Maritime Museum: Explore Historic Ships in San Diego

Step on board and back in time at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Explore historic ships with below deck exhibits and discover 500 years of seafaring history along the waterfront.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Maritime Museum of San Diego - The Maritime Museum of San Diego includes a collection of historic ships and fascinating exhibits including sail, steam, and submarines. The iconic and majestic Star of India is docked in downtown San Diego on the beautiful waterfront and is the main attraction at the museum.
    The museum is kid friendly and encourages…
What's Included
  • Admission ticket
  • Entry to below deck exhibits
What's Not Included
  • Does not include bay excursions
Additional Information

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is not your average museum with indoor exhibits and galleries. Instead, it boasts a collection of historic ships docked at the stunning local waterfront, each housing their own unique exhibits below deck. A single reasonably-priced general admission ticket affords you the opportunity to explore all ships and exhibits….

Location
Maritime Museum of San Diego
North Harbor Drive
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(93 Ratings)
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James_w
May 27, 2025
Excellent Collection Of Historic Maritime craft - Located on Harbor Road, resourced by informative staff and volunteers, well worth a visit. Craft ranging from oldest and current stell hulled sailing ship, to a 1960's USS submarine which set a diving depth record. Accessable and interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Sunseeker06
May 24, 2025
Great Place, little underrated by some I think - A really good set of ships to visit. Also the combined ticket that includes the harbour tour (45mins) is good value. There are a number of ships to see, from an old paddle steamer, to a the Star of india tall ship. Also some smaller ships and a submarine. We thought we would only be there a short time, but stayed for several hours. The Italian lady (sorry forgot her name) who did the harbour tour was great, telling you all about the harbour and had a great sense of humour. Well worth a visit
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nsf4040
May 21, 2025
Maritime - Very impressed with this museum for the time and money spent. Can visit each of the ships and the musuems in each one. I especially enjoyed the USS Dophin sub. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Not as much walking compared to the Midway down the street. Could easily spend 2-3 hours here. Also nice views of the waterfront and downtown San Diego.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aland1595
Apr 12, 2025
Anniversary trip - Excellent place to visit to actually go on board and see what it was like in the past. Old Submarine, galleon, The Berkley, art and machinery. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_s
Mar 9, 2025
What a spectacular... - What a spectacular collection of ships and maritime art. I’ve seen the Cutty Sark, the HMS Victory, and the USS Constitution, in different years and places, and this museum is on that level, plus the paintings/models/excursion options in the harbor, and more.
Review provided by Viator
Tipham
Jan 27, 2025
Great museum with lovely views - Great museum. Visited on a whim after walking around town. Lots of information about each vessel available and wonderful views of San Diego from the decks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U8636jlsusanc
Nov 26, 2024
Highly Recommend - Highly recommend! Very well done and interesting. We added the optional Bay Cruise tour which was great. Well worth the entrance fee.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tiesthatbind
Jul 27, 2024
I'm still looking up more of what I learned! - We loved it! If you're at all a "history nerd" you'll find this ticket worth every dollar spent. We also added the harbor tour on the Pilot and found it very informative. The only caution I would offer is that parking is limited to 3 hrs and you can't "feed the meter;" you have to move to a different lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Csc1973
Jun 17, 2025
Interesting - The Star of India is the highlight of the ships (and other exhibits) here If you are not a die-hard ship/maritime fan then you will not enjoy this museum which gives you access to some 4-5 ships and an exhibition hall with lots of maritime information and San Diegos' connection to the maritime trade
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jai_c
Aug 8, 2024
Boats boats boats - Boats everywhere! Loved to see star of India. Rest are ok. Good history though for a few ships. Friendly staff
Review provided by Viator
From $24
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).