Maritime Museum, Hamburg

Museum in Hamburg

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Holger.Ellgaard

Situated in the historic Kaispeicher B—a listed Quay Warehouse built in 1878–79—the museum opened to the public in June 2008. It houses the vast collection of Peter Tamm, a former Axel Springer executive from a long line of seafarers. His passion led to a treasure trove of over 40,000 ship models, more than 1 million photographs, maritime art, naval uniforms, instruments, and ship plans—spread across nine exhibition decks themed as “decks,” each showcasing thousands of years of seafaring history.

Spanning over 12,000 m², the exhibitions cover ancient maritime traditions, Age-of-Discovery voyages, evolution of shipbuilding, naval warfare, and modern container shipping. Highlights include rare bone ship models, authentic luxury cruise cabin displays, antique navigation tools, and dramatic deep-sea exploration installations. Visitors can also try a real ship navigation simulator, glaciers-to-containers interactive exhibits, and a large collection of maritime paintings and artifacts—all told in a visually rich and family-friendly format.

The Maritime Museum, Hamburg appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Hamburg!

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