Brunel Museum

We came here as a three-generation family. The staff were particularly good with the children, and gave an activity sheet which was successfully completed and resulted in a small surprise gift. The museum tells the story of the building of the first Rotherhithe Tunnel, which was also the first tunnel in the world to go under a river. There is a steep staircase down to a duct used when the tunnel was dug, and where there is now a video running, telling the story of Marc and Isambard Brunel and their role in building what some called the Eighth Wonder of the World. It is a small museum and you don't need more than an hour to cover everything. They have some curious items on display, like the boot buckles of Isambard, and some of the souvenirs that were on sale when the tunnel originally opened. There is no café, but they have toilets and a small shop.

Lovely little museum. The guided tour is insightful about the tunnel and how at its time - was a tourist attraction- the 8th wonder in the world. The tunnel itself isn’t accessible- it’s still in use by the trains today on the Windrush line. You can see the openings of the tunnel on the other side of the river in Wapping station. The Victorian Peep shows in the museum are delightful! See my pictures.

Really interesting little museum, tour by volunteer Mike was fantastic, his knowledge and passion for Brunel was amazing. Well worth a visit and the area that surrounds was lovely, including the cafe and pub nearby.

An exceptional, quirky local museum, filled with unusual stories that make the history of the 1st tunnel built under a river (ever in the world) come alive. They have varied events in the tunneling shaft, 50 feet underground, such as this Wassailing event I attended recently. Highly recommend.

Although ostensibly only about the building of the first tunnel under a navigable river in the world due to the knowledge of Mike , one of the volunteers, we got to learn a lot more of the Brunel family accomplishments than just the construction of the tunnel. Well worth a visit in a very quiet but historical part of London. The walk to tower bridge well worth the effort with history at every point.

Excellent, small but perfectly formed museum detailing Brunel's achievement in building the first tunnel under a navigable waterway in the world. The museum comprises two parts: the pumphouse in which you'll find the ticket office, shop, displays and gallery and the other building is the top of the shaft that led to the tunnels under the Thames. We were greeted enthusiastically by the person selling tickets. She explained what was included in the museum and advised us to visit the top of the tunnel shaft first before coming back to see the displays and gallery. The top of the shaft is just a few steps away and you enter through a doorway that has been cut through the brickwork that forms the shaft. The wall of the shaft is very thick and the brickwork is reinforced with chains that circle the shaft and are set into the brickwork and held in place and bonded to the structure with mortar. The shaft has been 'capped' a few meters below ground level and you reach this space via a modern, well lit staircase. The top of the tunnel was covered during WW2 to prevent light from below escaping and also protect the shaft and tunnels from possible bomb damage. There was a guide giving an explanation of what you see around you, how it was constructed and used throughout its life. This was followed by a short video (projected on the wall of the shaft) that provided a little more information about the site. The brick construction, location of the original steps (that were used to access the tunnels when they were open to pedestrians) and the soot from steam trains are all clearly visible. The displays in the ticket office building provide information about the construction and challenges that were encountered and overcome by Brunel. The tunnel's use has changed greatly over time and the displays show how the tunnel was used and experienced by visitors, business and railways alike. The ticket office area sells some really nice items all of which relate to Brunel and the tunnel, from books, posters and greeting cards to London Brick vases, scarves and activity books for children plus a lot more. The museum is probably good for a 30 to 45 minute visit if you really make the most of it. For young visitors it will be interesting for a much shorter time. Make the museum the turn around point when walking the Riverside path along the Southbank. There are a couple of pubs (The Mayflower and also The Angel) just a short distance away along the Riverside path (towards town) and they both serve food. Combining a walk to the Brunel museum with lunch or dinner in the area would make an enjoyable outing that offers some perfect views of the river looking back towards the city. Given the small size of the museum, we won't be returning very soon, but as part of a day long walk of the south bank next summer, we'll definitely visit again.

It was a nice visit to the Brunel Museum, a small museum that goes through the history of the Thames Tunnel and how the building the Museum currently in played a huge role in the construction and function of the tunnel. Plus, we got a 37.5% discount thanks to the Hidden London Thames Tunnel Tour, which was a great bonus to the visit.

