A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on

navies A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

and the military use of the sea. The great prize of a maritime museum is a historic ship (or a replica) made accessible as a

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

, but as these are large and require a considerable budget to maintain, many museums preserve smaller or more fragile ships or partial ships within the museum buildings. Most museums exhibit interesting pieces of ships (such as a

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

ship model Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient t ...

s, and miscellaneous small items associated with ships and shipping, like

cutlery Cutlery (also referred to as silverware, flatware, or tableware), includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler. The city of Sheffie ...

uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...

s, and so forth.

Ship model Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient t ...

lers often have a close association with maritime museums; not only does the museum have items that help the modeller achieve better accuracy, but the museum provides a display space for models larger than will comfortably fit in a modeller's home, and of the museum is happy to take a ship model as a donation. Museums will also commission models. There are thousands of maritime museums in the world. Many belong to the International Congress of Maritime Museums, which coordinates members' efforts to acquire, preserve, and display their material. There is a risk that too many maritime museums might dilute the experience for the public, while a poorly managed museum might put other municipalities off from the idea of hosting such a museum. At

the Historic Dockyard Chatham ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

in Kent, UK can lay claim to being the largest maritime museum in the world, incorporating numerous dockyard buildings, including a 1/4 mile long ropewalk, spinning rooms, covered slips, dry docks, smithery, sail loft, rigging house, mould loft, church, as well as three historic warships, it is the best preserved dockyard from the Age of Sail. The largest in the United States of America is ,

Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport Museum or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the craf ...

in Mystic, Connecticut; it preserves not only a number of

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships c ...

s, but also many original seaport buildings, including a ship chandlery,

sail loft A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...

ropewalk A ropewalk is a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material are laid before being twisted into rope. Due to the length of some ropewalks, workers may use bicycles to get from one end to the other. Many ropew ...

, and so forth. However, the UK's

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United ...

in Greenwich is also a contender, with many items of great historical significance, such as the actual uniform worn by

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

at the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

. A recent activity of maritime museums is to build replicas of ships, since there are few survivors that have not already been restored and put on display. Another is operating a

museum harbour A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...

, most notably in Germany and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

but elsewhere too, that offers mooring to privately owned historical vessels, which can be watched but not boarded.

Preservation of ships

The preservation of ships in museums ensures that ancient and historic vessels are preserved for posterity in optimum conditions and are available for academic study and for public education and interest. Remains of ancient and historic ships and boats can be seen in museums around the world. Where a ship is in a good state of preservation it can sometimes act as a museum in its own right. Many

museum ships A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

, such as

HMS Victory HMS ''Victory'' is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. She ...

are popular tourist attractions. Some ships are too fragile to be exposed outdoors or are incomplete and must be preserved indoors. The remains of the

Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' (launched 1511) is a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her l ...

for example are kept in a purpose designed building so that

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

treatment can be applied. In some cases, archaeologists have discovered traces of ships and boats where there are no extant physical remains to be preserved, such as

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is the site of two early medieval cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries near the English town of Woodbridge. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938, when a previously undisturbed ship burial containing a ...

, where museum displays can show what the vessel would have looked like, although the vessel itself no longer exists.

Notable maritime museums

Africa

Admiral Nevelskoi Maritime Museum Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

, Admiral Nevelskoi Yacht,

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

* Alexandria Maritime Museum,

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, Egypt *

Musée de la Mer The Musée de la Mer is a museum located in Gorée, Senegal. The museum contains various documents and photos on marine animals in Senegal with a collection of 6,000 species. See also * List of museums in Senegal References

Museums ...

Gorée (; "Gorée Island"; Wolof: Beer Dun) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade ...

, Senegal * Oceanographic Museum of Salammbô,

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...

, Tunisia *

South African Naval Museum The South African Naval Museum is a maritime museum in Simon's Town, South Africa. It contains collections and artefacts related to the maritime history of South Africa and the South African Navy. History The South African Naval Museum at the S ...

Simon's Town Simon's Town ( af, Simonstad), sometimes spelled Simonstown, is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is home to Naval Base Simon's Town, the South African Navy's largest base. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern sid ...

