Museo Naval de Cartagena
Navy museum in Cartagena with the naval history of the city and the Isaac Peral submarine, housed in its own room.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo Naval de Cartagena, a branch of the Museo Naval in Madrid, opened in 1986 in the former building of the Escuela de Aprendices of the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval, a modernist building from 1926. In 2011 it moved to its current site on the Paseo de Alfonso XII, and in 2013 the Sala Isaac Peral opened, completing the museum's offer.
The main building occupies the southern half of the ground floor of the former Cuartel de Presidiarios y Esclavos, built in 1786 by the military engineer Mateo Vodopich, which later served as a prison, penal colony and training barracks for seamen. Since an agreement in 2005 it shares the building with the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. The Sala Isaac Peral is in the adjoining building, the former foundry workshop of the Arsenal, and the complex is completed by a square and a battery of cannons that recreates the 18th-century coastal battery.
The collection brings together more than 3,000 items organised by area: shipbuilding, navigation, artillery and small arms, naval medicine, flags and uniforms, naval painting, marine infantry, diving and underwater weapons. The centrepiece is the submarine Peral, on display since 2013 alongside the legacy of the naval officer and inventor.
Highlights
- Submarine Peral in the Sala Isaac Peral
- More than 3,000 items on the naval history of Cartagena
- Ship models, including one from the 18th century
- Diving room and underwater weapons
- Cannon battery in front of the building
Permanent exhibitions
- Salas del museo por áreas temáticas – Tour of shipbuilding, navigation, artillery, naval medicine, flags and uniforms, naval painting, marine infantry, diving and underwater weapons.
- Sala Isaac Peral – Space in the former Arsenal foundry workshop where the submarine Peral is displayed, with panels, display cases and audiovisuals on the inventor's life and legacy.
- Founded
- 1986
- Operated by
- Armada Española – Instituto de Historia y Cultura Naval
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission; a voluntary donation of €3 per visitor is requested for the upkeep of the museum.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Región de Murcia tourism listing classifies it as an establishment adapted for people with disabilities; the museum's website gives no further details.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Muralla del Mar
Line 7 (Polígono de Santa Ana – Puerto) and the Icue 8 circular line, with a stop at Muralla del Mar.
The museum is on the Paseo de Alfonso XII, opposite the Dársena de Botes, on the city's seafront.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Groups of more than 10 people must book by email (museonavalcartagena@fn.mde.es) at least 7 working days and at most one month in advance. There is a virtual visit via Google Street View, and a museum guide can be downloaded from the website. |
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