Incredible museum. One of the world’s most important historic sites, wonderfully interpreted. If it weren’t for the Institution of Civil Engineers, Transport for London would have obliterated it. This museum should be receiving government funding 100%, but they’re doing an amazing job keeping it going however they can.

Worth the hike to visit - small little museum dedicated to the Brunel father and son. Father solved the problem of creating a tunnel under the Thames to relieve the ship congestion on the Thames in the 1800s. Son took over and became a well respected and renowned engineer. Highly worth a visit to see the first tunnel under the Thames that later became one of the tube routes. Visit will take about 1 hour and fee is reasonable.

I am ashamed to admit that I never visited the Brunel Museum the whole time I lived in Rotherhithe (2 years!)...although my mum told me it is brilliant, and I do love the idea of heading underground to see the Grand Entrance Hall to the abandoned tunnel!! The Midnight Apothecary: This summer as well as the museum, on Saturdays nights there is a cocktail bar set up in the beautiful herb garden on the roof of the Thames tunnel. The 'cocktail gardener,' Lottie Muir, uses herbs (and other ingredients) from the garden to make beautiful (and strong) cocktails each Saturday night during the summer. We tried the gin and lavender fizz, and the strawberry and mint martini...they were both lovely. I honestly can't think of a more pleasant spot to watch the sunset. * Cash only! Each cocktail is £5...so remember to stock up on paper money! * The garden is quite small, so you might need to get there early if you have a large group. * If cocktails aren't enough, there are also underground tours of the museum/tunnel starting at 7:30pm. I think this costs £5. The website says it will keep going through September, so there are a few more weeks left to try it. If you live in the area - get over there!!

I came here as part of the Midnight Apothecary so my review really tailors around that. What a waste of my money! The two tickets I paid for included marshmallows and music; for the ticket amount, a drink should have been included. Rather drinks are an additional £7-8. Greek food (only grilled cheese for vegetarians) is additional money and cash only. Would've been smart if the organizers had bothered to let us know via email beforehand. It turns out anyone could have walked up to the roof to roast marshmallows; no one was checking wristbands there. The music was held in the freezing ass cold tunnel so after just a few minutes there, and bundled in puffer jackets, we couldn't feel our toes. I was told no heaters could be brought in because of soot in the atmosphere; fair enough but then choose another venue for this! There was mass confusion about a token system, with people asking each other about it whilst standing in queues and even a ticket person saying he didn't understand why someone upstairs was talking about tokens. The museum itself is mildly interesting. Never again.

Brunel is the man spanned the world with his bridges, tunnels, ships, docks. The industrial world would have looked completely different if this man hadn't lived. As the greatest engineer at the time of the greatest modern empire, his industrial expertise touches all corners of the world. This small museum is crammed with information. It won't take you that long to visit (although probably longer than its size would first suggest) but it will almost certainly tell you things that you didn't know before and spark your interest in the work he did. Oh, I suppose it is fair to say that you probably need to be interested in things mechanical before you will eulogise in the same way, but that's no reason to give it any less stars in my book.

We went to the museum without knowing anything about it. And learned so much. Thanks to Mike, whose wealth of knowledge is staggering, we were transported back to when the tunnel was being built and the process. Amazing!! Be sure to talk to Mike about the engineering process. Makes the museum and the history much more alive. Thank you!

Not often that I wander around a musuem and think ... "wow I really should have just read the wiki page" If on the other hand you have never visited a charming but woeful provincial museum this will prepare you for the experience. Although that is a bit harsh on the biscuit museum in Reading.

Cool museum. Interesting stuff going on. Great cocktail bar in the roof garden on summer saturday evenings. All fresh ingredients grown in the garden. Great tour of the underground chamber where you can feel the trains passing by.

The museum tells a fascinating story of, mainly, the Thames Tunnel that is still in use for trains. It has some excellent models that explain the tunnel building very well. It is however very small. There is a nice cafe where prices are very reasonable.

What a find. If your interested in engineering or Victorian industrialisation you'll find lots to occupy you in this tiny museum. Run mainly by dedicated, helpful and informative volunteers, the Engine House has a lovely local feel about it. Well worth a visit... try and meet Robert, the guy who keeps things on track(!). Amusing and passionate. There's also a delightful coffee shop on site.

Museum was cool but definitely go on the walking tour/boat tour/tour of the entrance hall. That was one of the best experiences I had in London.