Opening date revealed for £15m Royal Marines Experience in Portsmouth

A new £15 million museum dedicated to the history and people of the Royal Marines is set to open at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this autumn.

The Royal Marines Experience will open on 24 October 2026, giving the Corps a permanent museum for the first time in almost a decade.

The attraction is being created inside the Grade II-listed Boathouse 6 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The building previously housed the Action Stations attraction and is undergoing a major transformation.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy describes the project as a new national destination that will combine historic objects with immersive and interactive technology.

Visitors will follow the story of the Royal Marines from their origins in 1664 through more than 360 years of operations and up to the modern UK Commando Force.

Royal Marines museum returns after nine years

The opening will end a lengthy period without a permanent museum for the Corps.

The former Royal Marines Museum at Eastney Barracks closed in 2017. The building required significant renovation and was deemed unsuitable for a modern museum’s needs.

Plans emerged to relocate the museum to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, although securing funding delayed the project.

The Royal Navy said in 2024 that the redevelopment of Boathouse 6 would provide the Corps with a new museum capable of telling its story through modern digital and interpretive techniques.

The building itself dates from the 1840s and is one of the earliest surviving examples of construction using load-bearing iron frames.

What will be inside the Royal Marines Experience?

The Royal Marines Experience has been designed around the experiences of the people who served.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy says visitors will embark on an immersive multimedia journey through the history of the Royal Marines.

A History of the Corps Gallery will combine large and small objects with multimedia displays. Interactive areas and Commando challenges will explore the physical and mental demands placed on Royal Marines, as well as the values associated with the Corps.

The attraction will also include a Remembrance Room and a new temporary exhibition gallery.

One of the more unusual additions will be a Royal Marines-themed Laser Quest arena.

The museum says it will be the only Royal Marines-themed laser-tag attraction of its kind. The experience is based on Royal Marines operations and includes a simulated helicopter entry point followed by a mission to secure and defend an offshore oil platform.

The official Laser Quest page says sessions will accommodate up to 22 players and will be open to visitors aged six and over.

Boathouse 6 will also contain conference and events facilities, including a multifunctional space capable of accommodating around 280 people.

“A museum you can step into, not simply look at”

In the official announcement of the opening, Matthew Sheldon, CEO, Royal Navy Museums, said of the new Royal Marines Experience:

“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.”

£4.4m National Lottery boost for Royal Marines Experience

Funding for the new museum has come from several sources.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded £4.4 million to the project in May 2025. At the time, the Royal Navy described the work as a roughly £15 million transformation of Boathouse 6.

More than £12 million was secured by spring 2026 through donations, charitable foundations and National Lottery funding.

However, the National Museum of the Royal Navy launched a campaign to raise a final £2.5 million to complete the galleries, exhibitions and themed areas.

The project is also receiving support from the defence and maritime sector. BMT announced this summer that it was backing the new museum, with CEO Sarah Kenny saying the company’s links to the naval community made supporting the preservation of Royal Marines history “a natural fit.”

A permanent home for Royal Marines history

The museum will bring collections that have largely been inaccessible to the public since the Eastney galleries closed back into permanent display.

The opening also adds another major attraction to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard alongside HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, HMS M.33 and the wider National Museum of the Royal Navy collections.