The Maritime Museum of San Diego is honestly one of the most impressive history museums I've visited because the artifacts are the museum. You aren't just looking at history -- you're surrounded by ships that actually survived it. The Star of India, launched in 1863, survived mutiny, violent storms, collisions at sea, and decades carrying immigrants across dangerous oceans. Some sailors believed the ship was cursed after captains died during early voyages, yet somehow she survived long enough to become the oldest active sailing ship in the world. HMS Surprise shows the brutal reality of naval warfare during the Age of Sail. Ships like this once carried enough cannon firepower to destroy enemy vessels while sailors lived packed below deck surrounded by gunpowder, disease, and fear of battle. The Berkeley steam ferry even helped evacuate survivors during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake while much of the city burned. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the Soviet B-39 submarine from the Cold War. The inside is unbelievably cramped and gives you a real sense of what life was like beneath the ocean during one of the most dangerous periods in modern history. The USS Dolphin may have been my favorite. This experimental deep-diving U.S. Navy submarine helped test advanced underwater technology and launched the deepest-fired torpedo in naval history. The museum also includes the San Salvador, recreating the ship that explored California's coastline in 1542 -- long before America existed as a country. What makes this place incredible is the timeline it creates: 1500s exploration... 1800s global sailing... steam-powered industry... world wars... Cold War submarines... All sitting together in one harbor. This place doesn't just teach maritime history -- it shows how ships shaped exploration, immigration, trade, warfare, and entire empires. read more

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What an absolute gem. The Maritime Museum is a collection of floating ships available to tour. We enjoyed the add-on ($10) 45 minute, docent-led, bay tour on the Pilot. We learned so much. The Museum is well-organized with plenty of memorabilia and artifacts to enjoy. There are several boats to explore. There's also plenty of seating along the boats, to just enjoy the scenery. The Maritime Museum is a must! read more

A collection of 5 ships and a submarine that you can walk through and experience. Budget about 1.5-2 hours for this museum. As we were touring the ships, there were some actors hosting students on board. They were reenacting parts of life on the ship and asked them to do things like rope work and hoisting barrels or small boats. A couple of memorable moments - Being on board the H.M.S. Surprise and seeing it was used for the shooting of Master and Commander as well as some commercials. Walking on the San Salvador and seeing they do reenactments on certain days. They also have 4-hour sailing adventures. All of these experiences have separate costs, but I think it's cool this is a functioning ship that still sails on a regular basis. Climbing the stairs up to the massive second floor of the Steam Ferry Berkeley. This would have been a fun ride back in the day. The boat also has much historical significance as it helped the evacuation efforts from the burning city of San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake. Looking around the massive Star of India. I liked some of the natural lighting they get on board the ship due to the glass skylight. Going to the end of the pier for some of the nicest views in the city. Truly a unique experience. Recommend the Maritime Museum as a shorter experience with lots of cool photo opportunities. read more

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Excellent Museum! Highly recommend visiting the Maritime Museum. There are many museums to visit in San Diego, this one should be put on your "must go" list! The main part of the museum is an old Ferry, The Berkley. Lots of exhibits including a visit tithe engine room. We were fortunate to time it right and saw the engine running and a great docent with lots of information! The best part for me was the upper deck. Beautiful wood benches and tables where the passengers would have enjoyed their passage ride. Stained glass windows all around. There ate several other boats and a sub to tour included with the admission. Tall ships too. The Star of India is a beautiful ship! We added on the Pilot Boat trip and glad we did! Wonderful cruise around the harbor with an excellent guide. So much information to share and we learned a lot! Highly recommend visiting the Maritime Museum read more

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This is one of the best maritime museums in the world, and a beloved San Diego gem! If you are visiting the area for at least a few days, please don't miss it! There are a bunch of antique boats of all shapes and sizes, including a submarine and a beautiful old ferry that holds boat- related exhibits. But the Star of India is the queen of the place. There is also a small pilot boat that takes visitors out for a tour of the bay for a small extra fee. Four hour tours on the tall ship and galleon are also available at a reasonable price. If you live in the area, an annual membership is a great deal- especially the $115 family "crew" pass, which covers 2 adults and 3 kids for a year, plus a couple of extra tickets. Metered parking is out in front and nearby. Trolley stop nearby. No food available at the museum, but if you're hungry after your visit, the restaurants in the complex just to the south have pretty good food (and Happy Hour!) and great bay views. read more

Maritime Museum - Map of ships at musuem - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