, South Africa

Asia

Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum The Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum () is a museum located at Kota Batu, Brunei. Background The museum is located within the historical area of Kota Batu. The building is a short walk to the Malay Technology Museum. The construction began ...

, Kota Batu, Brunei *

Evergreen Maritime Museum The Evergreen Maritime Museum () is a maritime museum in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan. History After nearly a decade of planning, the museum was opened on 7 October 2008. Mission The mission of the museum is to preserve and present ...

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

, Taiwan * Hoods Tower Naval Museum,

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්‍රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...

, Sri Lanka *

Hong Kong Maritime Museum Hong Kong Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational institution funded by the international shipping community and the government in Hong Kong. It is located at Central Pier 8, Hong Kong. The museum was established on 8 September in 2005 and ...

Central, Hong Kong Central (also Central District) is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloo ...

, China * Kure maritime Museum,

Kure is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan M ...

, Japan * Kursura Submarine Museum,

Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...

, India *

Kobe Maritime Museum Kobe Maritime Museum is a museum in Kobe, Japan focusing on the history of Japanese shipping and Kobe harbor. One of the exhibits is the ''Yamato 1''. See also *Port of Kobe *Meriken Park *Kobe Port Tower The is a landmark in the port city ...

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, Japan *

Maritime Museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navies and the militar ...

, Macau, China *

, Malacca, Malaysia *

Tranquebar Tharangambadi (), formerly Tranquebar ( da, Trankebar, ), is a town in the Mayiladuthurai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast. It lies north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary named Uppanar of the Kave ...

, India * Maritime Museum of Indonesia,

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

, Indonesia *

Maritime Museum of Kuwait Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

, Kuwait City, Kuwait *

Museum of Maritime Science The Museum of Maritime Science (船の科学館, ''Fune-no-kagakukan'') is a marine science museum located in Higashiyashio, Shinagawa, Tokyo on Odaiba island, Japan. Exhibits include Japanese boats, items related to the navy, shipping industry, f ...

, Tokyo, Japan *

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

, South Korea *

Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...

, Sri Lanka * Naval Aviation Museum,

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

, India *

Pakistan Maritime Museum Pakistan Maritime Museum ( ur, پاک بحریہ عجائب گھر ) is a maritime museum and park situated near PNS Karsaz on Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road (Karsaz Road) in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The main museum building is located ...

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, Pakistan *

Quanzhou Maritime Museum The Quanzhou Maritime Museum () in the Fengze District of Quanzhou, Fujian, is the only museum in China specialising in overseas relations. Established in 1959, through its comprehensive and valuable display of historical relics relating to overs ...

Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...

, Fujian, China * Sea Culture Museum,

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, Japan *

Tamkang University Maritime Museum The Tamkang University Maritime Museum () is a museum on sea navigation located on the campus of Tamkang University in Tamsui District, New Taipei City in Taiwan. The museum is located in a ship-like formed building which formerly served as a tra ...

, New Taipei, Taiwan * Visakha Naval Maritime Museum,

, India *

YM Museum of Marine Exploration Kaohsiung The YM Museum of Marine Exploration Kaohsiung (MOME; ) is a museum about marine exploration in Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. History After its rental tenure was approved by the Marine Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government on 18 January ...

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...

, Taiwan

Oceania

YM Museum of Marine Exploration Kaohsiung

Australian National Maritime Museum The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a Australian government, federally operated maritime museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After considering the idea of establishing a maritime museum, the federal government announced that a nation ...

, Sydney, Australia *

Maritime Museum of New Caledonia Maritime Museum of New Caledonia, also Musée Maritime de Nouvelle Caledonie, is a maritime museum in New Caledonia. It is largely dedicated to the history of French colonial exploration in the Pacific and the collection includes objects retrieved ...

