This is an alphabetical listing of maritime museums and museum ships located around the world. Libraries with significant maritime holdings are also included. You can use the optional fields to filter by type and country, or use the geoloacted list or map. Please contact us if you would like a museum to be added to this list.
Trondhjems Sjøfartsmuseum
(Trondheim Maritime Museum)
Trondheim, Norway
The exhibits include models of sailing ships, figureheads, marine instruments and pictures of local sailing ships. The museum has a comprehensive archive on ships and captains.
U.S. Coast Guard Museum
New LondonCT 06320, CT, United States
The museum’s artifacts reflect the history of the U.S. Coast Guard and include ship models, carved figureheads, cannons, uniforms, medals, weapons, memorabilia and paintings.
United States Naval Academy Museum
Annapolis, MD, United States
The collection includes thousands of objects such as flags, uniforms, weapons, medals, books, instruments and photographs as well as art. Major collections are The Rogers Ship Model Collection, the Naval Academy Art Collection, the Malcolm Storer Naval Medals Collection and The Beverley R. Robinson Collection (prints of naval history).
United States Naval Undersea Museum
Keyport, WA, United States
The U.S. Naval Undersea Museum holds the country’s most comprehensive collection of U.S. Navy artifacts, documents, and reference material related to undersea subjects, and is renowned for several of these specialty collections, especially those in torpedoes, mines, diving and salvage, submarine technology, and unmanned underwater vehicles.
USCG 36460
South Haven, MI, United States
This 36-foot Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat was built in 1941 in Curtis Bay, Maryland. It is constructed of laminated oak framing with cypress planking, copper-sheathing and a solid 2000lb bronze keel. These self-bailing and self-righting workhorses could handle icy conditions and waves up to 60 feet and had a watertight survivors’ cabin and engine room. The boat served for 35 years before retiring.
USS Constitution Museum
Charlestown, MA, United States
The world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat, this frigate is most noted for actions during the War of 1812, when it captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships: Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. The battle with Guerriere earned the ship the nickname of “Old Ironsides”.
Vikingeskibs Museet
(Viking Ship Museum)
Roskilde, Denmark
The main focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition of five original Viking ships excavated nearby in 1962. There is also a collection of more than 50 traditional Nordic boats from Norway, the Faroe Islands, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
Vikingskipshuset
(Viking Ship Museum)
Oslo, Norway
See the world’s best preserved viking ships up close
Virginia
(Pilot Schooner)
Norfolk, VA, United States
The schooner Virginia is a 2005 recreation of its namesake, the last pure sailing vessel used by the Virginia Pilot Association. The original Virginia served from 1917 to 1926 in the Chesapeake Bay. As she participates in various events, contact Nauticus regarding opportunities to visit onboard.