Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower — Attraction in Gosport

After having visited the historic docks and submarine museum a few months ago we decided to go back to see the explosion museum which we didn't have time to visit on our last visit. The visit to the docks and submarine museum were 5*, lots of friendly helpful people, lots of stories to be told and was very happy with it.

Upon arrival to the explosion museum this is where everything failed, when we got there we saw signs saying "museum shop and cafe" thinking the building was literally a shop for the museum and a cafe we went inside and saw a lady who worked there in the shop, asked her politely where the explosion museum was to be given a very rude response of "you're in it" I said oh, we just thought the signs meant this was just the shop then got another rude response of the signs saying exactly what it is... After this I told her we already have tickets as I purchased the ultimate passes to visit all attractions to which I got another rude response of "I still need to scan them all in" Went to scan them in and she asked my other family member for ID, my family member said she only had her debit card which has her name on it (we knew this was accepted as we purchased her ticket using the name on the card as ID) the lady who was serving us was sort of looking like she wasn't happy using the card as proof of name, so I said to her politely "we used the card as name proof to purchase the ticket" to which the lady responded in a raised and angry voice "can you be quiet and let me finish what I'm about to say" to which I responded "wow" in disbelief at what I was dealing with over just asking where the museum was and getting a ticket scanned.

The experience with this member of staff completely ruined mine and my families experience of this part of the whole docks experience, absolutely vile and rude person and I hope she doesn't treat all customers like this. Didn't get a name but I'd say in her 60s, dark...

Really interesting museum, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Explosion itself is all about what happened for over 100 years at the site known as Priddy's Hard in Gosport; the storage, processing and assembly of naval supplies and munitions.

The museum focuses on the people who worked there, mainly women during wartime, naval guns (of every size !) the shells for the guns , mines & depth charges and missiles. There's a cafe with a nice outdoor seating area on the harbourside and a bar with another waterside terrace run by the local Powder Monkey brewery. Another building of the museum houses "The Night Hunters" exhibition which tells the story of the Royal Navy's Coastal Forces division which existed from the First World War till after the Second World War to defend the UK's coastline and engage an enemy close by. This exhibition has 2 original boats, a 55 foot WW1 era Thornycroft Coastal Motor Boat and a 60 foot WW2 Vosper 60 foot Motor Torpedo Boat, one of whose engines is on display ( an Italian Issotta Fraschini petrol engine of W18 configuration and around 1200 bhp). This Vosper MTB was capable of 39 knots or 43mph powered by 2 of these engines. The boats are complemented by displays about the men and women who manned and maintained them, their tactics, actions and sacrifices.

Overall, an excellent museum with interesting items and friendly,...

Very pleased with the Covid-19 secure precautions in the cafe. Chair seats and backs as well as tables cleaned between customers. Nice table sign that you turned over to show it was used, flipped back by staff after cleaning.

Would have been good to be directed to the NHS app check-in QR coffee code, as we missed it on the way into the cafe and it wasn't explicitly pointed out. Saw it during our visit by the door though!

Food freshly made and service very polite. Tables well space out.

Museum itself very nice and quiet. Reassuring. Very few visitors despite the wet day being ideal for museum visiting.

Hand sanitiser regularly available and lots of floor markings.

Actual museum is very interesting. Lots to look at, from rifles to many different munitions. You can get close to the exhibits to get a good look and there are lots of signs and information points.

Nice wide aisles throughout, so good disabled access. Only steps I saw also had a ramp. Great to see accessibility designed in.

Benches outside the cafe give you a good view so you can finish your visit with some...