, Nouméa, New Caledonia * Maritime Museum of Tasmania,

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

, Australia *

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand *

Queensland Maritime Museum The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands and Queensland Cultural Centre precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge. The museum was founded in 1971 an ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Queensland, Australia *

Sydney Heritage Fleet Sydney Heritage Fleet, is the trading name of Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd., a public (non-profit) company in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Fleet restores and operates a number of historic vessels including the barque ''James Craig' ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia *

Torpedo Bay Navy Museum The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum is the official museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy. It opened in 2010, to replace an earlier naval museum. The museum is in Devonport, Auckland. History The first Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) museum was establishe ...

, New Zealand *

Western Australian Maritime Museum The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the ''Museum Act 1969''. The museum has six main sites. The state museum, now known as WA Museum Boola Bardip, officially re-ope ...

Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

, Australia

Europe

Aalborg Søfarts- og Marinemuseum Aalborg Søfarts- og Marinemuseum is a marine museum located on the wharf of Aalborg, Denmark. Inaugurated on 24 May 1992, by Margrethe II of Denmark Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denm ...

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

, Denmark *

Aberdeen Maritime Museum Aberdeen Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in Aberdeen, Scotland. The museum is situated on the historic Shiprow in the heart of the city, near the harbour. It makes use of a range of buildings including the former Trinity Congregational Ch ...

, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom *

Central Naval Museum Central Naval Museum (russian: Центральный военно-морской музей) is a naval museum in St Petersburg, Russia. It is one of the first museums in Russia and one of the world’s largest naval museums, with a large collecti ...

Saint-Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia *

Chatham Historic Dockyard The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, South East England. Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres (1.6 km²) and was one of the Royal Navy's main faciliti ...

Chatham, Kent Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. The town developed around Chatham ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Cité de la Mer The Cité de la Mer ("city of the sea") is a maritime museum in Cherbourg, France. The museum is in the cruise terminal of Cherbourg. This monument was built in 1933; it is one of the bigger art-deco monuments of today. History The former tr ...

Cherbourg-Octeville Cherbourg-Octeville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.

, France *

Danish Maritime Museum The M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark ( da, M/S Museet for Søfart) is a maritime museum located in Helsingør, Denmark. Established in 1915, its collections cover Danish trade and shipping from the 15th century to the present day. The museum was o ...

Kronborg Castle Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and was inscribed on the UNES ...

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and Helsingborg in Sweden together form the northern ...

, Denmark *

Dutch Navy Museum The Dutch Navy Museum is a naval museum in Den Helder, Netherlands. The museum is dedicated to the history of the ''Koninklijke Marine'' ( Royal Netherlands Navy). The most important ships the museum owns are: * (minesweeper) * ( ironclad ram) ...

Den Helder Den Helder () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base. From here the Royal TESO fe ...

, Netherlands *

Estonian Maritime Museum The Estonian Maritime Museum ( et, Eesti Meremuuseum) is located in the Fat Margaret tower in the old town of Tallinn. The museum presents the history of ships and navigation in Estonia and related to Estonia. Other parts of the Maritime Museum ...

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

, Estonia * Fisheries and Maritime Museum, Esbjerg, Denmark *

Forum Marinum Forum Marinum is maritime museum located in Turku, Finland. History The museum was founded in 1999 by merging of Turku maritime museum established in 1977 and Åbo Akademi University museum of maritime history established in 1936. ''Lonely Plan ...

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

* Fries Scheepvaart Museum,

Sneek Sneek (; fy, Snits) is a city southwest of Leeuwarden and the seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland, Netherlands. As of 2011 it is the seat of the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân (Southwest Friesland). Th ...

, Netherlands * Galata Museo del Mare,

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, Italy *

German Maritime Museum The German Maritime Museum (german: Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum (DSM)) is a museum in Bremerhaven, Germany. It is part of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. The main museum building was opened on 5 September 1975 by then-presid ...

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

, Germany * German Naval Museum,

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...

, Germany *

Hull Maritime Museum The Hull Maritime Museum is a museum in Kingston upon Hull, England, that explores the seafaring heritage of the city and its environs. The museum's stated mission is "To preserve and make available the maritime history of Hull and east Yorkshi ...

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...

