Maritime museum in the historic Kaispeicher B warehouse in HafenCity: 3,000 years of seafaring history on nine decks, based on the Peter Tamm collection.
May 8, 2026 – November 8, 2026
Ten large dioramas made of PLAYMOBIL figures tell the history of seafaring, from Nile sailing boats to Vikings and pirates to container shipping, complemented by listening and play stations for families.
August 6, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Photographs by York Hovest and portraits of initiatives working worldwide to protect the oceans.
The museum is based on the private collection of Hamburg publishing executive Peter Tamm, who by his own account began collecting in 1934 as a child, when he was given a model ship. Over decades he assembled models, paintings, instruments, uniforms, plans, books and photographs related to seafaring. From 1991, the collection was housed as a private institute in Hamburg-Othmarschen.
For a public museum, the City of Hamburg provided the Kaispeicher B on Magdeburger Hafen and contributed around €30 million to its conversion. Built in 1878/79, the brick building is considered the oldest surviving warehouse in the city. The Internationales Maritimes Museum opened on June 25, 2008, in the presence of Federal President Horst Köhler; it is run by the Peter Tamm Sen. Stiftung. At the time, critics complained that naval history and colonialism were not placed in a sufficiently critical context.
The exhibition is spread across nine decks with themes such as navigation, sailing ships, shipbuilding, life on board, navies, modern merchant shipping, marine research and marine painting. The finale is a deck with more than 50,000 miniature models, mostly at a scale of 1:1250. Since the founder’s death in 2016, his son Peter Tamm has led the foundation together with Jan Tersteegen. Special exhibitions, a ship-handling simulator and family programs round out the offering.
| Adults | €18 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €13Children and young people aged 6 to 17, school students, university students, seniors, people with severe disabilities and the unemployed |
| Children & teens | €13free up to age 5 · Children under 6 free; ages 6–17 pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | €13Reduced admission for seniors. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €13Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities; the website does not mention a rule for companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €13Reduced admission for school and university students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €14 per personFrom 10 people. School classes €3.50 per person, daycare groups €2 per child. |
| Families | €382 adults with up to 4 children; small family (1 adult with up to 4 children) €21. |
“Störtebeker-Ticket” from 16:30, €9. With the Hamburg Card €14; included in the Hamburg City Pass; combination tickets with a harbor cruise available. Public guided tours €3 per person or €6 for families, plus admission. Members of the friends’ association free. Online tickets let you skip the line at the ticket desk.
Step-free and threshold-free access, lowered sections at the ticket desk. The east elevator runs from the first floor to all nine decks; the west elevator serves smaller rooms. Wheelchair-accessible restroom with baby changing facilities on the first floor. 8 accessible parking spaces in the Überseequartier parking garage (about 350 m) and 2 on Osakaallee. Loan wheelchairs free of charge (book at 040 3009230-90). Tactile tours together with the Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Hamburg (Hamburg association for the blind and visually impaired), descriptive tours, tours in German Sign Language; all tours can be done with a tour guide audio system. Accessibility verified under “Reisen für Alle” (Travel for All).
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 2.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
| Family ticket | €38 · 2 adults with up to 4 children; small family (1 adult with up to 4 children) €21. |
Scavenger hunt “Entdeckungsreise mit Käpt’n Kuddel” across seven decks with more than ten puzzle and hands-on stations; Pixi book for the youngest visitors in the museum shop. Children’s tours (pirates for ages 6 and up, “In Neptuns Reich” for ages 8 and up, PLAYMOBIL tour for ages 4 to 10) and the children’s birthday party “Piratinnen und Piraten Ahoi!” through the Museumsdienst Hamburg. Public guided tours with a family price. Visitors under 16 only with an accompanying adult.
Koreastraße · 190 m
U4 to Überseequartier (450 m), U1 to Meßberg (800 m); bus 111 to Koreastraße (190 m), bus lines 2, 4, 6 and X3 within 200–800 m. About a 20-minute walk from the main station, 15 minutes from the Rathaus (City Hall) or the Elbphilharmonie.
Parking available · 170 m to the entrance
No dedicated visitor parking; the museum refers visitors to the CONTIPARK parking garages Elbarkaden (Hongkongstraße 6A, 170 m), Überseequartier (Überseeallee 3, 300 m) and Speicherstadt (Am Sandtorkai 6, 400 m).
Café “Alte Liebe” with a sun terrace on the canal and restaurant “Catch of the Day” on the first floor (evenings and weekends). Museum shop and WEDE maritime specialist bookstore. Free lockers (€1 deposit), free Wi-Fi.
Up to 600 guests.
Deck 10 (600 m², up to 200 people, divisible, with roof terraces), Deck 2 in the middle of the exhibition (up to 160 people for a standing reception, only from 18:00), foyer (400 m², up to 400 people for a gala, with additional space up to 600; the museum must close for a full or half day for this) and classroom (up to 40 people). Suitable for conferences, gala dinners, weddings, birthdays and Christmas parties. Contact: event@imm-hamburg.de.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes allowed; no flash and no additional lighting. |
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