What can visitors see at Gibraltar’s City Under Siege Exhibition?

Short answer

The City Under Siege Exhibition on the Upper Rock tells the story of the soldiers and families who lived through the Great Siege, inside some of the oldest British military buildings in Gibraltar, complete with soldiers' graffiti dating back to 1726. Entry is included in the Nature Reserve ticket.

Detailed answer

The exhibition is on Willis's Road on the Upper Rock, inside the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. Its buildings are believed to date from soon after the British capture of Gibraltar in 1704, which would make them among the first structures the British built on the Rock. They were originally gunpowder magazines with thick, bombproof walls, alongside a shot yard where cannonballs were stacked.

The displays focus on everyday life during the Great Siege, drawing on diaries kept by officers and their wives. They cover the hardships faced by the garrison and civilians, including famine, disease and military punishment such as flogging.

One of the highlights is the graffiti carved into the walls by soldiers. The earliest dated example is from 1726, and one carving shows a galleon. A short walk up the road is an old lime kiln, where cannonballs were heated red-hot before firing.

The site has recently been restored. HM Government of Gibraltar announced the project on Tuesday 2 September 2025, with specialist contractor Wright Tech conserving the buildings and graffiti. On Friday 29 May 2026 the Government announced that the work was complete and the exhibition was open again, with new lighting, improved interpretation, additional original artefacts donated by private collectors, and a new garden for quiet reflection. The visit is now designed to encourage people to spend longer on the stories of the siege.

Entry is included in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve ticket (£30 for adults, £22 for children aged 5 to 11, free for under-5s), and the exhibition keeps the Nature Reserve's hours. Private vehicles are not allowed into the Nature Reserve, so plan to walk or take a tour.