Opening date for £15m Royal Marines Experience at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is finally revealed
Visitors will embark on an immersive, multimedia journey through more than 360 years of Royal Marines history
An opening date has finally been revealed for the new £15million Royal Marines Experience at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
The experience will open on October 24 and combine storytelling with hands-on activities, multimedia displays, immersive technology and objects that reveal the people behind more than 360 years of service.
It will act as a new-look replacement for the Royal Marines Museum in Eastney which closed in 2017, and it will replace the former Action Stations inside in the historic 1840’s Grade II* listed Boathouse 6.
The project has been supported by a £4.4million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Royal Navy Museums reserves and private donations.
Matthew Sheldon, CEO, Royal Navy Museums said: “We want this to feel like a museum you can step into, not simply look at. Most of us will never know what it takes to earn and wear the green beret of the Royal Marines Commandos, but the new Royal Marines Experience will bring visitors closer to the tests of training, the reality of deployment and the humour, teamwork and resilience that run through the Corps.
“Through real voices, remarkable objects, hands-on challenges and immersive technology, visitors will be able to explore more than 360 years of Royal Marines history in a way that feels human, powerful and enjoyable. We want people to leave with a deeper understanding of the people who serve, and with a sense that they have shared in a story that belongs to the nation.”
Royal Navy Museums said it has developed the Experience with Royal Marines voices at its heart, drawing on serving and former Royal Marines, families and specialists, so the galleries connect heritage with today’s service.
Visitors will move through interactive galleries and Commando challenges that reveal the Corps’ ethos, operations, and the physical and mental demands of service.
Through the latest VR and AR technology, visitors will be able to step into the shoes of a Marine, whilst physical and mental challenges will encourage visitors of all ages to take on some of the tasks new recruits to the service are faced with during training and across the various terrains in which they operate.
100s of historic and modern items will be on display, revealing the Royal Marines rich, on-going history, including:
- Warrant Officer ‘Mac’ McNaghten’s AI Faw briefing model, built in secret whilst onboard HMS Ocean enroute to the Persian Gulf in 2003 and used by 40 Commandos to plan their attack on the Al Faw peninsula.
- All 10 Victoria Crosses awarded to the Royal Marines, from the Crimean War to Second World War, brought together to tell stories of exceptional bravery and service.
- A medal presentation box given to Marine David Davidson by his husband Ernest and the Royal British Legion. The decoration shows David landing in Egypt during the Suez Crisis in 1956.
- A Green beret worn by Marine W.G.C. 'Molly' MacPherson who served in 3 Troop, K Company, 42 Commando during the Falklands War. Marines serving during the Falklands war preferred to wear Green Berets rather than helmets as they thought that the Green Beret was 'bulletproof'.
It will also feature Exhibition Space on the first floor overlooking the Mast Pond and conferencing facilities with including a 275-seated auditorium, with the first temporary exhibition announced as Through Their Eyes - The Royal Navy Photographic Competition.
The popular Royal Marines commando-themed Laser Quest arena is also returning as part of the new Experience.
It is also hoped that the Experience will create a sense of place where members of the Royal Marines Family can connect with their history and each other. At the heart of this will be the newly established Remembrance Room, free to enter, where families can reflect on, and remember those who gave their lives in service to their country.
It will also be included within the Ultimate Explorer ticket at the historic dockyard which also includes HMS Victory, the Mary Rose Museum and HMS Warrior.