The ship-museum "UK" was once an ocean liner, who shuttled between New York and Bristol. This passenger ship, one of the most advanced for its time. His project created Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a talented engineer, author of the famous suspension bridge in Bristol. While there were steamships with metal casing, there were also ships with screw engine - "UK" and had the first, and others. This is the first metal boat crossed the ocean - in 1845 it took her only 14 days.

"Great Britain" was launched in 1843 at the shipyards of Bristol. British shipbuilders while appreciated all the advantages of a metal hull - it was not afraid of mold or bugs, carpenter, building obtained easier and more maneuverable. Besides wood in Britain was becoming more expensive, and the metal, on the contrary, it became cheaper. At the ceremonial descent of the ship on the water present Prince Albert.

The two upper decks of the ship were passenger, lower - cargo. The length of the ship - 98 meters, displacement - 3400 tons.

The ship made several trips to New York, but every voyage was accompanied by a series of failures. In 1846, due to a navigational error ship ran aground off the coast of Ireland. Shipping companies suffered major losses, and the ship was sold. 1851 "Great Britain" regular flights to Australia, carrying on board the thousands and thousands of emigrants.

She then served as a floating warehouse of coal in the Falkland Islands.

In 1970, a ship on the pontoon returned to Bristol, where, after a restoration and a museum. The ship is currently in dry dock, the level of the water line closed glass casing, which is supported by the minimum moisture content, in order to avoid further corrosion.