Bring history to life and engage students’ curiosity with the help of our award-winning Learning Team. We aim to cater to all ages and abilities and are very happy to adapt our sessions to make them accessible and relevant to your school or group.
If you would like to make a group booking, or to discuss visiting us please contact our Learning Team at museums.education@southampton.gov.uk or on 023 8083 2810.
Getting here
Travelling to us by coach? Please see at the bottom of the page for more information regarding coach travel.
What we Offer
Discovery Sessions – Hour-long guided tours of one of our exhibitions led by an inspiring tour guide.
Workshops – One-hour interactive sessions incorporating object handling, and other activities. Maximum group size 33.
Self-guided Time – An opportunity to spend some time exploring the museum. Price varies depending on other activities booked.
Lunch Space – Rooms are available for use for lunch.
Hot drinks for adults Trip helpers and teachers can enjoy a 10% discount on hot drinks in our café- just tell the member of staff which school you’re with!
Education Trails – Add an education trail to your visit, offered at a special school price.
Discovery Sessions
Our guided sessions are informative, engaging, and interactive. Experienced gallery and museum educators encourage pupils, leaving them enthused and eager to find out more.
Prices: Weekdays – £55
For weekend and out-of-hours costs please contact us.
Available sessions:
Southampton’s Titanic Story
Develop a greater understanding of the tragedy of the RMS Titanic and its effect on Southampton in this expert-led tour of our permanent Titanic exhibition. The tour is designed to complement the collections on display.
Gateway to the World
Gain an in-depth perspective into Southampton’s history. Find out about the pirate emperor who turned Britain into his own empire in Roman times and why a witch was brought to St Mary’s Stadium in the 2000s.
Southampton Stories
Join a guide in delving into stories of Southampton’s past, including stories of bravery, villainy and war!Workshops
Our workshops have something to offer every class. All our sessions are different but always include aspects interactive activities, storytelling and dressing up, that will get your students involved!
Prices:
Weekday workshops – £90
Available workshops:
The Titanic
Step aboard the Titanic and dive into activities related to the most famous ship in history. Join an expert facilitator in discovering incredible real-life Titanic tales before doing a range of exciting and engaging hands-on activities. Tasks vary depending on age but always include scientific experiments, object-handling and a lifeboat activity.All Ages
Titanic: Who’s to Blame?
Who was to blame for the loss of life when the Titanic sank? In this interactive workshop your students will explore this complex and fascinating question.Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
Titanic Science!
Discover more about the science of Titanic, including the technology on board and the expeditions to discover the wreck.Upper KS2 and Key Stage 3
Prehistory
Bring ancient history to life in this exciting workshop based around the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.All Ages
The Romans
Travel back in time 2000 years to discover what life was like in Roman Southampton.All Ages
Anglo-Saxons
Delve into Saxon Southampton in this fun history workshop! Discover who might have lived in Southampton 1,400 years ago through object-handling, games, stories and costumes. A special Hamwic walking tour is available which takes place around the St Mary’s area of the town. Please contact us for details.All Ages
Medicine Women
Get interactive with the sights and smells of medicine through time and answer questions like: how do you keep infection at bay in a muddy field and what was so bad about health and hygiene before?Key Stage 1
Mary Anning
Enter the world of dinosaur discovery in this interactive workshop looking at the life of Mary Anning, and the incredible discoveries she made along the way. This sessions includes real fossil object-handling!All Ages
Under the Sea
Explore the ocean in this fun-filled maritime-themed session.KS1
Ancient Egyptians
Immerse yourselves in the world of the pharaohs in this interactive session involving games, object-handling and mummification!All Ages
Resources for self-guided study
Full-colour museum trails are available to buy for a small fee, as are souvenir pencils. The trails are designed to engage children and provide activities and games to complete when visiting the two permanent museum exhibitions. We offer a special discounted rate for group bookings which can be ordered in advance through our bookings team. A museum guidebook is also available to buy in the museum gift shop.
Art & History Bundles
Our cross-curricular bundles provide a balance of history and art sessions incorporating a broad range of styles and learning experiences. Our days have primarily been designed specially with the KS2 history curriculum in mind, however we are happy to adapt days for other age groups and abilities.
The days normally combine an art workshop with a history workshop and/or a Discovery Session at SeaCity. Try different mediums such as wire, clay or print making.
Prehistory
Combine an interactive Prehistory workshop or Gateway Discovery Session with a choice of cave painting-inspired tiles, an Iron Age cooking pot or create your very own Neanderthal head!
Saxon
Add to a Gateway Discovery Session or our history Saxon workshop. Try clay cooking vessels, Saxon tiles, or try your hand at making your very own jewellery.
Roman
dd to a Gateway Discovery Session or Roman workshop by making a Roman-style mosaic; making Roman shields or helmets; creating Celtic symbols or building your own Roman wire sandals!
Ancient Civilizations
Complement an exploration of the museum by taking part in art sessions inspired by some of the greatest civilizations of all time such as the Egyptians, Mayans and Aztecs.Travelling to us by coach?
We understand the additional cost of travel can significantly increase the price of your school trip. We are pleased to announce that both Lucketts and Xelacoach are offering discount travel to schools visiting our venues; SeaCity, Tudor House and Southampton City Art Gallery.
Lucketts are a Hampshire and Dorset based companying with over 90 years of experience. For more information and to get a quote, please contact them at Southampton City Council School Trip Venues | Lucketts Travel – Part of the Coach Travel Group.
Hampshire based Xelacoach is proud to able to provide affordable, reliable transport options that make it easier for schools. Through supportive collaboration with our venues Xelacoach Together are removing barriers for schools with limited budgets and ensuring more children can access enriching museum visits that inspire curiosity, creativity, and a stronger connection to their community. For more information and to get a quote, please contact them at https://www.xelacoach.info/sea-city-link
Other Services
Loans Boxes
Create a museum at school with our great range of loans boxes to use for a whole half term!
Inset & Training
Our award-winning team will lead your staff in a bespoke training session tailored to suit your needs.
Virtual Sessions
Online, live and filled with fun and excitement! Book one of our team to lead you in a world of discovery.
Interested in other Sessions?
Our sister museum Tudor House & Garden offers a fantastic range of workshops and discovery sessions, including ‘Southampton Through Time’, ‘The Tudors’, ‘The Great Fire of London’ and ‘The Second World War’. These can also be booked as Outreach sessions and delivered at SeaCity Museum.
Visit our other venues:
