Deutsches Marinemuseum

About the museum

The idea for a naval museum in Wilhelmshaven came up in 1988 among a group of local citizens and former naval officers. After the city withdrew from the project in 1992, the friends' association carried it on alone. On April 24, 1998, the museum opened in the former Scheibenhofwerkstatt on the Südstrand, a building erected in 1888 for the torpedo yard of the Imperial Shipyard. From the outset, the minehunter "Weilheim" and the submarine "U 10" drew large numbers of visitors.

The collection grew steadily over the following years: a new building for special exhibitions was added in 2000; in 2005 the guided-missile destroyer "Mölders" moored in the museum harbor – the largest museum warship in Germany; in 2010 a new permanent exhibition opened in an enlarged building; and in 2016 the missile fast attack craft "Gepard" joined the fleet. Under the guiding theme "Menschen – Zeiten – Schiffe" (People – Times – Ships), the exhibition tells the story of Germany's navies from the Federal Fleet of 1848 to today's Deutsche Marine, placing them in the political context of each era. The museum is run by the Stiftung Deutsches Marinemuseum.

Since a federal funding commitment at the end of 2018, the museum has been preparing for a major expansion due to be completed around 2030: the quays dating from the 1880s are being renovated, an extension and a new storage depot are being built, and a new permanent exhibition is planned for 2029. The "Weilheim" will be decommissioned at the end of October 2026 because of its rotting wooden hull; from spring 2027 the "Mölders" will temporarily be berthed at the Bontekai in the Großer Hafen.

Highlights

• Guided-missile destroyer "Mölders" – Germany's largest museum warship
• Coastal submarine "U 10"
• Missile fast attack craft S 71 "Gepard"
• Permanent exhibition "Menschen – Zeiten – Schiffe" on naval history since 1848
• Historic harbor cruises (April to October)
• Minehunter "Weilheim" – only until October 31, 2026

Permanent exhibitions

• Menschen – Zeiten – Schiffe – Permanent exhibition on the history of Germany's navies from 1848 to the present – from the Federal Fleet and the Imperial Navy through the two World Wars to the Bundesmarine, the East German Volksmarine and today's Deutsche Marine – told through personal life stories.
• Museumshafen – Large walk-through exhibits: the guided-missile destroyer "Mölders," the fast attack craft "Gepard," the submarine "U 10" and, until the end of October 2026, the minehunter "Weilheim," plus guns and mines in the outdoor area.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Stiftung Deutsches Marinemuseum

Director

Thomas Eisentraut

Admission & discounts

Free admission for soldiers (in uniform or with service ID), members of the friends' associations of the Deutsches Marinemuseum and the museum fast attack craft, and members of the MOV, the Deutscher Museumsbund, ICOM and museum associations. Online tickets do not entitle you to faster entry.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The permanent and special exhibitions in the main building and the museum harbor are wheelchair-accessible; the ships and boats are not (some steep companionways). The harbor cruise boat is not accessible; wheelchairs, rollators and strollers cannot be taken on board.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Audio-play tour "Mit Max und Paula durch das Marinemuseum" (Through the Naval Museum with Max and Paula) and a scavenger hunt through the permanent exhibition for children. Children under 14 only when accompanied by an adult; children under 6 must be held by the hand on the ships. Steep companionways on the ships.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Coat check
• Lockers

Museum café (Hanneken Restaurationsbetriebe) with coffee, cake, snacks, daily lunch specials and a terrace, for museum guests only; table reservations possible for groups. Bike racks in front of the entrance, no e-bike charging station. Dogs (except service dogs) not allowed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit