Brunel Museum

21/08/2026

Now that the heatwave has finally calmed down, we’re getting that first tiny hint of autumn 🍂

Which means cosy evenings, cups of tea… and puzzles. 🧩

And, as you might know from our own Sophias, we do have a soft spot for giving women from history a little more of the spotlight.

So we couldn’t resist *The Great Feminist Art Party* — a brilliant 1,000-piece puzzle celebrating 25 women and feminist figures from art history. 🎨💗

Now available from the Brunel Museum Shop: https://vist.ly/5fmsc

Discover The Great Feminist Art Party, a vibrant 1,000-piece jigsaw celebrating 25 groundbreaking women and feminist figures from art history.

21/08/2026

There’s just one week left to help us unlock our Big Give Christmas Challenge.

This December, we hope to raise funds for a new display and events programme celebrating the extraordinary story of Brunel’s SS Great Eastern, his final and most ambitious project.

But before we can launch the public campaign, we need to secure £1,500 in pledges by 28 August.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, £855 has already been pledged. That means we have just £645 left to raise.

A pledge can start from £100, and there’s nothing to pay now. It’s simply a promise to make your contribution after the campaign closes in December.

Securing these pledges will allow us to take part in the Big Give, where public donations during the campaign can be doubled through match funding, helping every contribution go even further.

Could you help us cross the finish line?
Make your pledge by 28 August via the link in our bio.

19/08/2026

Please note that the Brunel Museum will be closed on 29 August and 5 September due to private events.

Bookings will not be available for these dates, and we will also be unable to welcome walk-in visitors.

Thank you for your understanding. 💛

We remain open as usual on our other opening days:

Friday, Sunday & Monday, 10:30 am–3:30 pm

We look forward to welcoming you on another day!

18/08/2026

In December, we want to run a public fundraising campaign to help us celebrate the stories of Brunel's final project, the SS Great Eastern.

But we only have until 28 August to ensure maximum match funding for our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign. Your promise today could make it happen.

The extraordinary story of Brunel’s SS Great Eastern - a ship that pushed the boundaries of engineering and changed maritime history - deserves greater prominence. This year, we're going to run a fundraising campaign in December asking people to support our unique new display and events programme for 2027, which would help visitors connect with this remarkable story.

The Big Give's match funding model means that public donations will be doubled - and you could be part of making this happen.

By 28 August, we need to collect pledges - promises to provide funding after the campaign closes - of a total of £1500. Once we've secured those pledges, we'll be given the green light to go ahead with our December campaign. We’ve already secured promises of £555, so two pledges of £500 would take us past the target - but individual pledges can start at £100 depending on what works best for you.

Ready to promise? Add your name and your pledge here: https://vist.ly/5f9xc

16/08/2026

Jokes and learning are heading underground. 👀🎤

Join us at the Brunel Museum for a night of comedy inspired by everything beneath our feet, from engineering and subterranean life to fossils, archaeology and the wonderfully weird world underground.

Hosted by Steve Cross of Science Showoff and the Philosophy Playdate podcast, with Iszi Lawrence (BBC Radio 4, World Service & Discovery Channel) headlining, plus a brilliant lineup of comedians, researchers and museum experts.

Come for the laughs, leave with some surprisingly good facts to tell your friends the next day.

📍 Brunel Museum
🎟️ Tickets on the Website listed in the Bio.

10/08/2026

A very fitting place for a piece of Brunel history. 👀

A new plaque has been installed inside the Euston Tunnel, just as it passes beneath Kensal Green Cemetery, the final resting place of Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The connection is remarkable: Marc Brunel patented his tunnelling shield in 1818, an invention later used to construct the Thames Tunnel and one that helped lay the foundations for modern tunnel-boring technology.

More than 200 years later, HS2’s tunnelling machines are using the same fundamental principle as they pass beneath his grave.

Our Director went underground to join the team in installing the plaque and to mark this remarkable connection between Brunel’s legacy and the future of tunnelling.

04/08/2026

Did you know that Brunel’s SS Great Britain was rescued not once, but twice? 🚢

Helen Doe’s compelling book follows the ship from its revolutionary construction and dramatic grounding in Ireland to its voyages carrying passengers, troops and emigrants around the world.

Discover the human stories behind this remarkable piece of engineering history.

📚 SS Great Britain: Brunel’s Ship, Her Voyages, Passengers and Crew
💷 £12.99 — available in our Museum Shop

02/08/2026

Play, build and discover at the Brunel Museum! 🌱🚂✨

Join us for National Playday 2026, a FREE day of family activities inspired by engineering, nature and Victorian inventions.

Become an engineer and build your own bridge, explore our garden on a plant treasure hunt, create a Victorian optical toy, plant a magic bean and step inside the historic Thames Tunnel Shaft to make your own cardboard train!

We’ll also have family-friendly tours exploring the incredible story of the Thames Tunnel, with a paper miner’s hat to make and take home.

📅 Wednesday 5 August
⏰ 10:30 am–2:30 pm
📍 Brunel Museum, Rotherhithe
🎟️ FREE – booking is required

Suitable for children aged 4–12, with younger and older siblings welcome. Please book one free ticket for every adult and child attending through our website using the link in our bio.

23/07/2026

Step inside engineering history.

Every Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 pm, our guided tour brings the story of the Thames Tunnel to life.

Discover the ambition, innovation, and determination behind one of London's greatest engineering achievements.

Your guided tour is included with museum admission. Book your visit via the link in our bio.

📍 The Brunel Museum