Museums Listed Alphabetically

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 these 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.

244 museums found

United States Naval Undersea Museum

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

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

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

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

See the world’s best preserved viking ships up close

Virginia

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.

Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum

The Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum honors and preserves the history of Virginia’s coastal communities and maritime heritage. The scope of the Museum’s exhibits begins with the Virginia Beach Community and extends to subjects related to Virginia’s oceanfront, coastal and water-related heritage.

W.O. Decker

1930 wooden tugboat. Part of South Street Seaport Museum.