Things to do in Southampton
Knowledge Train Southampton,
Enterprise House,
Ocean Village Marina,
Southampton SO14 3XB,
England,
United Kingdom.
Museums
The city is home to the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England and several museums, including the Tudor House Museum, Southampton Maritime Museum, and the Medieval Merchant’s House.
More museums in Southampton
Solent SkyAlbert Road South, Southampton SO14 3FR, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8063 5830 |
Medieval Merchant’s House58 French Street, Southampton SO14 2AT, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 0370 333 1181 |
Titanic StoryHavelock Road, Southampton SO14 7FY, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8083 4536 |
God’s House TowerTown Quay, Road, Southampton SO14 2NY, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 07733 092291 |
Map showing museums in Southampton
Theatres
The largest theatre in the city is Mayflower Theatre which receives regular visits from Welsh National Opera and English National Ballet. It is also the largest theatre in Southern England outside of London.
More theatres and cinemas in Southampton
Mayflower Theatre22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8071 1811 |
Theatretrain SouthamptonThe Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5RL, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 07971 894957 |
The Stage Door78 W Marlands Road, Southampton SO14 7FW, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8063 0300 |
MAST Mayflower Studios142, 144 Above Bar Street, Southampton SO14 7DU, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8071 1833 |
Showcase Cinema de Lux SouthamptonLevel 4 West Quay Shopping Centre, Southampton SO15 1DE, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8020 5555 |
Harbour Lights PicturehouseOcean Village, Southampton SO14 3TL, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 0871 902 5733 |
Map showing theatres and cinemas in Southampton
Art
There are many art galleries in the city. The best known is the Southampton City Art Gallery at the Civic Centre and the nationally important Designated Collection.
More art galleries in Southampton
Southampton City Art GalleryCivic Centre, Commercial Road, Southampton SO14 7LY, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8083 4536 |
The Alfred Arcade82A Northam Road, Southampton SO14 0SN, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8033 8778 |
John Hansard Gallery142-144 Above Bar Street, Southampton SO14 7DU, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8059 2158 |
Maja Hill Artist164 Manor Farm Road, Southampton SO18 1NX, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8055 1592 |
The Art Gallery9-11 Northam Road, Southampton SO14 0NZ, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8023 3055 |
Map showing art galleries in Southampton
Music
Southampton has two large live music venues, the Mayflower Theatre and the Guildhall, which have seen concerts from a wide range of popular artists.
More music venues in Southampton
The Loft21 Lower Banister Street, Southampton SO15 2EH, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8022 5177 |
The 1865Brunswick Square, Southampton SO14 3AR, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8022 2605 |
The Joiners141 St Mary Street, Southampton SO14 1NS, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8178 2021 |
The Frog And Frigate33 Canute Road, Southampton SO14 3FJ, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8033 5959 |
Engine RoomsWest Quay Road Industrial Estate, W Quay Road, Southampton SO15 1GZ, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 07774 788553 |
Switch Southampton127 Above Bar Street, Southampton SO14 7FN, England, United Kingdom. Phone: 023 8033 829 |
Map showing music venues in Southampton
Theatre and performing arts
Southampton is home to Southampton Football Club. The club plays at St Mary’s Stadium, having from their former stadium, “The Dell”.
The two local Sunday Leagues in the Southampton area are the City of Southampton Sunday Football League and the Southampton and District Sunday Football League.Hampshire County Cricket Club play at the Rose Bowl in West End. They previously played at the County Cricket Ground and the Antelope Ground. There is also a Southampton Evening Cricket League.
Southampton trivia
Southampton’s city walls include God’s House Tower – the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Over the years it has been used as the Town Gaol and as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board.
Henry V’s famous warship Grace Dieu was built in Southampton and launched in 1418.
Southampton became a spa town in 1740. It had also become a popular site for sea bathing by the 1760s. Innovative buildings specifically for this purpose were built at West Quay.
The town experienced major expansion during the Victorian era. The Southampton Docks were opened in 1842. and the railway link to London was fully opened in May 1840.The port was used for military embarkation, including the Crimean War and the Boer War.
From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton. In 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton. Southampton was subsequently the home port for the transatlantic passenger liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Supermarine Spitfire was designed and developed in Southampton. Heavy bombing of the Woolston factory in September 1940 destroyed it and homes in the vicinity, killing civilians and workers.
After D-Day, Southampton docks handled military cargo to help keep the Allied forces supplied, making it a key target of Luftwaffe bombing raids until late 1944.
In 2016 the south section of West Quay, or West Quay South, originally known as West Quay Watermark, was opened to the public. Its public plaza has been used for several annual events, such as an ice skating rink during the winter season.
