.png)
Museums and history
Bristol has an incredible history and heritage that's reflected in the outstanding museums - many of which are free. Below you can find details of the best museums Bristol has to offer, as well as a list of some of the most historic, must-see sights in Bristol.
Museums
Brunel's ss Great Britain
Step aboard the award-winning Brunel's ss Great Britain for a ship shape and Bristol fashion day out!
M Shed
M Shed is an exciting and innovative new flagship museum for Bristol with gallery space and a packed events schedule.
The Georgian House Museum
One of the most complete 18th century town houses surviving in the UK, offering a glimpse of life hunderds of years ago.
The Red Lodge Museum
A historic Elizabethan house, with a stunning walled garden and many original or otherwise completely restored features.
Blaise Castle House Museum and Estate
Unique mansion that houses some stunning period costumes and everyday Victorian objects, including model trains, dolls and toys
Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre
See displays and artefacts explaining the history, construction and maintenance of the world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Museum and art gallery exhibiting some outstanding collections of art, archaeology, Egyptology and natural history in a magnificent building
Dr Jenner's House: Birthplace of Vaccination
Historic house and educational museum situated inside the beautiful Queen Anne home of Edward Jenner, who discovered the vaccine for smallpox
Kings Weston Roman Villa
The remains of a roman villa or country house/farmhouse of the late 3rd and 4th Century AD, with mosaic flooring and a central heating system
Related History & Heritage
Clifton Suspension Bridge
The world famous Bridge and the iconic symbol of Bristol, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1931 and completed in 1864 after his death
Cabot Tower
105ft tower built in 1897 to commemorate John Cabot's famous voyage from Bristol to North America some four hundred years before
Berkeley Castle
England's oldest inhabited castle and most historic home, all transformed from a savage Norman fortress into a stately home full of treasures
Queen Square
A magnificent Georgian park area in the heart of Bristol, surrounded by trees and cobbled streets.
The Matthew
Based in Bristol’s floating harbour for much of the year, the Matthew is popular for harbour tours as well as longer sailing trips.
St John the Baptist's Church
The only surviving church founded by Walter Frampton and built on Bristol's saxon inner town wall during the 12th century
Charles Wesley's House
Visit the home of Charles Wesley, the great Methodist preacher and hymn writer, with everything exactly as it was for him and his family
John Wesley's Chapel 'The New Room'
The oldest Methodist building in the world, constructed as a meeting room and accommodation after Wesley began to preach in 1739
St Stephen's Church
Ancient parish church of the city built with assistance from the Benedictine monks in Glastonbury in 1247
Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust
A place of heritage, tranquillity, wildlife and respect, with stories from the rich and famous through to the most humble
St James Priory
The oldest church in Bristol that's still in operation, founded between 1124 and 1137 by the Earl of Gloucester
Pero's Bridge
A pedestrian footbridge that spans Bristol's floating harbour, named in honour of enslaved African Pero Jones.
The Lord Mayor's Chapel
Built in 1230, the only remaining part of the Hospital of Gaunt. The chapel has Tudor ceilings and glass from across Europe.
Tyntesfield
Spectacular Victorian country house and estate, situated on a ridge overlooking the beautiful Yeo Valley and being restored in public view
St Mary Redcliffe Church
One of the most beautiful churches in all England and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the country
All Saints Church
A church dating back to the 12th century in the heart of the city centre with a majestic tower and Edward Colston's tomb
Bristol Cathedral
Much more than a fascinating building, being a fine example of a hall church, it is a centre of Bristol's history, civic life and culture
