The Mary Rose

About

In 1545, The Mary Rose sank outside Portsmouth Harbour defending England from invasion. 
In 1982, The Mary Rose made a spectacular return to the surface.

Now, experience The Mary Rose as never before at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Explore the remains of Henry VIII’s favourite ship, recovered from the seabed in one of the most challenging archaeological excavations of all time. See thousands of genuine Tudor objects, from the large bronze and iron ship’s guns, to personal items like wooden bowls and nit combs, which recreate life on board with an authenticity no other attraction can provide.

Visitors can also view the Mary Rose from three galleries, seeing how the men of the Mary Rose lived, worked and fought in the dramatic audio-visual display

Whether you’re interested in the lives of the officers, the ordinary sailors, or even the ship’s dog, you don’t just get a window into their lives, The Mary Rose opens a door to the world of 1545.

Nowhere else can the lives of the men who worked and lived on board a Tudor warship be more truly experienced.

NEW FOR 2023! Discover the story behind the recovery of the Mary Rose in our new 4D theatre experience “1982 – Dive the Mary Rose!”

Giving visitors the chance to experience what it was like to dive the Mary Rose, this never-before-seen theatre experience will explore the history of when the Mary Rose tragically sank 477 years ago, right up until the present day. It will tell the crucial stories of all those who were instrumental in bringing the Mary Rose to the surface of The Solent, acting as a lasting legacy for the hundreds of individuals involved in the world’s largest underwater excavation and recovery.