Galata Museo del Mare

About the museum

The Galata Museo del Mare opened in 2004, the year Genoa was European Capital of Culture, in the old port. Across about 12,000 square metres on five levels and 31 rooms, it tells the story of Genoa's relationship with the sea, from the port of the 15th century to the present day.

The route, designed to make the visitor the protagonist, includes five full-scale reconstructions, among them a galley, a brigantine and a steamship, as well as rooms dedicated to Christopher Columbus, cartography and navigation in art. At the top of the building is the Mirador panoramic terrace overlooking the port and the city.

Moored outside is the submarine Nazario Sauro (S-518), built by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy in 1976 and decommissioned in 2002. It was donated to the museum in 2010 and displayed while preserving the greatest possible fidelity to the original. The museum also includes the Francesco Leoni photographic archive and the Galata Open Air Museum.

The Galata is a museum of the City of Genoa and belongs to Mu.MA – Istituzione Musei del Mare e delle Migrazioni.

Highlights

• Submarine Nazario Sauro (S-518), open to visitors
• Full-scale reconstructions: galley, brigantine and steamship
• Rooms dedicated to Christopher Columbus and cartography
• Mirador panoramic terrace over the port
• Francesco Leoni photographic archive
• 31 rooms on 5 levels

Permanent exhibitions

• Galata Museo del Mare – A route over 5 levels with reconstructions of a galley, a brigantine and a steamship, and rooms on Columbus and navigation.
• Sommergibile Nazario Sauro (S-518) – Navy submarine built in 1976, moored at sea and open to visitors.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Comune di Genova – Mu.MA Istituzione Musei del Mare e delle Migrazioni

Visitors per year

approx. 187,399

Admission & discounts

The single ticket allows entry to the Galata Museo del Mare and the Nazario Sauro submarine. Teachers holding a school card also enter free. Genoa Museum Cards are available (24 hours €24, 48 hours €45, annual €60, annual for residents €50, annual for students €25), as listed on the Musei di Genova portal.

Accessibility

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

The museum is accessible to people with mobility impairments via ramps and lifts; a push wheelchair and a three-wheeled electric scooter are available. The submarine Nazario Sauro is not accessible by wheelchair: on the third floor a “pre-show” reproduces its interiors. Accessible toilets on the ground, second, third and fourth floors. For visitors who are blind or partially sighted: three tactile stations, a tactile guide, a tactile map of the terrace and routes by reservation; listening amplifiers for people with hearing difficulties. Some multimedia stations have amplified audio and looping sounds that may disturb sensitive visitors. Guide dogs, therapy animals and small animals in a carrier are admitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

Baby-changing facilities and a breastfeeding area (Pit Stop) on the second floor. The museum offers educational activities for families, and the route with reconstructions to explore on board.

Getting there & parking

From the Galata, the Aquarium is about a 12-minute walk away and the historic centre about 7 minutes.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Supervised cloakroom, free of charge; lockers on request, with the key collected from the ticket office. Galata bookshop. Eating and drinking in the museum is not permitted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum offers event organisation.

Plan your visit