Naval History Museum
Naval History Museum
4
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Not for land-lubbers: this museum has filled its four floors with interesting maritime objects, including the banners that were flown by the Venetian fleet at Lepanto.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Castello
Castello is the largest of the six sestieri (districts), and the only one not facing onto the Grand Canal. More than half of Castello is situated within Arsenale, the naval base, which occupies over one-fifth the area of Venice. This gentrified maritime neighbourhood feels busy but casual. Castello’s side streets are laid back, with small boats lining canals criss-crossed by laundry. Semiannual exhibitions add a strong artsy current to the Arsenale area. Via Garibaldi in Castello, with its shops and bars, has one of Venice's rare straight and wide boulevards. When a large ship turns around the Lido to enter the Giudecca Canal, the startling sight creates an illusion that it will run aground right on Via Garibaldi! Families treasure Giardini near the island's tip, green with rare trees and grass, and Riva degli Schiavoni is a popular spot for Venetians to take a stroll to watch the sunset.
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See what travellers are saying
  • jon jack r
    Standlake, United Kingdom35 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    No really - go there!
    Ok - this was poorly lit and often a series of Things in Glass Cases with Little Explanations on the Wall. I hate that kind of thing. But there was something compelling about this place. A sideways look at Italy and Venice. A 1940s manned torpedo with an hilarious story from a British naval commander. A 1930s naval gunnery computer as big as a room. An 18th century barge big as the room. A huge model of an Armada period galleass. And, somewhere in the eves, a series of models explaining the gondola and its mysterious forcola (or rowlock). Unpretentious and unexpected. Wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 December 2023
  • Margaret H
    Doylestown, Pennsylvania4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Venice is unique. Go.
    Venice is unique. Full of history, culture, art, and friendly people. Water transportation or walking is your only option in the city. Buy a day, multi day or week pass for the vaporetti (water buses), and you can get just about anywhere in the city, or the neighboring islands. But realize that this is a fragile environment, and home to Venetians, so be considerate.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 March 2024
  • Alex570
    Tallinn, Estonia71 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Naval history and seashells
    If you are in the city for a longer time, it is definitely worth going. The museum is much bigger than it seems at first. Many interesting exhibits from the Middle Ages to our time. On the top floor there is a wonderful collection of seashells. Few people - so you can walk around calmly and quietly.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles607 reviews
Excellent
264
Very good
185
Average
95
Poor
33
Terrible
30

Lesley C
Harpenden, UK13 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
The museum is disappointing - very old style, dry & somewhat boring. The pavilion part was closed, the men’s loo was broken (I note this was the case in May 2023 so clearly nothing has been done). It needs to be brought up to date with some modern signage & some interactive elements, especially for children if they wish to continue to attract visitors.
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rob R.
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
The relics stored here are or can be interesting, but the museum doesn’t do quite enough to frame them. Only about half have English captions. Missing is a general progression between and within rooms. It would have been nice to have general panels framing the purpose of each room - just like in the surprisingly excellent naval museum in Piran. More biographical studies might have helped as well. The museum is in real need of a refresh but could still reward a visit,
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Conkers2
Oxford, UK65 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
The museum would benefit from a serious upgrade. The historical notices are slim to non-existent. No activities for the younger ones. The facilities are broken (e.g., lift out of order, toilets not functioning). The main attraction was not available. The lighting of the main pieces is not fit-for-purpose. Too bad since there are unique elements.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jon jack r
Standlake, UK35 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Ok - this was poorly lit and often a series of Things in Glass Cases with Little Explanations on the Wall. I hate that kind of thing. But there was something compelling about this place. A sideways look at Italy and Venice. A 1940s manned torpedo with an hilarious story from a British naval commander. A 1930s naval gunnery computer as big as a room. An 18th century barge big as the room. A huge model of an Armada period galleass. And, somewhere in the eves, a series of models explaining the gondola and its mysterious forcola (or rowlock). Unpretentious and unexpected. Wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
Written 26 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex570
Tallinn, Estonia71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2024 • Family
If you are in the city for a longer time, it is definitely worth going. The museum is much bigger than it seems at first. Many interesting exhibits from the Middle Ages to our time. On the top floor there is a wonderful collection of seashells. Few people - so you can walk around calmly and quietly.
Written 27 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deb D
Bradenton, FL3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
Lovely venue, but not for anyone in need of handicap access.Elevator out of service for months, due to the need for replacement. If you can not climb stairs, please do not go. Offers many nautical scenarios that would be of interest to naval enthusiasts if you can walk stairs.
Written 1 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lousally
London104 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
I had a lot of questions prior to entering this museum. When and why did shipbuilding start here? how many people worked there? where were they from? how many ships were built? how long did it take? where did they go? why did shipbuilding end? What is the area used for now? After going round all four floors I came out none the wiser. If you want to look at lots of model ships then fine. If you want to actually learn something about the history of shipbuilding in Venice, you will have to look elsewhere for the answers.
Written 13 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kathy_Fitz
Clifton Park, NY19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2011
Not for you if you're bored by naval and nautical history, but if you're into it there is almost too much to see in one visit! Hundreds of years of Venetian and Italian nautical and marine history represented by models, replicas, artifacts, originals, artwork, flags, uniforms, weapons, etc. Caution - the brochure refers to a "Ship Pavilion" with actual ships, but we were told it was closed.

There are English descriptions of MOST of the items.

Cost-wise, you can visit this museum 2, 2, 4 or 5 times for the price of one admission to a historic church!
Written 29 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dja807
Norfolk, UK178 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
This is a great place and worth a visit. In April 2018 it was fully open. The buildings are part of the impressive Arsinalle complex. There are a number of exhibits including a must see Italian MTB complete and as it served from WW2 - very rare. You will get a flavour of all things Venice from an early dive boat through to Laguna fishing skiffs, ceremonial Gondolas (including a hearse variant) to a steam boat. From the Palazzo Ducale (St Marks Square) its about a 10 to 12 minute stroll. With St Marks behind you start walking along the wide promenade in the direction of Victor Emmanuel the 2nd monument. You will go past all the vaperatto and mixed boat jetty's. The crowds thin out and you settle down to a gentle pace till you get to Fondamente Arsinalle. The entrance to the main Arsinalle is spectacular. There are two lovely bars and eatery's opposite the museum entrance. The sea food pasta was delicious alongside my Spritzer. Entrance fee was 5 euros each which was excellent value. Accessibility was good by Venice standards and their is a disabled folding ramp up the first 3 steps, from there is fairly level. Tip. Each hall has a print out in multiple languages of the exhibits which I recommend you read to get the full benefit from your visit. In my opinion the MTB alone is worth the entrance. There is one shared use WC on the site.
Written 23 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

UpInTheAirProfessor
Houston, TX72 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018
The main museum building is still closed, but the annex with the boats themselves is worth a visit in my estimation. There is a WWII torpedo boat along with part of the recovered vessel that Marconi used to discover Electromagnetic Waves...
Written 28 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Naval History Museum - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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