Discover the extraordinary story of Henry VIII’s favourite ship, from her fateful last battle to her miraculous rediscovery at the bottom of the Solent over 400 years later. 

The Mary Rose Museum is a marvel of modern story-telling and cutting-edge science, brought together to create a unique experience unlike anything else. This one-of-a-kind attraction brings you closer to Tudor life than you can imagine, what will you uncover as you explore her many mysteries?      

THE STORY OF THE MARY ROSE

From the depths of the Solent to Portsmouth Dockyard, the Mary Rose has had a long journey.   

Built from 1510 and launched the following year, she served Henry VIII for 34 years before sinking dramatically in 1545 defending England from a French invasion fleet. There she lay until 1971, when a team of divers, led by the late Alexander McKee, rediscovered the wreck site. 

What followed was a ground-breaking feat of underwater archaeology, as hundreds of divers worked tirelessly to recover the Mary Rose and return her to the surface. Many still remember the momentous day she finally broke free of the water on 11 October 1982. 

From here she was transported to her final home in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where essential conservation work began. An enduring memory of the Mary Rose during this time was of her being constantly sprayed, initially with water, then later with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), a water-soluble wax, to aid in her preservation. 

This process took over 30 years to complete, and now the Mary Rose is reunited with her artefacts, telling the stories of the men who lived, worked, and died onboard, as well as being a testament to those that worked so hard to bring her home.