The Museum is housed in two listed buildings in Rotherhithe, London, which were constructed in the early nineteenth century by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father Marc. It was from this base that the Brunels embarked on their grand project to construct the Thames Tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping, completed in 1843 as the first commercial underwater tunnel in the world. Following his early experience here as a young engineer, Isambard went on to deliver the many other revolutionary, large scale and high-profile engineering projects of his distinguished career. Well known examples include the Great Western railway between London and Bristol, and his series of three increasingly huge ships (Great Western, Great Britain and Great Eastern), all of which were the largest and most advanced in the world at that time.

The Museum’s core purpose is to convey the inspiring stories of both the Thames Tunnel project and the broader achievements of the Brunels’ engineering dynasty to the public at large. We aim to enable young visitors to understand the excitement of these great engineering achievements of the past and encourage them to consider engineering as a future career. The Museum also mounts a wide range of indoor and outdoor events, acting as a vibrant centre for the local community. For more details, please visit our website here or download our annual report and accounts here.