, England, United Kingdom * Internationales Maritimes Museum, Hamburg, Germany *

Istanbul Naval Museum The Istanbul Naval Museum ( Turkish: ''İstanbul Deniz Müzesi'') is a national naval museum, located at Beşiktaş district of Istanbul in Turkey. It was established in 1897 by the Ottoman Minister of Navy Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha. Th ...

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, Turkey * Jersey Maritime Museum, Saint Helier, Jersey * The Frigate Jylland,

Ebeltoft Ebeltoft is an old port town on the central east coast of Denmark with a population of 7,204 (1 January 2022).Kiel Maritime Museum, Kiel, Germany * Lancaster Maritime Museum, Lancaster, England, United Kingdom *

Lowestoft Maritime Museum Lowestoft Maritime Museum is a private museum in the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England that is dedicated to local and national maritime history. Its exhibits include maritime artefacts including medals awarded to Royal Navy and RNLI personne ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Malta Maritime Museum The Malta Maritime Museum ( mt, Mużew Marittimu ta' Malta) is a maritime museum in Birgu, Malta. It is housed in the former Royal Naval Bakery, which was built in the 1840s as the main bakery for the Mediterranean Fleet. The museum has a collecti ...

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

, Malta * Marinemuseet, Karljohansvern, Horten, Norway *

Marinmuseum Marinmuseum (previously: Shipyard Museum, ''Varvsmuseet''; alternate: Naval Dockyard Museum; translation: Naval Museum) is a maritime museum located on Stumholmen island, in Karlskrona. It is Sweden's national naval museum, dedicated to the Swedis ...

Karlskrona Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Swed ...

, Sweden * Maritime Center Vellamo, Kotka, Finland *

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden *

Maritiman Maritiman is a floating maritime museum on the Göta Älv, in Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland Co ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Sweden *

Maritime Museum of Barcelona The Maritime Museum of Barcelona ( ca, Museu Marítim de Barcelona, MMB) is located in the building of '' Drassanes Reials de Barcelona'', the royal arsenal of Barcelona, dedicated to shipbuilding between the thirteenth century and eighteenth ce ...

, Barcelona, Spain * Maritime Museum Ria de Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain *

Maritime Museum Rotterdam The Maritime Museum Rotterdam is a maritime museum in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dedicated to naval history, it was founded in 1874 by Prince Henry of the Netherlands. Next to the Maritime Museum lies the open-air Maritime Museum Harbour, whic ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

, the Netherlands *

Merseyside Maritime Museum The Merseyside Maritime Museum is a museum based in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is part of National Museums Liverpool and an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage. It opened for a trial season in 198 ...

, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom *

Musée national de la Marine The Musée national de la Marine (National Navy Museum) is a maritime museum located in the Palais de Chaillot, Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It has annexes at Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort ( Musée National de la Marine de Roc ...

, Paris, France * Musée national de la Marine in Brest,

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

, France * Musée national de la Marine in Port-Louis,

Port-Louis Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's eco ...

, France * Musée national de la Marine in Rochefort,

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

, France * Musée national de la Marine in Toulon,

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, France * Musée Mer Marine Bordeaux,

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

, France *

Museo Naval de Madrid The Naval Museum ( es, Museo Naval) is a national museum in Madrid, Spain. It shows the history of the Spanish Navy since the Catholic Monarchs, in the 15th century, up to the present. The displays set naval history in a wide context with informat ...

, Madrid, Spain *

Museo Storico Navale The Museo Storico Navale is a naval history museum located in the Castello, Venice, Castello district of Venice, near the Venetian Arsenal. The museum was established by the Regia Marina (the Italian Royal Navy) in 1919. Its collections include ite ...

, Venice, Italy * Technical Naval Museum,

La Spezia La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second largest city ...

, Italy *

Museu de Marinha The Navy Museum ( pt, Museu de Marinha) is a maritime museum in Lisbon, dedicated to all aspects of the history of navigation in Portugal. The museum is administered by the Portuguese Navy and is located in the tourist district of Belém, Lisbon, ...

