Known originally as the Dockyard Museum, it was conceived by Mr. Mark Edwin Pescott-Frost, then secretary to the Admiral Superintendent at Portsmouth.
[2] With a passion for naval history he spearheaded a project to save items for future generations, eventually leading to the opening of a new museum.
His foresight ensured the survival of many interesting and important artefacts, several of which are still on display today.
In 1985, under the terms of the National Heritage Act 1983, the museum was devolved from the Ministry of Defence to become an executive non-departmental public body, supported by a grant-in-aid.
HMS M33, a World War I Monitor warship, is also part of the museum; she was opened to the public in 2015, her centenary year.