M Shed

Top choice in Bristol

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Set amid the iconic cranes of Bristol's dockside, this impressive museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia. It's divided into four main sections: People, Place, Life and the vast Working Exhibits outside. They provide an absorbing overview of Bristol's history – from slaves' possessions and Wallace & Gromit figurines to a Banksy artwork and a set of decks once used by Massive Attack. There are regular trips on the museum's boats, trains, and cranes; see the website for details.

It's all highly interactive and child-friendly, especially the rides on the steam and electric cranes, steam trains and tug and fire boats. Another highlight is Banksy's unsettling Grim Reaper stencil, which used to sit on the waterline of the party boat Thekla. It was removed amid much controversy and can now be found on the 1st floor. The museum also runs guided tours exploring the harbour's history.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Steam rising off the hot mineral water in the Great Bath, part of the Roman Baths in Bath, UK

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    11.26 MILES

    Welcome to one of Northern Europe's most significant Roman sites. Today more than a million visitors a year come to see its historic finds, atmospheric…

  • Glastonbury Tor Sunrise

    Glastonbury Tor

    21.42 MILES

    Topped by the ruined medieval Chapel of St Michael, the iconic hump of Glastonbury Tor is visible for miles around, and provides Somerset with one of its…

  • Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom, Europe

    Cardiff Castle

    25.29 MILES

    There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…

  • Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales

    Caerphilly Castle

    28.27 MILES

    You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film…

  • National Museum and Gallery at night, Cardiff, Wales

    National Museum Cardiff

    25.17 MILES

    Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that…

  • bow of the SS Great Britain in Bristol harbour, UK; Shutterstock ID 81738850; Your name (First / Last): James Smart; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: LP.com destination image for Akureyri

    Brunel's SS Great Britain

    0.47 MILES

    This mighty, innovative steamship was designed by engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. You get to wander the galley, surgeon's quarters and…

  • Millennium Stadium and River Taff, Cardiff.

    Principality Stadium

    25.35 MILES

    Also known as Millennium Stadium ('Principality' is the current naming-rights sponsor), this spectacular venue squats like a stranded spaceship on the…

  • Tintern Abbey, Wales

    Tintern Abbey

    17.54 MILES

    The haunting riverside ruins of this sprawling monastic complex have inspired poets and artists through the centuries, most notably William Wordsworth,…

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Nearby Bristol attractions

1. Matthew

0.09 MILES

The most striking thing about this replica of the vessel in which John Cabot made his landmark voyage from Bristol to Newfoundland in 1497 is its size. At…

2. Arnolfini

0.1 MILES

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3. Bristol Aquarium

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4. We the Curious

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5. Bristol Cathedral

0.29 MILES

Originally founded as a 12th-century monastery church, Bristol Cathedral was heavily remodelled during the 19th century. It's one of Britain's best…

6. Castles Stencil

0.33 MILES

Hidden away down the side of the Central Library, hunt out the 2011 Banksy stencil that states 'you don't need planning permission to build castles in the…

7. Well Hung Lover

0.4 MILES

One of Banksy's best loved pieces of street art features an apparently two-timing wife, an angry husband and a naked man dangling from a window. That it…

8. Brunel Institute

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A maritime archive housing a wealth of materials relating to engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain and Bristol's naval history. To visit,…

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