From prehistoric times to the present day, M Shed tells the story of the city and its unique place in the world.
Bristol Places
The Bristol Places gallery focuses on the physical and dynamic city – the ways that people have shaped and experienced it and continue to do so.
It highlights how and why Bristol has transformed over time, how people have developed various ways in which to move around it and showcases some amazing discoveries that have been made in and around the city.
Bristol People
The Bristol People gallery on the First Floor explores the activities past and present that make Bristol what it is. The main themes are creating, trading, challenging and celebrating.
Bristol Life
The Bristol Life gallery on the First Floor explores people’s shared experiences in the city – from the momentous to the everyday, whether out on the town, attending a sports event or chatting to a neighbour.
Treasures in store
Like many museums, Bristol has much more in its collections than can ever be displayed at any one time.
L Shed, adjoining M Shed, contains thousands of items from the industrial, maritime and social history collections, including the Lord Mayor’s coach, models of ships and wheels from the Bristol Brabazon.
All of the items are connected with Bristol’s history and are vividly brought to life by their volunteer guides on our behind the scenes tours. You can see huge machinery, delicate models and intriguing objects of all shapes and sizes which, one day, will have their turn on display. You will also be able to see the statue of Edward Colston.
Many of the items were once on display in the Bristol Industrial Museum, which was M Shed’s predecessor. They’ve been collected over the last 150 years and some have been added since M Shed opened in 2011.
