GREENWICH TOUR - London 2015 - page 577

Crowd-Beating Tips: The ship can get busy on school holidays and on weekends.
To skip the line, you can reserve ahead online or by phone, or just try showing up around
13:00, when there's often a lull in visitors.
Visiting the Cutty Sark: The first deck you'll visit harkens back to the ship's days
in the Chinese tea trade...which didn't last long, as the Suez Canal soon opened, allowing
steam-powered ships to reach China much faster than sailboats. The Cutty Sark turned to
trading wool with Australia, as explored on the next deck up. This “Tween Deck” is full of
not-quite-gimmicky displays that mostly succeed in making the ship's history come alive,
even for adults. Find the fun video game that lets you attempt to beat Captain Woodget's
record voyage sailing a wool-laden Sark from Sydney to London. Sit on the tilting benches
of tea crates for a seaborne feel, try your hand at some knots, enjoy the oddly mesmerizing
video at the stern, and get the figurehead's take on Sark history in the bow.
Sailing fans will like the gorgeously restored top deck best. Notice how pathetic the
crew's mattresses were, and don't miss the video showing the rigger's-eye-view as he
climbs high above the deck. Your visit ends down below, where you can take a coffee
break directly under the shiny stern (it may gleam like gold, but the hull's covering is ac-
tually an alloy of copper and zinc). Near the bow is a colorful collection of figureheads
from other ships, and a great photo op from the top of the stairs. On the floor directly un-
der the front of the hull, note the compass rose that shows how many days at sea it'd take
to reach major ports from here.
• Leaving the museum, head straight across the path through a gate in the fence to the vis-
itors center called...
Discover Greenwich
While it's hardly a museum, this center offers a decent introduction to Greenwich and
some fun exhibits for kids. In the middle, a model of the town lights up to tell its history.
Surrounding the model are displays and artifacts from various people who have left their
mark on the town, along with exhibits about the architecture and construction of Green-
wich's fine buildings. Tours of the Royal Naval College leave from the reception desk.
Adjoining Discover Greenwich are the TI and a recommended pub, Meantime The Old
Brewery.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-17:00, tel. [phone], www.ornc.org .
• Leave through the front or side exits, and walk away from the Cutty Sark , continuing
through the manicured park to the dramatic identical-twin buildings that make up the
heart of the...