Top 10 Oldest Maritime Museums

Maritime Museums have preserved the nautical heritage of humankind for academic research, public education and interest. Some of the oldest maritime museums date back to the early 20th century and are homes to invaluable nautical artefacts, exploration narratives and beautiful ship exhibits.

They portray the intangible, the culture and traditions of coastal and seafaring communities, as well as the tangible: the tools, onboard equipment and other materials used by such communities in the past.

With the expansion of maritime trade and technologies and rapid growth of shipping, several coastal communities with a long association with the sea, developed maritime museums to showcase their roots to the world.

Additionally, museums like the Maritime Museum of Denmark and the National Maritime Museum in Britain were established in the 1900s to portray the nation’s naval achievements. Many such museums came up after the Second World War as nations decided to preserve their naval history and world war victories, memorable stories, etc., for future generations.

The oldest maritime museums continue to honour the maritime legacies of the nations and communities that ordered their construction while serving as windows into their rich and vivid maritime history.

The ten oldest maritime museums in the world are mentioned in this article.

1. Maritime Museum, Rotterdam

This historical museum in the Netherlands was established by Prince Henry in 1874. Next to the museum lies the Maritime Museum Harbour, which merged with the museum in 2014. The former has a unique collection of historic ships and cranes in remarkable condition.

The Museum has about 850,000 objects from 6 centuries, all portraying the rich maritime history. The changing exhibitions are categorised for three age groups, children, their parents and grandparents and showcase the maritime influence on our daily lives.

An important piece is the Mataro model, the oldest model ship in Europe. Other masterpieces include Itinerario by Jan Huygen van Linschoten, a travel journal, pen and ink drawings of Willem van de Velde, and Sea Charts by Corpus Christi collection by Cartographer Joan Blaeu. This collection of East India Company charts was hidden in England for three centuries and was bought for millions by the Museum in 2006.

2. M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark

This maritime museum is located in the historic port city of Helsingor, Denmark and is said to be one of the oldest museums in the world.

It was established in 1915, and its collections depict Danish trade, maritime culture and shipping from the 15th century to the present. The museum was in Kronborg Castle but was shifted to a new underground space covering 7600 sq m. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, this new space centred around a former dry dock.

One can expect to see model ships, a collection of over 33,000 photographs depicting almost all Danish vessels since 1880, paintings and other artefacts that show the Napoleonic Wars and Danish trade with India and China.

Galleries are also devoted to navigation, lighthouses, ship construction, the life of sailors and the equipment used by them since the 16th century.

The museum is equipped with facilities for teaching, interactive installations, a library and a cafe. It also organises workshops and cultural events.

3. Australian National Maritime Museum

Designed by Philip Cox, this museum is situated in Darling Harbour, Sydney. It was scheduled to open in 1988; however, delays due to cost overruns and disagreements between the state and federal governments regarding funding pushed its opening to 1991.

It has seven main galleries that focus on the relations of Indigenous Australians with the sea, navigation in Australian waters, travel, and naval defence of Australia.

Four additional galleries house temporary exhibits. It also has museum ships, the destroyer HMAS Vampire, submarine HMAS Onslow, and a replica of HM Bark Endeavour and Duyfken. Other historic ships are also berthed outside and can be seen but not boarded by visitors.

The museum offers curator-led online exhibition tours, virtual talks, digital events, etc. One can also go onboard or take a 360-degree virtual vessel tour.

4. Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum

Situated at the easternmost point of Long Island, New York, this historic lighthouse was commissioned in 1792 by President George Washington. The lighthouse is the oldest in New York, and its museum portrays the history of the lighthouse and the region’s maritime heritage.

It also features exhibits showcasing the History of Montauk and its part in the Revolutionary War.

This 18th-century lighthouse overlooks the ocean, offering spectacular views. It has been a part of Long Island’s landscape for over 200 years and remains an important navigational tool for sailors.

The lighthouse tower is 34 m high and flashes light once every five seconds, which can be seen from 19 nautical miles. One can climb the 137 iron steps to enjoy the panoramic ocean views and the beautiful New York State coastline.

The museum is full of intriguing objects from the lighthouse’s past. It is open daily in summer and on the weekends in spring and November. The entrance fee is at a discounted price for children and senior citizens.

5. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, is a part of the Royal Museums Greenwich. It was established within 200 acres of area in the Greenwich Royal Park in buildings earlier occupied by Royal Hospital School.

