M Shed
M Shed
Wapping Road
Bristol
City of Bristol
BS1 4RN
England
Website
Telephone
0117 352 6600
M Shed is an exciting and innovative new museum for Bristol that tells the story of our city.
Located on the historic dockside, Bristol’s flagship museum has been designed to retain the character of the former 1950s transit shed.
Three galleries reveal the fascinating story of the city and its unique place in the world. From prehistoric times to the present day, explore the history of Bristol through the objects and stories of the people who have made the city what it is today.
See amazing film and photographs, listen to moving personal stories, encounter rare and quirky objects and add your own memories of the city through the many interactive displays.
M Shed is a living museum, where stories of the past will spark discussions about the future- where YOU can contribute to the changing story of the city.
Venue Type:
Museum
When this museum opens, part of Bristol Museums’ Designated Collections related to Bristol’s role as a manufacturing city and major seaport will be on display here.
Other parts of these collections can be seen at Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery, Georgian House, Red Lodge, and Blaise Castle House Museum. Please contact Bristol Museums for more information if you wish to see a specific item.
The museums were Designated in respect of outstanding collections relating to the City of Bristol, including topographical paintings and prints, maps and archaeological collections. The collections relating to the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are particularly rich, and reflect the importance of Bristol in those centuries.
Key artists and exhibits
- Designated Collection
Family explorer kits
- 20 December 2013 — 12 April 2014 *on now
Discover the museums afresh with our photo trail using binoculars, magnifying glasses and more…
Suitable for
- Family friendly
- Especially for children
Admission
Hire from museum shop £2 plus £8 refundable deposit
Museum Parties!
- 20 December 2013 — 12 April 2014 *on now
Have a party with a difference at M Shed.
Ships and Sailors! Theme.
Suitable for 6 –12 years.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
- Especially for children
Admission
£75 for 8 children, £7 per additional child
For more information and bookings contact: museumbookings@bristol.gov.uk
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/museum-birthday-parties/
Historical Walk: M Shed to Victoria Park
- 12 March 2014 10:30am-12:30pm
Discover how Bedminster evolved from a rural Somerset parish to a bustling industrial town and the inevitable impact that this had on public health. Expert guides will highlight some of the key features of the Victorian expansion of south Bristol, illustrating the walk with a wealth of historical photographs, drawings and maps.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
Admission
Book in advance at the information desk on 0117 352 6600 or sign up on the day.
£2 suggested donation.
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/
Historical Walk: Explore the Old City
- 20 March 2014 10:30am-12:30pm
This 0.8 mile walk around the heart of Old Bristol spans a millennium of history. Expert walk leaders will point out locations which saw the birth of the city, its growth and later decline as a major seaport and centre of commerce. Events, people and places that earned the city a place in national history, culture and the arts are highlighted along the way.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
Admission
£2 suggested donation.
Free.
Book in advance at the information desk on 0117 352 6600 or sign up on the day.
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/
Historical walk of Redcliffe
- 28 March 2014 1:30-3:30pm
Venture into the once-autonomous township of Redcliffe, where you will find some of the most impressive remains of historical Bristol - from large-scale buildings, such as St. Mary Redcliffe church and Temple Meads railway station, to tucked-away gems, including the Hermit's Cave and the remains of the city's Water Gate. Guides will reveal how this fascinating and often overlooked area played a vital role in establishing Bristol's reputation as a world-class city.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
Admission
£2 suggested donation. Book in advance at the information desk on 0117 352 6600 or sign up on the day.
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/
Behind the Scenes Tours of M Shed
- 11 February — 29 March 2014 *on now
Join a tour of M Shed's collection stores and encounter treasures from the city's industrial and maritime past. Suitable for ages 12+.
Tours last approximately 45 minutes.
Tue, Thu and Fri and Sat– 11.30am
Wed – 2.30pm
Sign up at the information desk on the day or in advance. Contact info@mshed.org or call 0117 352 6600.
Admission
£3 suggested donation.
Crane rides
- 14 — 23 March 2014
This Feb Half-Term - ride the small charge Electric and Steam Cranes.
Suitable for
- Any age
Website
http://mshed.org/media/11468123/cranes_feb-april_2014.pdf
Boat rides
- 8 March — 18 May 2014
Enjoy a ride the Fire Boat Pyronaut, the tug John King and the Mayflower.
Pyronaut - Sat 8th - sun 9th Mar, sat 26th - sun 27th April, sat 17th - sun 18th May,
John King - Sat 30th - Sun 31st Mar, sat 10th - sun 11th May,
Mayflower - Sat 12th - Sun 13th April,
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
£5 adults, £3 child/concs.
