Its mission statement is "To present the story of support to the Royal Navy at Plymouth since the days of Edward I."[1] The museum was established in the Grade II listed former Dockyard Fire Station building in 1969, following an appeal from the office of the Admiral-superintendent for items of memorabilia.[4] The nuclear-powered submarine HMS Courageous, used in the Falklands War, is managed by the Heritage Centre as a museum ship (though it is currently 'closed to the general public until further notice').There is no entry charge (though donations are requested); and, since the museum no longer lies within a restricted part of the yard, there is no requirement for visitors to book in advance.[7] More recently, in 2018, the National Museum of the Royal Navy announced a 12-year project to try to establish a 'full-time visitor attraction' in Devonport, to be based within the South Yard and focused around the decommissioned submarine HMS Courageous.
Plymouth Naval Base Museum was established in the former Fire Station (of 1851) within the South Yard of HMNB Devonport.
The historic figureheads were formerly displayed under No. 1 Slip cover in the South Yard.
