Maritime Museum of San Diego

Head to the Maritime Museum of San Diego and learn all about Western maritime history.

Visit the Maritime Museum of San Diego with Go City®

• With us, there are no entry fees on the day – all you've got to do is show your pass.
• General admission includes the boarding of historic vessels including Star of India.
• Immersive exhibits and storytelling of Pacific heritage.

This must-see maritime museum is home to the oldest active ship in existence and the world’s deepest diving submarine, the USS Dolphin.

Discover San Diego Maritime Museum

Step into the captivating world of seafaring at the Maritime Museum San Diego. This nautical wonderland showcases a diverse collection of historic vessels and fascinating exhibits, unveiling the rich maritime heritage of the region.

You'll have access to one of the finest collections of historic ships in the US, which are all faithfully restored and maintained by the museum.

Many ships, including Star of India, are National Historic Landmarks and listed in the US Register of Historic Places. Other vessels you’ll experience include the San Salvador, the 1898 steam ferry Berkeley, the 1914 Pilot, and the Vietnam-era PCF 816 Swift boat. 

You'll also find plenty of family-friendly, immersive exhibits detailing ancient voyages, the San Diego Navy, commercial fishing, and a complete history of western maritime travel.

Maritime Museum of San Diego highlights

The Star of India – this ancient ship has something of a cursed history. Built in 1863 at the Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man, the unusual iron ship began its sailing life with two almost-deadly voyages to India, surviving a collision and a mutiny, and ending up in the middle of a cyclone. Shortly afterwards, her first captain died on board. The ship subsequently went on to make 21 circumnavigations and carried many immigrants to faraway lands.

The Californian – the official tall ship of the State of California. It was built in San Diego from the ground up in 1984, just in time for the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.

USS Dolphin – the deepest-diving submarine in existence.

San Salvador – the first European vessel to reach America’s West Coast, a startling sixty-five years before the first English Settlement came to be on the continent, and eighty years before the Mayflower ever made its famed voyage.