London with Kids: HMS Belfast Review

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If you’re thinking of having an educational day out with the kids in London – then my HMS Belfast Review is a great place to start. We visited the HMS Belfast when the kids were learning about WW2 and it was a great learning experience. Moored on the River Thames, this historic warship-turned-museum offers an interactive and immersive experience, allowing visitors to step back in time and explore life on board a real Royal Navy cruiser.

The HMS Belfast was launched on 17 March 1938, making it 87 years old this year. The ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 August 1939, just before the start of World War II. It served in WWII, the Korean War and the Cold War before being retired in 1963. Since 1971, it has been preserved as a museum ship on the River Thames in London, operated by the Imperial War Museum.

Visit: February 2022 (Updated January 2025)

What’s there to see and do at the HMS Belfast?

Let’s start my review with what there is to see and do – from the moment you step aboard, it’s clear that this isn’t just any museum – the HMS Belfast in London is a hands-on adventure that the kids can enjoy exploring. My two loved climbing through the narrow corridors, stepping inside the engine rooms and even sitting in the captain’s chair. The different decks take you through life on the ship during World War II and the Cold War, with everything from the mess rooms to the gun turrets perfectly preserved. There’s also a dramatic soundscape, helping you feel like part of the crew as you explore the ship’s history.

With nine decks to explore, there’s a lot to discover with the kids when you visit the HMS Belfast in London. It takes you back in time, with each room set up how it would have been. There are activities dotted around for the kids to do as part of a quest sheet, and you can use the audio guide to learn about what you’re looking at as you explore.

Who is a HMS Belfast visit suitable for?

To fully appreciate what they’re seeing, I think that the HMS Belfast is best suited to children age 7 and over. On top of this, there are lots of steps between the decks so it would be quite difficult to navigate with really young children. But, it is pretty engaging for kids – there are interactive exhibits, dressing-up areas and activities to keep little ones entertained.

How much are tickets for the HMS Belfast, and is it good value for money?

When we visited the HMS Belfast the cost for our family of four, at full price, would have been £81 – which I think would have been a bit steep in all honesty. It was a good experience but, for the amount of time we spent there, I think there are better value attractions that offer a whole day of entertainment for a similar amount of money. Having said that, as we only paid for the adults, it was money well spent for what the kids gained from the experience. You’ll be pleased to know that if you’ve taken my advice and got the kids Blue Peter badges, then you can use them at the HMS Belfast to get the kids in for free. This makes the experience much better value for money, and a far more affordable family day out.

If you haven’t yet got Blue Peter Badges, check out my article to send off for one today: How does my child get a Blue Peter Badge? Enjoy over 200 UK free days out! For 2025, ticket prices for the HMS Belfast are: £29 for adults, £14.50 for kids and under fives enter for free. So, if you can avoid paying for the children it makes it a lot more reasonable. Click here to check out the Love to Visit website too for your adult tickets – at the time of writing they are offering tickets from £25.45 per person. And, with plenty of picnic spots nearby, you can save even more by bringing your own lunch.

What other facilities are there?

There are toilets and a restaurant on-board the ship, as well as further toilets and a gift shop on land which you pass through on your way to and from the museum. In the gift shop, you can grab audio guides to take with you. An audio guide highlight tour of HMS Belfast provides insight into the historic ship. Hear battle stories from the Second World War and beyond – the convoys in icy arctic conditions, the bombardment of German defences on D-Day and the 404 days spent patrolling waters during the Korean War.

Audio guides are included in your admission price and you can choose between a variety of languages. Simply enter the numbers that you can see as you move around the ship – a lot of the audio is done from the prospective of someone on the ship during the war. Visitors aged under twelve are provided with a family audio guide.

Where is the HMS Belfast located?

I hope that my review has been helpful – the HMS Belfast is moored on the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, it’s easily accessible via public transport, and only a short walk with the kids from the following London train stations:

London Bridge – 0.5 miles
Waterloo – 2 miles
Charing Cross – 2.3 miles
Victoria – 3.5 miles
Kings’ Cross – 3.5 miles
Euston – 3.5 miles

If you want to really immerse the kids in history, then you might also want to continue learning about the war at the Imperial War Museum – it’s about a 35 minute walk from the HMS Belfast, or catch a bus to make it easier if you’ve got younger ones in tow. We absolutely loved our visit to the Imperial War Museum – entry is free and, combined with a visit to the HMS Belfast, the kids are bound to learn a lot. Have a great time – and make sure you scroll down to check out my other London articles for more adventures in the city!

Useful information for your visit…

Website: https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast
Facilities: Restaurant, gift shop, toilets
Opening Times: 10am – 5pm daily
Address: The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2JH
For up-to-date opening times and prices, please check their website.

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2 comments

Isobel says:

18th October 2023 at 3:46 pm

Did you book adults in advance and then use blue Peter badges for the kids on the day? Thanks

1. Natalie says:
  
  23rd October 2023 at 9:27 pm
  
  Hi Isobel, we’ve just done it on the day – it might depend on where you’re going so best to check but the places we’ve used them have just said to pay on the day, and then we’ve shown the badges at the same time.
  Nat x