Visitor Centre
Our Visitor Centre is situated on the North Somerset (Leigh Woods) side of the bridge. Entry is free and we are open from 10am - 5pm daily.
In the Visitor Centre you will find out about the competition to design the bridge, its construction, completion and how it is maintained today. You can watch a DVD about our history, see objects from our collection (including stereoscopic images and original souvenirs) and browse our shop, where you’ll find books, postcards and souvenirs. The shop also sells luxury ice cream and you can visit our Coffee Cart during the summer season.
Large groups (15 or more people) should book a time slot in advance to ensure entry. There is a charge of £1 per person for a self-guided group visit.
The Centre is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and open reduced hours on Boxing Day from 11am-4pm.
Tours
Tours of the bridge take place every Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday throughout the year. Meet our friendly volunteer tour guides at the Clifton Toll Booth on the Bristol side of the bridge and hear how and why the bridge was built, why the design changed so many times and many more of the bridge’s secrets. Free tours last 45 minutes to 1 hour and are suitable for a family audience.
If you would like to book a tour for a school or adult group, please visit our group or school pages.
Bringing the children?
Find fun family activities at our Visitor Centre. Have a go at designing or building a bridge, try our Children’s Trail (£2.75), or enjoy our interactive exhibits.
If you’re researching a school project, we stock historic postcards (50p each), an Information Leaflet filled with useful facts and figures (60p), paper Brunel Hats (£1.00) and a Bridge guidebook (£4.95) – and you are always welcome to quiz our knowledgeable volunteers.
We are members of the Children’s University, so if you’re planning a visit don’t forget to bring your passport and get it stamped. We also support the Max Card, making great attractions across the UK more accessible to looked-after children, their friends and family.
Next Steps
For more information or to arrange a visit, please contact:
Laura Hilton, Visitor Services
Lockdown Resources
We've been busy creating and publishing new content during the lockdown.
Accessibility
Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre opened in December 2014. We are a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme and are working to provide a comfortable and accessible attraction that can be enjoyed by all.
Shop
We have a small shop stocking a range of souvenir items starting from 60p! We like to work with local artists and small businesses and hope that you will find something a little bit different to remember your visit.
Hard Hat Tours
The Clifton Suspension Bridge Hard Hat Tour is a one or two hour experience which is suitable for groups of up to twelve people.
Weekend Bridge Tours
Our volunteer guides just love talking about the bridge, Brunel and Bristol!
Our Awards
We're very proud of our Visitor Centre - and the staff and volunteers that keep it running! On this page, you can find out more about the awards we've received for our work.