I was skeptical about the Maritime Museum, but after visiting recently I highly recommend this floating museum collection. The Star of India was especially interesting because it offered a glimpse into the harsh reality of 19th century migration by ship. If you enjoy history, I recommend this museum. Time budget: 2 hours Misc: clean bathrooms read more

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Me and my daughter were visiting San Diego, walking along the Embarcadero when we saw the Maritime Museum!! We didn't do the ship tours, we just went into the free Ferryboat Berkeley, with the exhibits and souvenirs. A very small but interesting place, plenty to see inside this small boat. Lots of interesting reads and historical information here. If we had more time, we probably would have done the tour. Still enjoyed my time here!! read more

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What a fun time at the Maritime Museum of SD!! The Star of India is a majestic sailboat with an intriguing history, the submarine was insanely cool to walk through, the steamboat had so much interesting info - the entire experience was a blast. We spent 3.5 hours going through the 6 vessels, all while enjoying beautiful views of the bay. The volunteer we spoke with was super knowledgeable and friendly. I stayed overnight at the Star of India 30 years ago as a little kid, reliving the boat as an adult was priceless. No line to get in, not too crowded on a weekend either. Highly recommend for folks of all ages, it's absolutely worth it, a one of a kind experience! read more

We were visiting our daughter that's in the Navy and we had some free time so we went across the bay and check this museum out. It was really cool. We were probably here for a total of three hours. It's definitely worth your time to go check these out though if you're in the area. Tons of history for sure. read more

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My group and I had a great time walking through the different ships and submarine and learned a lot! Customer service was friendly, the ships have been kept up well, and the volunteer docents around were friendly and full of information. My favorite was the Star of India and that one was huge in terms of the ship and the museum info provided in there, so definitely allow some time to thoroughly enjoy it. We were here about 4 hours and wished we had a bit more time to thoroughly read everything, although we got a good overview. There is so much history here. I recommend bringing a water bottle in as we could not find any drinking water stations or places to buy a drink. Such a cool experience all around! You gotta do it at least once! read more

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Loved it!! Get the add on cruise around the bay!!! The guide is phenomenal!! He was full of knowledge and gave so many sightseeing tips!! They have blankets if you get cold! Museum itself great! Just make sure you can climb ladders .. my parents wouldn't be able to do this adventure. It's remarkable how far the shipping industry has come. read more

Maritime Museum - Star of India - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

Fun little excursion. Take the day to explore. Nice gentleman at one booth-lady at the other not so much...but pretty sure everyone volunteers. Very cool for the family. read more

Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

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What an amazing experience! The museum is just a historical highlight reel as you will obtain a great history of the area. The cruise which gives you a tour of the area between National City, Chula Vista, as well as the surrounding cities gives you a great glimpse of the people and area. The view of the boats were truly amazing along with its history. read more

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I LOVED this visit! I'd always passed by the old ship, which I now know is the Star of India, and wanted to check it out. Not only was I able to walk around on my own inside the Star of an India, the admission grants admission inside many amazing ships! I wandered the ship decks for quite some time, reading about their stories and histories. The Star of India remains my favorite, but actually walking inside a submarine, and the other ships were pretty great, too. read more

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My family ended up enjoying this far more than we thought. You get to go on several boats/ships and talk to the volunteers who have a wealth of information. My favorite was the Star of India and Berkeley. If you have children 6 and up, I think you'll find that they love exploring here much more than you'd expect. They said it would take about 1.5 hours to complete, but it took 2 adults and 3 kids about 2.25 hours. One Important thing to keep in mind is that some of the boats can make you feel a little sea sick if you are super sensitive. Overall, I think it's totally worth it and would do it again with my family in the future. Tip: There are so many good spots to take lots of photos with the family! read more

Are you a nautical enthusiast who loves the sea adventure and ships? This is the place for you! Nestled in downtown San Diego and right by the pier (also close to the USS midway!), you can take a stroll at your own pace and check out the various ships. We had the opportunity to check out the following historic landmark vessels: Star of India, Steam Ferry Berkeley, Californian, San Salvador, and USS Dolphin (submarine). It was really insightful and a learning experience to walk through these vessels inside out. They also displayed the gadgets back then, which gives you a good idea of what life and adventure was like on these vessels. They also offer history boat tour and throughout the year (specific months), you can sign up for sailing the ship adventure! Since it's a challenge to find street parking, I highly recommend that you park in one of the nearby parking structures on Ash. It's a few minute walk to maritime. read more

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Considered going in, it is 24 per person. Cool to see from the outside. The person working the ticket sales was friendly. My dad and I thought about going in but since we were SD for a very short time didn't. Perhaps next visit. read more