The Museum has over 2 million objects, including those depicting British maritime art and 17th-century Dutch Maritime art. There are manuscripts, official public records, plans, navigational instruments, ship models, time-keeping instruments, astronomy equipment and much more. It also has paintings of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson and Captain James Cook.

The museum’s collection includes objects taken from the German Naval Academy Murwik after the Second World War. These included paintings, flags, models of ships, etc. Many criticise the museum for having what they call ‘looted art’, however, the museum regards them as ‘war trophies’. Between 2016 and 2017, the Museum saw 2.41 million visitors.

6. Maritime Museum of San Diego

Established in 1948, the Maritime Museum of San Diego preserves one of the biggest collections of historic ships in the U.S. Its main attraction is an 1863 iron bark called the Star of India.

It also has a library onboard the 1898 ferryboat Berkeley, whose lower deck houses storerooms and workshops used to maintain the museum’s collection. The museum publishes a journal called Mains’l Haul: A Journal of Pacific Maritime History.

The Museum lies on the western side of North Harbor Drive, south of San Diego International Airport.

Some of the prominent vessels in the museum’s collection include Californian, a replica of the 1847 cutter C.W Lawrence and the official tall ship of California. It also includes Medea, a steam yacht that remained in service during the World Wars.

The HMS Surprise, which is a 1970 replica of a Royal Navy Frigate, is quite popular since it made an appearance in the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and also Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as the HMS Providence.

7. Norwegian Maritime Museum

This museum is situated at Bygdøynesveien on the Bygdøy peninsula in the western part of Oslo, Norway, near many other museums like the Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History.

It was founded in 1914 and was earlier called Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum. There are exhibits on themes of coastal culture and maritime history, spanning topics like ship construction over different periods in history, fishing techniques, marine archaeology, etc. There is a Libray and a marne archaeological department there.

It also has a collection of over 40 maritime paintings by distinguished artists. Ships Stavanger and Svanen are displayed. The former was designed by Colin Archer, while the 3-masted schooner Svanen was built in 1915-16 and was part of the Norwegian Merchant Fleet.

8. Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut is the biggest maritime museum in the U.S, known for its vast collection of boats and sailing vessels. It comprises over 60 historic buildings, which were moved to the 19 acre site and were restored.

Established as the Marine Historical Association in 1929, it gained fame after it acquired Charles W Morgan in 1914, the only surviving whaling ship made of wood.

It was one of the first living history museums in the U.S. and continues to welcome about 250,000 people every year.

The Museum supports research through its library and runs the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies. It also conducts outreach programs, including history and sailing classes for the children of the nearby areas.

9. Vancouver Maritime Museum

This Museum presents the maritime history and heritage of Vancouver and the Canadian Arctic. It opened in 1959 and lies with Vanier Park west of False Creek on the Vancouver waterfront.

Its central attraction is the St.Roch, an arctic exploration ship of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Museum has many galleries of model ships, including a few made of cardboard and paper. It also has a bone model of the ship Vengeur du Peuple, built by French prisoners of war in the 1800s.

Among its outdoor supplies are the NASA research ship Ben Franklin and the boiler of the Pacific Northwest’s first steamship, the Beaver. It also has extensive material about the Canadian Pacific steamships and original hand-made charts from the exploration of Captain Cook in the Pacific.

There are workshops where people can watch the construction of ship models and replicas. The Museum also has a Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre.

10. Cantabrian Maritime Museum

The Cantabrian Museum in Santander Bay, Spain, was established as a tribute to this region’s rich maritime heritage since the sea has played a vital role in Santander’s history. The Museum was opened to the people in 1981; however, its origins go back to 1886.

Spread over 3000 square metres, the museum shows the relationship between man and the maritime world.

It is segregated into four sections depicting- life at sea, fishermen and fisheries, the Cantabrian region and technological advancements. It has exhibits on shipbuilding, different kinds of local boats, navigation systems, water sports and cartography.

It also conducts temporary exhibitions and research projects ranging from investigations in marine biology to the use of sub-aquatic archaeology.

The main attraction is a whale skeleton and also the giant squid. There are many models of ships and galleons going back to the 15th century. It also has an aquarium with local fish like sting rays, sharks and even turtles.

You might also like to read-

• The Biggest Maritime Museum in the World : The National Maritime Museum, UK
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• 5 Major U.S Aircraft Carrier Museum Ships
• The Museum Ship HMS Belfast
• 10 Buildings In The World Inspired By The Sails Of A Ship

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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