Bristol Information, Hotels, Transport,& Attractions. Map & Tourist Information

Bristol Information & Attractions Page Contents

Bristol Attractions

Bristol Introduction

Bristol, the River Avon, Brunel's famous ship 'SS Great Britain' dead centre of photograph in a dry dock and 'The Matthew' just to the left moored along side the quay

• Bristol Heralded as 'UK family attraction of the year' Experience a living rainforest, hands on discovery centre & the biggest cinema screen in the west next to the harbour side full of trendy bistros, wine bars and art centres.
• Visit the historical city of Bristol, you can find something for all ages: Museums, arts, science, media centres, restaurants, clubs & bars. For that shopping experience try our Boutiques both modern & antique, or visit the Galleries with over 100 stores.

Bristol Area Balloon Rides

Bristol's Hop on Hop off Tourist Bus

The easiest way to see most of the many attractions in Bristol is to use the Hop on Hop off Tourist Bus.

At Bristol science centre

At Bristol science centre is an interactive science venue, and although designed to be attractive to children adults will be fascinated, interested and entertained with the many interesting exhibits.

At Bristol is an amazing world on hands on discovery, including an Imax theatre and wildlife walk (which includes a living rainforest)

For the interactive adventure of a lifetime head for At Bristol's three attractions on the city's harbour side. A clever fusion of sci fi architecture and historic buildings are home to 'Wildwalk', a breathtaking journey through the plant and animal kingdom

At Bristol: Anchor Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5DB

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 2. More: Tourist Bus

Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery

Bristol's City Museum, Photo by ell brown

Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery: Queen's Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1RL

Regional and International collections representing ancient history, natural sciences, and fine and applied arts. Displays include dinosaurs, Bristol ceramics, silver, Chinese and Japanese ceramics. A full programme of Special Exhibitions take place.

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 12. More: Tourist Bus

Bristol Industrial Museum

Bristol Zoo Gardens

Bristol Zoo Flamingos
Photo by Mousey1983.

Bristol Zoo Gardens: Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA

Voted 'Zoo of the year 2004' by the Good Britain Guide, Bristol Zoo Gardens has something for everyone from the smallest and rarest tortoise in the world, to the largest ape. With over 400 exotic and endangered species to explore, enjoy a whole day filled with excitement and discovery at Bristol Zoo Gardens

Come and visit Bristol Zoo gardens a place where you can relax in beautiful landscaped gardens whilst enjoying the company of animals in their natural surroundings.

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 8. More: Tourist Bus

British Empire & Commonwealth Museum

British Empire & Commonwealth Museum: Station Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol, BS1 6QH

Exploring the dramatic 500 year history of the rise and fall of the British Empire and the emergence of the modern Commonwealth, this Internationally acclaimed museum uses video stations, interactive exhibits, computer games, as well as more traditional exhibits

The Museum has now relocated to London.

Cabot Tower

Located on top of Brandon Hill  which is 269 feet above the river is the105 foot high Cabot Tower. Climb the interior spiral staircase to admire spectacular views over Bristol from this 374 foot vantage point.

Cabot Tower was built in 1897, to celebrate John Cabot's memorable voyage in search of a western route to Asia, but ended in Newfoundland, North America. This journey was at a time when most people thought that the world was flat.

The gardens with it's wildlife and water features is an ideal picnic spot.

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 12. More: Tourist Bus

Christmas Steps

A fascinating area of  small shops and cafes

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 14.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Clifton Suspension Bridge was designed by one of Briton's greatest engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel who unfortunately died before seeing his completed masterpiece. The Bridge spans the Avon gorge in Clifton a suburb of Bristol.

Every summer at 3pm on Sundays there is a free tour starting near the Clifton end toll booth, the tour takes 45 minutes.

Also have a look in the visitors centre at the Leigh Woods end of the Bridge which is open 10am to 5pm daily

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 9. More: Tourist Bus

Georgian House Free Entrance

A Tudor & Georgian masterpiece by Robert Adam.

A room inside the Georgian House.

The Georgian House is a carefully preserved example of a late 18th-century merchant's town house, with many original features and furnished to illustrate life both above and below stairs.

The following 7 rooms are open to the public

Tudor Rooms:

• Great Oak Room
• Small Oak Room
• Bedroom

Georgian Rooms:

• Print Room
• Parlour
• Reception Room

Exhibition Room:

• Contains a small display on the Red Lodge Girls Reform School

To the rear of the house is the magnificent walled garden recreated to the period's style

Red Lodge: Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LJ

The Georgian House: 7 Great George St, off Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 13. More: Tourist Bus

John Wesley's Chapel (The New Room)

John Wesley's Chapel (The New Room): 36 The Horsefair, Broadmead, Bristol, BS1 3JE

The oldest Methodist chapel in the world, built in 1739 and extended in 1748. Above the chapel are the preacher's rooms where John Wesley, Charles Wesley and the early Methodist preachers stayed

Red Lodge

The house Red Lodge, an Elizabethan / Tudor house was built in 1590 and then altered in 1730. It has fine carved oak paneling, fabulously stone chimney pieces, beautifully ornate plaster ceilings and is furnished in the style of both periods. The garden has now been laid out in Elizabethan style

Open Saturday to Wednesday 10am. to 5pm.

