HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is a town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy. Construction of the Royal Navy ship was started in December 1936 and she was launched on March 17, 1938, and commissioned on August 5, 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II.

Highlights

Get an up-close look at one of the most significant warship in the British history.
The specially curated personal guided tour takes you through the captivating journey of the HMS Belfast as it encountered various action during the World War II and traveled across the world along with personal anecdotes of the 950 strong crew on their lives on the ship that contributed to the British history.

Recommended For

Children and Adults who are interested in Britain’s naval history.

Inclusions

General Admission

About

Belfast saw immense action during the war and was part of the naval blockade against Germany. In November 1939 she was badly damaged after hitting a German mine and spent two years undergoing extensive repairs. She was back in action in November 1942 and was part of the armed convoys across the Arctic to the Soviet Union.

No other vessel in British history has witnessed the sheer extent of action and reconnoitered the world as much as HMS Belfast. A famous World War II survivor, it is an iconic symbol of British history which was saved from the scrapyard in the 1960's by the Imperial War Museum and converted into a floating museum in 1971 being permanently moored on the River Thames in London.

Discover the powerful stories of the ship and the crew members via the interactive displays and learn about life of the crew on the naval ship, the guns chosen to fire the first shots on D-Day, the Arctic Convoys and the Battle of North Cape. Explore the Flag Deck, the Engine Room 15 feet below sea level and get up close to the inner workings of a warship.

EXHIBITS

Life at War

The thrilling history of HMS Belfast extends to the Arctic convoys, D-Day, the Cold War, Korea and beyond, travelling all over the world and battling extreme weather conditions. The nine decks of the warship reveal a wealth of history and information from day-to-day workings and lives of the sailors to the participation in the WWII and the intense battles and events it was involved in.

In the War and Peace exhibition, engage in a simulation of the Battle of North Cape in the Gun Turret Experience and then learn more about this battle along with HMS Belfast’s other major assignations. Take a shot at running the ship through the Pony Express exercise in the interactive Operations Room, the nerve centre and brain of HMS Belfast.

Life at Sea

Explore how life was on board HMS Belfast as you walk past rooms like the bakery, the dentist’s office, the laundry room and the sick bay. Learn how war affected and impacted the morale, resilience and determination of the 950-strong crew, through the real life stories of 950 men who served on board during the Second World War and up to 1963.

Take the helm in the Captain's chair and help recover a downed plane in an interactive game based on a real-life exercise. Keep a lookout up on the flag deck where you can get a mesmerising 360-degree panoramic views of the the stunning city, and investigate deeper into the boiler and engine rooms 15ft below sea level.

Visitors can book a private tour with HMS Belfast expert guides for a unique experience wherein you will learn the fascinating stories about the crew surviving the freezing conditions during the Arctic Convoys to boiling conditions in the Far East; what it was like to be part of the action on D-Day and HMS Belfast’s role as part of the United Nations forces in Korea from 1950 to 1952. Discover sailors' stories of living and working on board and get exclusive access behind the barriers for the perfect photo opportunity.

Address

The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2JH, UK

Timings

1st November – 28th February
10:00 am - 17:00 pm, Daily (Last Admission: 16:00 pm)
29th February – 31st October
10:00 am – 18:00 pm, Daily (Last Admission: 17:00 pm)

Price (In INR approximately)

Ticket Type	Price
	Online Booking	Admission Desk

Adult (16+ years)	INR 1,360	INR 1,540
Child (5-15 years)	INR 693	INR 770
Family (range of options starting from)	INR 2,356	INR 2,619
Concession (60+ years)	INR 1,110	INR 1,232

Interesting Facts About HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is one of only three surviving bombardment vessel fleet which supported the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944. The two other ships are museum ships in the United States.
The vibration of HMS Belfast's guns firing during D-Day ended up cracking the crew's toilets.
HMS Belfast was one of the larger warships in the fleet, with a fully equipped sick bay, a surgeon commander and two surgeon lieutenants.
In total, HMS Belfast spent 33 days in Normandy and fired over 4,000 6-inch and 1,000 4-inch shells.
The invasion of Normandy was the last time HMS Belfast fired her guns during the Second World War.
HMS Belfast is the last remaining light cruiser from the Royal Navy's WWII fleet. The HMS Belfast Trust was formed in 1971 to lobby for preservation of the ship as a museum. Eventually, the government agreed and handed the ship over to the trust. Six years later, the financials of the trust weren’t in good shape and they merged the the Imperial War Museum, which now manages the Belfast.
One of the Belfast's finest accomplishments was the capture of the German liner SS Cap Norte in 1939. It intercepted the ship which was trying to make its way back to Germany disguised as a neutral vessel and sunk the German battleship Scharnhorst in the freezing Arctic. The Belfast crew received "prize money" in the form of a cash gratuity.
The first casualty on board was in 1939 when Boy Seaman John Campbell incorrectly loaded a shell with an open fist, instead of a closed one. The breech of the gun closed on his hand and he lost two fingers.

How to get to HMS Belfast

Rail and Underground

The nearest rail and Underground stations are both London Bridge, but you could also reach the HMS Belfast easily from Tower Hill and Monument Underground stations.

Location