, Lisbon, Portugal * Museum of Military History of the Black Sea Fleet,

Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

, Ukraine *

Museum of the World Ocean A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

, Russia * Museum of the Sea, Cascais, Portugal *

, Amsterdam, Netherlands *

, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom *

, Gdańsk, Poland *

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

, England, United Kingdom *

National Maritime Museum of Ireland The National Maritime Museum of Ireland ( ga, Músaem Mhuirí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) opened in 1978 in the former Mariners' Church in Moran Park, located between the seafront and the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city. ...

Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...

, Ireland *

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

, Poland *

Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...

Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...

, Russia * Northern Maritime Museum,

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies o ...

, Russia *

Oceanographic Museum of Monaco The Oceanographic Museum (''Musée océanographique'') is a museum of marine sciences in Monaco-Ville, Monaco. This building is part of the Institut océanographique, which is committed to sharing its knowledge of the oceans. History The ...

Passage West Maritime Museum Passage, The Passage or Le Passage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Passage'' (2008 film), a documentary about Arctic explorers * ''Passage'' (2009 film), a short movie about three sisters * ''The Passage'' (1979 film), starring ...

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Ireland * Rauma Maritime Museum, Rauma, Finland *

Royal Danish Naval Museum The Royal Danish Naval Museum (Danish: Orlogsmuseet) is a museum dedicated to the history of the Royal Danish Navy. The displays include a collection of naval models which dates back to late 17th century. The museum is based in ''Søkvæsthuset'', ...

, Copenhagen, Denmark * Schifffahrtsmuseum Flensburg,

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the ...

, Germany *

Scottish Maritime Museum The Scottish Maritime Museum is an industrial museum with a Collection Recognised as Nationally Significant to Scotland. It is located at two sites in the West of Scotland in Irvine and Dumbarton, with a focus on Scotland's shipbuilding heritage ...

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

, Scotland, United Kingdom *

Southampton Maritime Museum The SeaCity Museum is a museum in Southampton, England, which opened on 10 April 2012 to mark the centenary of RMS ''Titanics departure from the city. It is housed within a part of the Grade II* listed civic centre building which previously h ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Vasa Museum The Vasa Museum ( sv, Vasamuseet) is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the island of Djurgården, the museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th-century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship '' Vasa'' that sa ...

, Sweden * Vikin Maritime Museum,

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

, Iceland *

Westfjords Heritage Museum The Westfjords Heritage Museum ( is, Byggðasafn Vestfjarða ) is a museum in Ísafjörður in the Westfjords of Iceland. The museum is based on maritime heritage and gives an insight into the local Westfjords fisheries and fishing industry as wel ...

Ísafjörður Ísafjörður (pronounced , meaning ''ice fjord'', literally ''fjord of ices'') is a town in the northwest of Iceland. The oldest part of Ísafjörður with the town centre is located on a spit of sand, or ''eyri'', in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord ...

, Iceland

North America

The Council of American Maritime Museums serves as network for museum professionals in North America. Custom House - Salem, Massachusetts

* Battleship USS Iowa Museum,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, USA *

Bermuda Maritime Museum The National Museum of Bermuda, previously the Bermuda Maritime Museum from its opening in 1974 until 2009 (legislatively formalised in 2013), explores the maritime and island history of Bermuda. The maritime museum is located within the grounds ...

Sandys Parish, Bermuda Sandys Parish ( "sands") is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Edwin Sandys (1561–1629), and hence there is no apostrophe in the name. It is located in the south west of the island chain, occupying the ...

Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the bank of the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including th ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, USA *

Calvert Marine Museum The Calvert Marine Museum is a maritime museum located in Solomons, Maryland. The museum has three main themes: * regional paleontology, * estuarine life of the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay, * maritime history. Among its exhibits are the ...

Solomons, Maryland Solomons, also known as Solomons Island, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,368 at the 2010 census, up from 1,536 in 2000. Solomons is a popular weekend ...

, USA *

Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum The Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in the Waterfront South neighborhood of Camden, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. The museum opened in September 2016. Its main building is the former Church of our S ...

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

, USA *

Columbia River Maritime Museum The Columbia River Maritime Museum is a museum of maritime history in the northwest United States, located about southeast of the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon. It has a national reputation for the quality of its exhibits a ...

