International Maritime Museum Hamburg

We arrived at this museum and already in the metro we were greeted by an exhibition of a ship. Then, as you walk towards the museum, you see a beautiful, detailed model of a bridge. Inside the museum, there are also lockers where you can leave your belongings. The museum consists of several floors, and we enjoyed everything very much.

This place was really great. I think its 8 floors of maritime history. Everything from how ancient ships were made, to mlthe modernization of shipping and ports, to unmanned underwater systems. There are a ton of models, and every floor has something interactive to assist in the learning and understanding of topics. They are kid friendly, though limited space for child buggies. I would definitely dedicate at least half a day if you want to see it all.

I have been following on Instagram for a few years now and that was the "all reasons" I came to Hamburg. Not disappointed a bit. Simply amazing place and amazing to think that all this as been privately collected.... spent 4 hours straight not looking the time! Highly recommended!! Thank you.

A lot of information about life at sea from old times until modern age, boats, discoveries, battles, tools and maps. The museum location is also nice, surrounded by canals and bridges.

A Treasure Trove of Maritime History and Art! If you’re even remotely interested in maritime history—or simply appreciate beautiful artwork—the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg is a must-visit. Housed in the historic Kaispeicher B warehouse, the oldest remaining building in Hamburg's Speicherstadt, this museum offers a truly immersive journey through centuries of seafaring. What impressed me most was the depth and richness of historical material. Across nine thematic decks, the museum traces humanity's evolving relationship with the sea—from ancient navigation and explorers like Magellan and Cook, to the era of great sail ships, merchant navies, and modern marine technology. Every floor is expertly curated, with informative displays, authentic ship parts, and fascinating documents. I particularly loved the historical logbooks, naval charts, and navigational instruments, some dating back hundreds of years. One of the highlights for me was the collection of maritime paintings—some absolutely breathtaking. These aren't just decorative pieces; they tell stories of daring voyages, stormy seas, and naval battles. Many of the works are from the 17th to 19th centuries, and they’re displayed beautifully, with proper lighting and context. The art alone is worth the visit for anyone who appreciates maritime aesthetics or historical painting. The Treasure Chamber and model ship displays are equally captivating, especially the room lined wall-to-wall with thousands of intricately detailed ship models. It feels like walking through a miniature history of naval architecture. Despite the museum’s size, the layout makes it easy to follow a chronological and thematic path. Informational plaques are available in English and German, and audio guides are offered for an even deeper dive into the exhibits. The staff was welcoming and knowledgeable, eager to share insights when asked. You could easily spend 3–4 hours or more here if you want to take in all the detail, particularly if you're an art lover or history buff. The atmosphere is quiet and contemplative—perfect for soaking in the richness of it all. In short: this museum isn’t just about ships—it’s about humanity’s quest to conquer and understand the oceans, told through history, art, and passion. Whether you're into naval history, maritime trade, exploration, or seascape painting, this place delivers a world-class experience.

This is an amazing museum! Plan on spending an entire half a day to see all the amazing artifacts and exhibits. Honestly, you could spend the entire day. Multiple floors full of fascinating items and information. The restaurant is a little pricey, maybe eat before you go.

This is an amazing museum. The guides kept advising me to start from the top floor, the models of Bremerhaven and Hamburg are jaw dropping. You could easily spend 3 to 4 hours here without even rushing around. Recommended

Housed in the historic Kaispeicher B warehouse and spans nine floors of maritime history, from ancient seafaring to modern shipping. Highlights include thousands of ship models, a LEGO Queen Mary 2, a treasure chamber, and interactive ship simulators. It’s a must-visit for maritime enthusiasts, though the vast collection can feel overwhelming if you’re short on time.

Great museum about the history of sailing and ocean shipping. Exhibits from ancient times until now.

This is one of the largest and most well maintained museums I've ever been to. Absolutely an essential part of your trip to Hamburg if you're even remotely interested in anything maritime related. This includes vikings, trade routes, slave trade, explorers, war ships, cargo shipping, harbour building, pirates, marine animals, fishing, treasures, ship wrecks and much more! The exhibitions stretch over nine stories with additional smaller exhibitions on various sub-floors in between. We didn't have enough time to visit every single room, but everything I saw was super well presented, interesting and dynamic. There are tours at various times in various areas as well as presentations throughout the different floors. We happened to walk in on a presentation of a container ship simulator that let you slowly, painstakingly experience what it's like to drive a large container ship along a canal leading to the harbour. It's slow. It's arduous. I thought it was incredibly boring (the simulator, not the presentation) but apparently people spend hours at home playing with these simulators. And enjoy it. For some reason. I loved the miniature ship exhibition. Thousands of miniature ships spanning several centuries of ship building and design. The piracy exhibit was also quite interesting, while the rooms on the slave trade (including a piece of an actual slave ship showing shakles and chains) and plague ships were quite harrowing though still really well presented. All the history of human activity on the seven seas seems to be brought together in this amazing building. The cafe downstairs is also reasonably priced for a museum cafe and very beautifully designed. We really enjoyed our trip to this museum.

If nine floors of model ships floats your boat, you'll love this museum. If not, I'd give it a miss.

Best museum I have ever visited and my background is in heritage preservation and anthropology so I have seen a lot of museums. Beautiful building which houses 10 floors of what used to be a private collection. The layout, design, and thoughtful displays are amazing! Great children's section on every floor where kids can interact with displays. Each floor is themed starting with cultures earliest interaction with the sea. Navigation, ship building, art, miniatures, sea life, a gigantic lego ship....sooo much stuff. This was one of the most pleasurable museums to walk around, it is serene and dim inside which really sets an amazing mood.

Can't believe I am the first one to write a review on this world-class museum! International Maritime Museum in Hamburg has information on absolutely everything related to maritime history of the world: from Vikings to Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The museum was opened in summer 2008 as a home to the biggest in the world private maritime collection. And believe me, this collection is enormous: 10 storeys filled with boat models, sea maps, navy uniforms, weapons, mini boat models and much much more. In fact it is so overwhelming, that I could hardly manage the last storey. Information provided on English as well, there are a lot of 'interaction points' so that you don't get bored. The entry is not cheap but it's so worth it. In two words: highly recommended!

Amazing maritime museum completed in 2008. Extremely comprehensive-- nine stories in all, with sub-floors in-between. Largest collection of miniature ships ever assembled -- all by the die cast process. Highlight for me: Topographic map of the entire planet showing the islands throughout the Pacific -- even Catalina Island. Topography of South American coastline shows how incredibly deep the drop-off is. The Alps, the Andes, and the Himalayas jut out dramatically. Other highlights: all types of torpedoes and other naval weaponry. Also: WWII periscope -- in working order. And a huge model of the QE II made out of legos. I was happier than a pig in sh*t.