The Maritime Museum of San Diego

I love ships, even if they don’t always love me. I love big cruise ships, I love wooden sailing ships, I love battleships and I love submarines. I even love Moby Dick – something my wife and 99.8% percent of the human population will never understand. Put simply, I dig this stuff.

That’s why I really can’t do much better than the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Housing one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels and maritime artifacts in the nation (the world really), this immensely popular San Diego museum is a fascinating stop for sea dogs and nautical novices alike.

Quality exhibits fill the cabins – nautical technology, authentic naval maps, a history of the U.S. Navy in San Diego – but the real star is the ships themselves. The Maritime Museum of San Diego is renowned for both the size and provenance of its varied collection. Here is just a small sample of ships you can see and tour:

• Star of India (1863), oldest active sailing ship
• The Berkeley (1898), steam ferry/visitor center
• Medea (1904), storied steam yacht
• B-39 Submarine (1967), Soviet Foxtrot sub
• HMS Surprise (1970), replica of a 1757 frigate
• Californian (1984), replica of an 1857 schooner
• USS Dolphin (1968), diesel research sub

Ghost Hunters enthusiast that I am, it’s especially exciting to step aboard The Berkley and the Star of India, which the paranormal reality show visited back in late 2008. Of course, in the middle of the day with a couple dozen other greedy tourists all around you, the atmosphere is all but lost. Still, a fascinating visit all the same.

If you want to cap off your visit with something special, take to the seas on one of the Maritime Museum sailing adventures. You’ll board one of the historic ships – the Californian, America, or Pilot – for a multi-hour big bay sightseeing cruise. Relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, or rough up your hands by helping the crew. The sailing adventures come at a premium cost, of course, and space is super-limited. To learn more, start here.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is located in San Diego Bay just a few miles south of the airport (near the Cruise Ship Terminal). The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Learn more.

Have fun at the Maritime Museum in San Diego, California.

Related Posts

1. Lantern Tours of the Star of India, San Diego, CA
2. Valentine’s Day in San Diego – Hotels and Packages
3. Fleet Week San Diego 2009 – Events and Hotels
4. San Diego Comic-Con Hotel Recommendations
5. 2011 San Diego Comic-Con Hotels
6. A Day at the Park – Balboa Park in San Diego
7. Old Town’s Most Haunted – San Diego Ghost Tour