SS Great Britain

Built and launched in Bristol in 1843, the SS Great Britain, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was the first ocean going, propeller driven, iron ship. After a life as a passenger liner, troop transport and cargo carrier, she was abandoned in the Falklands

Explore On selected weekends enjoy a ride on the Bristol harbour railway, or enjoy a trip around the docks on the mayflower steam tug.

Great Western Dock, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, BS1 6TY

Also see at the same time.

• The Mathew usually moored nearby in the river if it is not sailing
• Maritime Heritage Centre at the same dock

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 4. More: Tourist Bus

Maritime Heritage Centre

Maritime Heritage Centre: Gas Ferry Road, Bristol , BS1 6UN

Exploring 200 years of Bristol shipbuilding, with special reference to Charles Hill & Son, and their predecessor, James Hillhouse. At the Great Western Dock the museum forms part of the SS Great Britain and John Cabot's Matthew experience

Great Western Dock, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol , BS1 6TY

Also see nearby

• The SS Great Britain in the near by dry dock
• The Mathew usually moored in the river if it is not sailing

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 4.

The Matthew

The Matthew is a replica of the ship built in the 15th-century in which John Cabot sailed from Bristol to Newfoundland.

The Mathew does harbour cruises  and limited places are available on offshore cruising passages.

Great Western Dock, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol , BS1 6TY

Also see nearby

• The SS Great Britain in the near by dry dock
• Maritime Heritage Centre on the same dockside

Website

Open top Tourist Bus Stop 4.

Broadmead Shopping Centre

Open all year Broadmead the biggest & best shopping centre in the South West, located in the heart of Bristol. It's 400 stores and being surrounded by a wide selection of hotels, restaurants, cafes and pubs.

Over 300 stores and shops

Over 1000 buses stop near the centre per day

There is a Tourist Information Office located in the Mall section of the Shopping centre

Transport

Over 1000 buses stop near the centre per day and the Bus and Coach station is only 200 metres away

Ferries are available from Temple Meads railway station, Watershed and Hotwells.

Cabot Circus Shopping centre

Cabot Circus Shopping centre is immediately eastwards of Broadmead Shopping Centre and home to top shops Harvey Nichols, House of Frazer & the Cinema de Lux

Bristol Old Vic Theatre & Bristol Theatre Royal

Photos by rbrwr

Open all year The Bristol Old Vic, as it is now known was originally Theatre Royal, Britain's oldest theatre built in 1766 and now the home of one of Britain's oldest theatre companies, and it's home it has been in almost continuous use. It stages a broad selection of classic drama, new plays and family shows.

The site has been enlarged to incorporate a theatre school.

Wills Tower Bristol University

Wills Tower Bristol University
Photo by Crabshink

Looking extremely old looking gothic styled Wills Tower is actually fairly modern being built in the 20^th-century. The tower is 215 feet high and is well worth a closer look to see the fine stone carving not often seen in buildings of it's time. Hidden underneath the facade of stone the structure of the building is concrete and now a .

The tower was named after Henry Overton Wills, the first Chancellor of Bristol University who donated, in today's money £6 million to secure the independence of the University

Bristol Rail Stations

Click for Rail Tickets or Timetables The Trainline

There are 2 Main railway stations.

Temple Meads This is the Main Bristol rail station
Bristol Temple Meads Station, Bristol, BS1 6QFhas located on the eastern edge of the city centre

Bristol Temple Meads is an extremely impressive and an important rail stations in the UK.

With the facilities you expect on a main line station such as standard and first class waiting rooms, train announcements and display indicator boards, luggage trolleys, toilets, taxis, WH Smith shop, Bonapartes possibly a cafe/bar, ticket hall and advance ticket sales. Customer lounge with coin operated coffee etc machine.
Access to platforms via a subway with stairs or lifts

• Bristol Parkway
• Located to the north of the city in South Gloucestershire

There are 2 stations between the City centre and the Airport

• Bedminster
  Fraser Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4LU
  This is a 'sub station with no train announcements and a small shelter on each of the two platforms open platforms'
  
• Parson Street
  Parson Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 5PU
  This is a 'suburban station with no train announcements and a small shelter on each of the two platforms open platforms and one on the bridge connecting the 2 platforms

And 8 further suburban rail stations:

• Lawrence Hill
• Stapleton Road
• Montpelier
• Redland
• Clifton Down
• Sea Mills
• Shirehampton
• Avonmouth
• St Andrew's Road

There is an Express bus service to Bristol Airport services 330 & 331 that stops outside each of these rail satiations and also the Bus & Coach station. We recommend using Temple Meads railway station for bus connection to the airport.

Rail Transport Time tables and secure online booking

Tourist Information Offices

• Broadmead Shopping Centre
• At Bristol

Bristol Information