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/
International Women's Day
- 8 March 2014 7:30-10:30pm
Join us for an evening of debate, film, music and Fairtrade refreshments to celebrate International Women’s Day 2014
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Tickets £8 / £6 concessions available from M Shed
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/international-women's-day/
How do wind farms work?
- 15 — 16 March 2014 1-5pm
Design your own wind farm and have a go at a table-top strategy game. It’ll blow you away! Part of Science and Engineering Week.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
- Especially for children
Admission
Suggested Donation £2
Lifting Aspirations - Key Stage 3 Crane Workshop at M Shed Museum
- 18 — 22 March 2014
Explore engineering heritage with the cranes on Bristol's harbour-side. Discover the future for the industry with volunteer engineers & state of the art lifting technology. A day event building, operating & competing with an hydraulic lifting device with trips up historic electric & steam cranes.
Where
My Future My Choice
M Shed Museum ,
Bristol
BS1 4RN
Admission
School groups - 30 students £220. 60 students £400 Practical workshop with heritage and modern engineering. 30 students for £280 for the day. Activity is tailored to challenge STEM learning and employability skills for either KS2 or KS3. Options for students to demonstrate and compete with lifting devices they engineer in an exciting public event on Saturday 22nd March.
18th, 19th and 20th March 2014: 10:00 - 14.30
22nd March 2014: 11:00 - 14.30
Contact My Future My Choice: 0117 3290387 or hugh@myfuturemychoice.co.uk
Website
http://www.myfuturemychoice.co.uk
Place-names and History in the Bristol Area
- 20 March 2014 6-7:30pm
Finding out the origin of place-names can often be a complicated task. But doing it can often provide confirmation of the history that can be discovered from documents, or can provoke questions that have not arisen before about the local area, or can dispel myths that would not otherwise lie down and die.
Richard Coates is Professor of Linguistics at UWE, Bristol.
Admission
Suggested donation £2
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/uwe-place-names-and-history-in-the-bristol-area/
Crane Crazy
- 22 March 2014 10am-5pm
Drop-in. Free (charge for crane rides).
•Visit the amazing steam crane
•Explore a modern powered lifting machine
•Learn how cargo was handled in the working docks
•Lift loads with different types of hoist
•Learn the hand signals to control a crane
•Try your hand at designing, building or taking the controls of a model hydraulic crane
•Enter the model crane operators competition!
The event is part of National Science & Engineering Week. Organised in conjunction with My Future, My Choice.
Suitable for
- Any age
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/crane-crazy/
Mother’s Day treats
- 30 March 2014 10am-5:30pm
Celebrate Mother’s Day at the museum with free treats for mum in the café
Suitable for
- Any age
Website
http://mshed.org/visiting/m-shed-cafe/
Chocolate Inventions
- 9 April 2014 11am-4pm
Handle fascinating mechanical objects and be inspired to design your ideal Easter egg delivery machine. Create a model of your invention to take home and surprise your family.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
- Especially for children
Admission
Suggested Donation £2
Toy Stories
- 12 April 2014 11am-4pm
Play with a range of toys and games from generations past and use them as inspiration to make your very own old-fashioned toy.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
Admission
Suggested donation £2
‘Returning Home to Fight’: Bristolians in the Dominion Armies, 1914-1918
- 17 April 2014 6-7:30pm
One issue that migration historians have ignored as a fruitful field of endeavour, is the experience of thousands of British-born migrants who either came back to the United Kingdom. This seminar examines the lives and wartime experiences of some of those Bristolians who returned home from their adopted countries to fight for their native land. Using census records, wartime personnel files, local war memorials, newspapers and family records, this paper maps the return of some of these men; men who were part of one of the largest return migrations in British history.
Dr Kent Fedorowich is Reader in History at UWE, Bristol.
Admission
Suggested Donation £2
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/uwe-‘returning-home-to-fight’-bristolians/
Easter Prints
- 17 April 2014 11am-4pm
Come and use our historic printing machine to make your own Easter card, inspired by our unique collection of objects from Bristol’s chocolate industry.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
Admission
Suggested donation £2
Life Stories and the Photographic Image
- 15 May 2014 6-7:30pm
Speaker: Paul Tobia, UWE, Bristol
The working practice and public image of lunatic asylums has been the subject of much academic debate, yet often, the patients who were incarcerated within the asylum’s walls have either been overlooked or understood in generalised terms.
Making use of a unique and comprehensive archive of restored portrait photographs from the Bristol Record Office collections, this talk will consider the stories of some of those committed to the city’s nineteenth century asylum.
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Suggested Donation £2
Website
http://mshed.org/whats-on/events/life-stories-and-the-photographic-image/
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