Museums in Gosport

Heritage attractions and local history collections

Gosport has a stronger museum offer than many towns of its size, thanks to the borough's deep naval and military heritage. The main attractions are nationally significant and draw visitors from well beyond the local area.

The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower is housed in the former Royal Navy armaments depot at Priddy's Hard, on the western shore of Portsmouth Harbour. The site itself is historically important, having been used to store and supply munitions to the fleet for over 200 years. The museum covers the history of naval weaponry from gunpowder to modern missiles, with displays of shells, torpedoes, mines, and other ordnance. Interactive exhibits and reconstructions give a sense of what it was like to work in the depot. The setting, with the original Georgian and Victorian magazines and buildings, adds atmosphere that a purpose-built museum could not replicate. Priddy's Hard is also a scheduled monument.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Haslar is home to HMS Alliance, a Second World War-era submarine that has been preserved as a museum ship. Visitors can go aboard the submarine and walk through the cramped compartments where the crew lived and worked. The experience of moving through a real submarine is striking and gives an immediate understanding of what submarine service was like. The museum also covers the broader history of the Royal Navy's submarine service, from the earliest boats to the modern nuclear fleet. HMS Alliance is one of only a few preserved submarines in the country and is an important piece of naval heritage.

The Discovery Centre on the High Street combines Gosport's library with a local museum and gallery space. The museum element hosts changing exhibitions on local history, community themes, and art. It is smaller in scale than the Explosion Museum or the Submarine Museum, but it plays an important role in telling Gosport's story to its own residents. The local studies collection held here is a resource for anyone researching the borough's past.

Gosport Gallery, also at the Discovery Centre, hosts exhibitions of art and photography. These change regularly and include work by local artists as well as touring exhibitions. The gallery is free to visit.

Beyond the formal museums, Gosport's heritage is visible throughout the borough. Fort Brockhurst, one of the Palmerston Forts built in the 1850s to defend Portsmouth from a land attack, is managed by English Heritage and is occasionally open to visitors. The fortifications at Stokes Bay, the Haslar sea wall, and the remains of other military structures are part of the borough's built heritage.

The Alver Valley Heritage Centre, within the country park, has provided a smaller community-focused heritage space. Haslar Heritage Group and other local organisations work to research and preserve the history of sites such as the Royal Hospital Haslar and the military installations around the harbour.

For families, the Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum are the standout attractions. Both are accessible for children and offer enough hands-on and visual interest to hold younger visitors' attention. Combined tickets have been available at times, offering better value for visiting both.

Gosport's museums are an asset that many residents do not fully use. It is easy to take for granted what is on the doorstep, but the Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum in particular are worth visiting, whether you have lived here for years or have just moved to the borough. They are also a strong reason for friends and family visiting the area to cross the harbour and spend some time on the Gosport side.