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...

, USA *

Coral World Ocean Park Coral World is a marine park and tourist attraction located next to Coki Beach on the East End of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Facilities and attractions Since its opening in 1978, the park has featured a signature Underwater Observatory ...

, St. Thomas,

U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

Dossin Great Lakes Museum The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is an historical maritime museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on The Strand on Belle Isle State Park (Michigan), Belle Isle Park along the Detroit River, this museum places special interest on Detroit's role on nati ...

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, USA * Florida Maritime Museum, Cortez, Florida, USA * Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum, Duluth, Minnesota, USA * H. Lee White Marine Museum, Oswego, New York, USA * Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Norfolk, Virginia, USA * Herreshoff Marine Museum, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA * Historic Ships in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA * Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA * Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York City, USA * Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Ferrisburgh, Vermont, Basin Harbor, Vermont, USA * Long Island Maritime Museum, Long Island, New York, USA * Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Los Angeles, California, USA * Maine Maritime Museum, Bath, Maine, USA * Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia, USA – ''National Maritime Museum''
Maritime Heritage Centre
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada * Maritime Museum (Belize), Maritime Museum, Belize City, Belize Mariners Museum 2007 051a

* Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA * Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada * Maritime Museum of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA * Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada * San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park#Maritime Museum, Maritime Museum, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California, USA * Museo Naval México, Veracruz, Mexico *

, Mystic, Connecticut, USA * National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida, USA * National Museum of the United States Navy, Washington, D.C., USA * Nauticus, Norfolk, Virginia, USA * Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, Washington, USA * Naval War College Museum, Newport, Rhode Island, USA * New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA * PT Boat Museum, Fall River, Massachusetts, USA * Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Salem, Massachusetts, USA * Naval Reserve Center Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara, California, USA * Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada * South Street Seaport, New York City, USA * Tahoe Maritime Museum, Homewood, California, USA * Tuckerton Seaport, Tuckerton, New Jersey, USA * United States Naval Academy, United States Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, Maryland, USA * Submarine Force Library and Museum, U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum, Groton, Connecticut, USA * USS Constitution Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, USA * Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada * Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA * National Museum of the Great Lakes, Toledo, Ohio, USA * Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Point Light, Michigan, USA * Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, Savannah, Georgia, USA

South America

* Mar del Plata Museum of the Sea, Mar del Plata, Argentina * Museo Nao Victoria, Punta Arenas, Chile * Museu Nacional do Mar, São Francisco do Sul, Brazil * Museu Náutico, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande, Brazil * Museu Naval, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Museum of the Sea (Bogotá), Museum of the Sea, Bogotá, Colombia * Museum of the Sea (Uruguay), Museum of the Sea, La Barra, Uruguay * Naval Museum of Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay * Naval Museum of Peru, Callao, Peru

References

* Aymar, B. (1967). A pictorial treasury of the marine museums of the world; A guide to the maritime collections, restorations, replicas, and marine museums in twenty-three countries. New York: Crown. * Burton, A. (2003). The Daily Telegraph Guide to Britain's Maritime Past. London: Aurum Press. * Evans, M. H., & West, J. (1998). Maritime museums: A guide to the collections and museum ships in Britain and Ireland. London: Chatham Pub. * Heiney, P. (2005). Maritime Britain. London: Adlard Coles Nautical. * Neill, P., & Krohn, B. E. (1991). Great maritime museums of the world. New York: Balsam Press in association with H.N. Abrams. * Smith, R. H. (2006). Smith's guide to maritime museums of North America. Del Mar, CA: C Books. * Stammers, M. (1978). Discovering maritime museums and historic ships. Discovering series, no. 228. Aylesbury [England]: Shire Publications * Stanford, J. M. (1990). Sea history's guide to American and Canadian maritime museums. Croton-on-Hudson: Sea History Press. * Sullivan, D. (1978). Old ships, boats & maritime museums. London: Coracle Books.

External links

International Congress of Maritime Museums website

Nauticus Norfolk, VA

Maritime Museums worldwide

{{Authority control Maritime museums, Types of museums Maritime history organizations