Wow! What a great museum! We were in town to see the USS Midway which is just down the street and spotted these incredible old ships from our hotel room across the street. What a great stumble upon! Entry fee (24 bucks, but if you're a senior, student, child or military there's a discount for you) gets you into a fleet of ships. A few of my favorites: Star of India, a 160-something year old ship that's been around the earth 21 times. HMS Surprise, an exact replica of a 1700's British fleet ship used in Master and Commander. USS Dolphin, which is the deepest diving submarine and the first to communicate with an aircraft. And much more. Including the ships themselves there's tons of other displays - a beautiful gallery of nautical paintings, model ships by the dozens, and a few of the ships had tons of displays on board. We were on a time crunch and had to get in and out in 2 hours. But you could EASILY spend 3+ hrs here. In addition, staff was super friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. Loved talking to an old veteran who knew everything about the model war ships. My favorite was the USS Surprise but it was all great. Wish we had more time to see the early 1900's yacht, more of the models and the gift shop. We'll be back. Thanks for preserving this wonderful maritime history. What a gem. read more

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They have some very interesting things to check out. Of course the photo ops are plentiful as well. Specially nearing sunset. read more

Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

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This review is mostly about sailing aboard the Californian schooner, an adventure offered at the San Diego Maritime Museum. SUMMARY Overall, a 3.5 for sailing adventure aboard the 'Californian'. I was expecting more narration during our Californian schooner adventure, perhaps about the ship, history and about surrounding San Diego sights. They did have two docents on-board who could answer any questions, but they weren't very forthcoming by themselves. The numerous, mostly voluntary crew worked hard and it was interesting to see how they worked as a team, erecting the sails, climbing the rigging and keeping a lookout for oncoming vessels, etc. It's a great way to see the sights and sounds in San Diego's harbor and out on the ocean. Read on for more details and see my attached photos. BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE We went on the California Schooner for my husband's birthday. It's a little pricey, but I'm always up for seeking out new things to do in San Diego. ($119 each plus parking in June 2025, which also includes admission to the Maritime Museum). It's a great way to see the sights in the harbor and we even sailed out into the open ocean for a while. BOOKED ON-LINE I booked on-line in advance and when we checked in at the white Maritime Museum kiosk in front of the museum on Harbor Drive where they gave us boarding passes. You may note whether there are any other major events going on downtown when you book. The year before, I had booked but realized last minute that the Rock-n-Roll Marathon coincided, so I cancelled, anticipating downtown road closures and chaos. SEE THE MUSEUM AS PART OF YOUR TICKET The museum was open 10am-5pm, so we had an hour and a half to see the museum before boarding time and an hour afterwards. We set sail at noon. The gift shop was closed by the time we exited, just after 5pm. RESTROOMS/TOILET Make sure to use the restroom at the museum. They do have one on board, but when they described how you operate it, I was not encouraged to use it. (I think that's their goal!) COMPLIMENTARY CHIPS AND WATER OR BRING YOUR OWN They offered a complimentary bag of salt and vinegar chips and a bottle of water on board, however since we were sailing over the lunch period, we brought our own picnic lunch. Any extra bags/coolers can be stored below deck. You do have to go backwards down a ladder to go below deck for the restroom, bag storage and to obtain the chips. ON BOARD While on board, you can sit or stand. You can take part in helping erect the sails at one point by pulling the rope in line with crew members. You can watch crew climb the rigging and listen and watch crew give and take orders. I thought the First Mate was a bit of a bear and he chastised one of the volunteer crew members at one point, but it is a lot of responsibility and I guess he was just doing his job. One exciting part is when they shoot the cannons into the harbor, right before returning to dock. (They shoot blanks). It's very loud and they recommend you cover your ears. WHAT YOU SEE As you sail, you can see the surrounding San Diego sites, the skyline, Ballast Point, the lighthouses at Point Loma, other sailing vessels, North Island, the Coronado bridge and shoreline, seals, birds, the Coronado islands, Navy vessels. WHY 3.5 OUT OF 5? Honestly, I could have cut the 4-hour trip in half. A couple of the young kids on board fell asleep and one couple sat and looked at their phones almost the entire time. Like I mentioned, I was expecting more narration and interaction. It's virtually a sightseeing cruise, but it's novel being on a tall ship. HOW TO DRESS We sailed on a particularly overcast day. I wore 4 layers of clothing, plus long pants, hiking shoes, a hat with a string, sunglasses and sunscreen. (I saw people without strings on their hats lose them overboard!) Despite the overcast weather, I saw a fair-skinned person afterwards that looked quite sunburned in the face, so even if it's cloudy, cover up! There did not seem to be blankets offered if you were cold. PARKING We parked across the street underground at the San Diego County Administration Center which allows public parking on weekends. ($15 flat fee, June 2025). Allow time to park and to get to the museum and check-in before you sail. Helpful? read more

