Museo Marítimo Torre del Oro
Navy museum in the Almohad Torre del Oro, beside the Guadalquivir, with models, nautical charts and a panoramic terrace.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
By order of the Ministry of the Navy, on 21 March 1936 it was decided to install the Maritime Museum in the Torre del Oro, on the proposal of the Board of the Museo Naval. Restoration and adaptation works began in September 1942, with improvements to the façade and the preparation of the ground and first floors as exhibition rooms, and the museum opened in 1944.
The tower is a defensive 13th-century albarrana tower on the left bank of the Guadalquivir. Its first two sections are dodecagonal and were built in 1221 under the Almohad governor Abú-l-Ulà; the third, cylindrical and topped by a dome of golden tiles, was raised in 1760 by the military engineer Sebastián Van der Borcht. Before becoming a museum it served as a chapel, a prison for nobles, a gunpowder store and the offices of the Capitanía de Puerto and the Comandancia Naval. It was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1931.
The route occupies two floors and a terrace. The ground floor explains the history of the tower and of the Carrera de Indias; the first floor reviews the history of the Navy, from the navies of Castile and Aragon to the present, with nautical charts and navigation instruments from different periods.
Highlights
- Model of the “Real Fernando”, the first steam ship built in Spain
- Copy of the 1617 engraving of Seville by Johannes Janssonius
- Nautical charts and navigation instruments from different periods
- Panoramic terrace with views of Seville and the Guadalquivir
Permanent exhibitions
- Historia de la torre y de la Carrera de Indias (planta baja) – Route through the history of the tower up to the end of the Carrera de Indias, with the model of the “Real Fernando” and the copy of the 1617 engraving of Seville.
- Historia de la Armada (primera planta) – Exhibition from the origins of the Navy to the present, with nautical charts and navigation instruments.
- Founded
- 1936
- Operated by
- Armada Española (Fundación Museo Naval)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to the museum is free, although a voluntary contribution towards its upkeep is requested.
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
There are QR codes for each exhibited piece, designed for people with visual impairments.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Puerta de Jerez
Bus line C4 goes directly to the museum; lines 5, 40, 41, 42, C3 and S3 stop nearby, at the Puerta de Jerez stop.
Amenities & 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 | Group visits require prior booking by email (torreoro@fn.mde.es); group bookings are not accepted at weekends or on public holidays. |
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