SS Great Britain

In 1843 Brunel designed the mighty SS Great Britain, the first transatlantic steamship to be driven by a screw propeller. For 43 years the ship served as a luxury ocean-going liner and cargo vessel, but huge running costs and mounting debts meant she was eventually sold off to serve as a troopship and coal hulk, a sorry fate for such an important vessel. By 1937 she was no longer watertight and was abandoned near Port Stanley in the Falklands, before finally being towed back to Bristol in 1970.

Since then a massive 30-year restoration program has brought SS Great Britain back to stunning life. The ship's rooms have been refurbished in impeccable detail, including the galley, surgeon's quarters, mess hall and the great engine room; but the highlight is the amazing 'glass sea' on which the ship sits, enclosing an airtight dry dock that preserves the delicate hull and allows visitors to see the ground-breaking screw propeller up close. Moored nearby is a replica of John Cabot's ship Matthew, which sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497.

Tickets to SS Great Britain also allow access to the neighbouring Maritime Heritage Centre, which has exhibits relating to the ship's illustrious past and the city's boat-building heritage.