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We spent a good 3-4 hours here enjoying the greatest floating museum covering the history of maritime travel of the west. It was added great to go on the Pilot boat for an hour tour with Dustin ( I think was his name ) for detailed description of all the insight in the bay of San Diego. Please thank him! The weather was perfect too and docents are top notch because they love what they are doing! read more

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. An adult ticket costs $24 and includes access to tours of seven different ships. The museum offers guided tours, and there was a staff member available to answer questions about the ships' history. He was highly knowledgeable. It took me about two hours to tour all seven ships. You'll get to see the Star of India, HMS Surprised, Steamboat Berkeley, San Salvador, Californian, Medea, and the USS Dolphin. read more

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I went for a private event that was catetered and the boat doesn't move. It's more of a museum than a boat. The Embarcadero where the USS Berkeley is docked. It's a picturesque bustling area with cruise ships, The Star of India and even the USS Midway. Plenty of waterfront restaurants, taxis, and pedicabs. I recommend taking an Uber because parking can be expensive in the area. read more

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So good to give kids a perspective of history. Ships are fabulous, a labor of love to restore.

Despite this being my first visit to the Maritime Museum, I'm already a little biased in its favor, for one very simple reason: they have the HMS Surprise, the ship built and used for filming one of my favorite movies of all time, "Master and Commander". I paid the admission fee to see this ship alone. Everything else was just icing on the cake. I'm going to contain my exuberant enthusiasm for the aforementioned ship above, and point out that there are at least six other ships docked here that can be toured, including a submarine (not for the claustrophobic), as well as other multi-masted sailing vessels of various eras and nationalities, a steamboat (which also serves as the main "building" of the museum, including the gift shop). If you're lucky, stick around for period-accurate actors and re-enactments and guided tours, and keep an eye out for large groups of lucky students learning the ropes (literally) of operating the ship during their overnight adventures. Man, I would go back to school just for an opportunity like this! If nautical nonsense is something you wish...this museum is something you don't want to miss! read more

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Went on whim without any true interest in maritime paraphernalia, but learned a lot and it was really neat to see the inner workings of ships from various decades! How many people can say they've been in a submarine?! read more

A fun, interactive Musuem. You can visit all kinds of vessels from throughout history (replicas and actual) including a submarine, pirate ships, and famous ships from the movies. TIP: you can purchase a harbor cruise for $10 which I recommend. You spend about 45 minutes on a Vietnam Era Swiftboat with a guided tour. Lots of history to learn about San Diego and gorgeous views from the water. This was the highlight of the visit. A gripe: there are QR codes placed through the museum and ships to learn more. They did not work :( The staff was kind and friendly. There was a mechanical issue with our boat and they had to post pone our guided tour. The docent offered to provide a personal tour of the museum or let us go on the next ride that afternoon. read more

Maritime Museum - The Star of India - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

We have always walked by and admired the historic ships in the bay, but we decided to do more exploring and actually go on them. It was so much fun! The museum is very cool! There is a ton of history involved, and to learn where these ships have been throughout the world was incredible. Within the ships, there's even more on board to interact with and learn about. Definitely recommend the submarine - not very often do you get the chance to actually go inside one. It's awesome! We took the whole family and had a blast! So glad we finally went aboard. Also, they do have a safe area for strollers if you have one with you. read more

My family & I are currently on vacation. Months ago, we bought tickets to go to the Maritime museum & go for a cruise around the bay. Today, our Italian tour guide (I can't remember her name) was so awesome. She was fun, welcoming, knowledgeable & educated us about the San Diego harbor. The ships are amazing & I love the fact that you can walk inside of them & learn how people lived while sailing the seven seas. If you're looking for a great place to go w/the family, please do yourself a favor & buy tickets to the maritime museum. It's fun. It's educational. And it feels like a once in a lifetime experience. Bravo! read more

Amazing exhibits and rich content for any history buff. Exploring the ships and submarine were especially fun! Don't miss this while you are in San Diego. Only docking a star because the gift shop closed three hours early! I wanted to support the museum by buying some merch, but the early closure wasn't indicated anywhere at the museum or on the website. Buy your merch right when you arrive, I guess! read more

