Museum für Antike Schifffahrt

About the museum

During construction work on the Mainz Rhine waterfront in 1981/82, archaeologists came across the remains of several late Roman ships from the 4th century. The so-called Mainz Roman ships are among the most important finds of their kind north of the Alps and provided the first detailed insight into how the warships were built with which the Roman Rhine fleet secured the frontier. After years of conservation, they were given a museum of their own.

In 1994 the then Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, today the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA), opened the museum as a branch in a historic hall at the Südbahnhof that had once served as a locomotive workshop of the Hessische Ludwigsbahn railway. Alongside the original wrecks, it displayed full-size reconstructions of a patrol boat and a troop transport, ship models, reliefs, and stone monuments on ancient shipbuilding and seafaring in the Mediterranean.

In July 2022 the museum closed for a comprehensive renovation and a new curatorial direction. Meanwhile, the LEIZA moved into a new building right next door on the southern edge of the old town. The new permanent exhibition "Auf zu neuen Ufern" (Toward New Shores) is set to open on March 7, 2027: it follows people, goods, and ideas from departure to arrival in foreign lands and presents shipping as a driver of trade, innovation, and cultural exchange. The Roman ships and the reconstructions, each around 20 meters long, remain the centerpiece, complemented by interactive stations, touch objects, and a fully bilingual presentation.

Highlights

• Original remains of the late Roman Mainz ships (4th century)
• Two reconstructions of Roman military ships, each around 20 meters long
• New permanent exhibition "Auf zu neuen Ufern" from March 2027
• Interactive stations and a children's trail with its own logbook
• Historic workshop hall at the former Südbahnhof

Permanent exhibitions

• Auf zu neuen Ufern – The new permanent exhibition tells of departure, journey, and arrival and shows shipping as a driving force of trade and cultural exchange – with the Roman ships at its heart.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every first Saturday of the month (linked to the "0-Euro-Samstag" – free public transport Saturday in Mainz)

Announced prices from the reopening on March 7, 2027; free admission on the opening weekend.

Accessibility

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

Information for the new exhibition from 2027: all areas wheelchair-accessible, media and touch stations accessible from a wheelchair, selected objects can be touched; all texts in German/English, media guide with content in Easy Language; personal guided tours, for example for blind or deaf people and people with learning difficulties, by advance booking.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

The new permanent exhibition (from March 2027) offers dedicated children's texts, a discovery trail, play stations, and a travel logbook to design yourself. Children and teens under 18 have free admission.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

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

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit