum, celebrating his spirit of innovation. Visitors can get even more hands-on by borrowing a Brunel’s Apprentice Satchel – containing the tools and activity instructions for every aspiring young engineer.
A new Dry Dock Trail brings visitors face-to-face with the remarkable 182-year-old iron hull and screw propeller. They will learn about cutting-edge technology conserving the hull for future generations.
A Botany Sticker Trail takes visitors back to the age of Victorian plant hunters, offering a fold-out map that inspires the thrill of exploration that botanists of the 1860s would have felt as they used the ship to transport plants across the world.
Audio content on the Bloomberg Connects app provides a new option for visitors who want to delve deeper into the stories and collections with expert insights from museum curators.

Iona Keen, Head of Interpretation at Brunel’s SS Great Britain, said:

“We love seeing our local community come back time and again to Brunel’s SS Great Britain. With our new family-friendly trails and immersive audio experiences, there’s always something fresh to discover. Our annual ticket lets visitors from Bristol and beyond enjoy unlimited returns, and it’s wonderful to see people make this iconic ship part of their own history.”

Find out more about our 2025 adventures at ssgreatbritain.org

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