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This was so informative and really cool to see the history of our navy. I enjoyed meeting g the veterans that were there to give more detail read more

Maritime Museum - Museums Near Me - San Diego, California

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The maritime museum is one of the best ways to spend half a day in San Diego, and it's one of the best deals in the city. For an incredibly low entry price, you can see some of the coolest historic ships that span an age range of 500 years. Of course the star of India, Dolphin, and Surprise are the main attractions, but they have a plethora of smaller craft which are just as interesting-and less crowded! The staff here love their job and it shows-they are so nice! I'd call ahead to make sure all the boats you want to see are open and in dock, as sometimes they take them for a spin or have a movie crew occupying them. The bathroom situation can be limited, so be prepared! read more

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It was an interesting experience. Personally, I haven't been on a real boat or ship. So this experience was amazing and educational. You get to see the submarine which was really cool! This is highly recommended, specially for kids, they will really learn a lot from this tour. For only $20 per person and I think kids are less. Highly recommend it. And there's a lot of replicas of different ships on display along with it's history. read more

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We just experienced Boarded! (The pirate show/experience at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.) It was a fun, interactive show onboard a sailing ship and my 5 year old had a great time pretending to be a pirate. The actors were great at interactions with both adults and children and getting people to participate in the fun. read more

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Very fun, especially if you're into ships. Everything is laid out smartly and can see vessels - some replica, some actual, of times gone by. read more

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I can't even begin to tell you all how much fun i had going through all the pirate ships and especially the submarine. I was excited to crawl down inside the hull and see all the controls and stuff. My wife is a US Marine Veteran and so we got in for 18.00 each in which is thought was allot of money until we were done with our walkthrough 2 hrs later and I realized 18.00 was way worth it. Super fun and very informative. read more

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I was looking for an At Sea ash disposal service for a relative who had passed away! After googling several companies who provide this service, I happened upon The SAN DIEGO MARITIME MUSEUM who does provide this column service for a MUCH less price than other companies! We wanted a simple service with no frills such a good and alcohol! This company provided a Pilot Boat for exactly what we were looking for! They could not have been more wonderful and accommodating to our needs!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing service!!!!!! PERFECTION!!!!! read more

We've been talking about going here for almost 18 years now; FINALLY went!! It was fun, several diff. vessels to explore, some of them with more 'stuff' than others. The submarine was the best in both my and hubby's opinion. We were there about 2 hrs., staff is very friendly and docents/employees were leading 2 diff. elementary kids around. Lots of info to learn and great maps/models/interactive tools for learning. Well worth the $20 they charge for admission, I'd recommend it to anyone looking to learn about San Diego (or military) history. read more

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Located at the picturesque SD harbor, its a great place to visit for only $20. We often spotted the ships from our plane as it swooped in for landing. At the time of our visit 5 ships were opened to visitors: the Star of India, HMS Surprise, USS Dolphin submarine, steam ferry Berkeley & some tall ship (California?). The Soviet submarine B-39 was closed. USS Dolphin was a small research sub from 1960s, there were 2 access hatch with steep narrow ladders for visitors to access the tight confines below. Photo opp at the periscope & helms station were the highlights. We didnt see any torpedo tubes, now were there any deck guns ala WWII era subs. The once sleek black sub now looked neglected, with algae clinging to its rusting hull. HMS Surprise was the exact same ship used in the movie Master & Commander. Built in 1970 it was supposed to mimick a Napoleonic era British frigate that beared the same name. Military historians will notice the original HMS surprise was a fith rate 38 gun heavy frigate, whereas the current Surprise was built based on the 1757 drawing of a sixth rate 20 gun light frigate. I digress... The ship itself was kept in pristine condition and destined for more future Hollywood films. Everything was in Bristol fashion with the ornate stern carvings being the most photogenic. We climbed below to tour the main gun deck & the tight living quarters, the captain's stern quarter was quite spacious & luxurious by comparison. Its only 2 centuries ago that an American 44 gun heavy frigate would try to rake its stern with 24 pounders. The Star of India looked majestic even from a distance with its shiny black iron hull & riggings that reached high into the heaven. The living quaters for the captain & VIP guests oozed luxury, with mahogany furnitures polished to a shine. It was in stark contrast to the dark & rustic quaters lower deck where the working hands lived and where the cargoes were stored. I have been to a few naval museums: USS Constitution, USS Midway down the street, USS New Jersey and HMS Belfast. This maritime museum more than held up its own in its unique ways. read more

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Super fun and amazing tour, very interesting and a must do in San Diego. Great for kids and family. read more