#climbaboard

The largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean

Galata by the numbers

Reconstructions and staged areas so you can climb aboard and experience firsthand the history
of the deep relationship between Genoa and the sea.

Spread out over 5 levels and 31 galleries, the Galata, opened in 2004, the year Genoa was selected as European Capital of Culture. Today the innovative and technological Galata is the largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean.

Built by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy in 1976 and decommissioned in 2002, the Nazario Sauro was donated to the Institute of Maritime and Migration Museums (Mu.MA) to become part of its permanent collection in 2010, maintaining it as faithfully as possible in its original state. It was created during the Cold War, but today the submarine brings a message of culture and knowledge.

The exhibition was created to transform visitors into ‘visit-actor’, allowing them to actively participate throughout the museum and discover the history of seagoing vessels that starts with the port of Genoa in the 15th century and continues still today.

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Dive into the depths and discover incredible stories about the sea.

Galata Maritime Museum

Submarine Nazario Sauro S518

GOAM Galata Open Air Musem

The Francesco Leoni Photographic Archive

Highlights

Exhibitions and events

Exhibition

From 19 March to 3 May 2026

Jump into the Sea

A journey that focuses on the instant of the leap and on the sea as a space of transformation, choice, and trust.

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Exhibition

From 2 to 27 April 2026

Con gli occhi di un ragazzo: la Genova di Salvatore Belcastro

There are many ways to look at a city.

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Teaching Activities and Schools

The activities available at the Galata are endless, just like the wonders of the sea!

Explore them all and choose the one that’s right for you: guided tours, workshops, recreational activities, institutional projects and more!

Activities for kindergarten

To the boarding!

How do you become pirates and pirates? Passing tests of courage and cunning and discovering the environments of the museum.

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Activities for all schools of order and grade

Navigate the centuries

The visit is spread over three floors of the museum: we will discover the port of Genoa in the '400, Colombo and the exploration trips, the galleys and the arsenal of the Republic, the merchant ships of the '700 and '800, the transition from sailing to steam.

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Activities for kindergarten

A sea of monsters kindergarten

Let’s discover together what threatens the health of the sea and its inhabitants and then we iberiamo the sea from the plastic with games and small quizzes.

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What they’re saying about us

  • star rating  Submarine - When on holiday you need to make the most of it. It was raining on this day, so we decided to find an inside attraction. The Maritime Museum did not... Read more

    avatar thumb Peter B
    10 December 2025

    star rating  Discovering history of boats  - History and fun. Discovering ancient and modern shipping. A view to Genoa Harbour and a real navy submarine. Mostly interactive and immersive experience

    avatar thumb RickyArzu
    6 December 2025

    star rating  Interesting  - Is expensive at 18euros but worth it. Amazing life size replicas of a galley and boat with interesting floors on Italian emigration in 1900s and on a cruise liner disaster.... Read more

    avatar thumb joesphb897
    30 October 2025
  • star rating  Wow this is such a great museum!!!  - This is a totally fantastic museum!!! I loved it. My partner and I looked at some different things having lost each other .he went up on the roof where there... Read more

    avatar thumb jilla858
    25 September 2025

    star rating  Excellent Museum  - This is a lovely museum that we ended up, unexpectedly, spending five hours in. There is so much to see across the six floors (plus they have an outdoor rooftop... Read more

    avatar thumb Christopher V
    4 July 2025

    star rating  Da vedere - Scelgo di recensire questo luogo piuttosto che l'acquario che è luogo molto pubblicizzato e comunemente apprezzato. Questo museo invece è stata una felice scoperta casuale, scelto per occupare una mattinata... Read more

    avatar thumb albaaG6743TO
    28 April 2025
  • star rating  Esperienza bellissima  - All’inizio del museo c’era un grandissimo modello di barca in cui ci si poteva salire a bordo. Intorno a voi ci saranno tantissimi modellini di barche, al secondo piano troverete... Read more

    avatar thumb Gianluca P
    26 April 2025

    star rating  Domenica al museo  - Interessante, bello tutto l insieme. L unica cosa che devo evidenziare è che la quadreria esposta non viene valorizzata abbastanza, ci sono dei quadri che risultano in ombra, poco illuminati,... Read more

    avatar thumb danielagW774FZ
    17 March 2025

    star rating  Un viaggio d’istruzione veramente da consigliare.  - Genova è una città meravigliosa e misconosciuta. Tutti ci vanno per il celeberrimo acquario, ma essa è molto di più. Tra le eccezionali ed uniche mete possibili, il centro storico... Read more

    avatar thumb H2153NEpaolac
    16 March 2025
  • star rating  Bellissimo museo!  - Interessantissimo museo interattivo al Porto di Genova. Dalla storia della città alle imbarcazioni che hanno solcato il suo mare, dalle ricostruzioni delle navi fino alla storia delle migrazioni umane. Il... Read more

    avatar thumb iw3bmw
    7 March 2025

    star rating  Consigliatissimo  - Una visita molto superiore alle aspettative..mi dispiace solo di aver avuto poco tempo per visitarlo ma l'esperienza è stata bellissima il penultimo piano con la ricostruzione di una nave da... Read more

    avatar thumb Giovanna B
    17 February 2025

    star rating  Brilliant maritime museum - Excellent museum telling the story of Genoa's maritime history including references to Christopher Columbus. It takes at least 2 hours to go around the 5 floors. It actually seems never... Read more

    avatar thumb gazza110
    19 January 2025
  • star rating  Absolutely brilliant  - A must visit, one of the highlights of Genoa and among the best museums in Europe. Certainly one of the most unique museums for how interactive everything is. Beautifully done.

    avatar thumb Sod o
    19 January 2025

    star rating  Great sea museum  - Interesting museum highlighting Genoas seafaring role. Excellent full scale ship models. Not crowded at all in December.

    avatar thumb Peter K
    10 December 2024

    star rating  Must see museum in Genoa  - Many interactive exhibits, wonderful descriptions and details on the development of ships through the ages. Several full sized models of historical vessels. Beautiful views of Genoa from the 3rd floor.

    avatar thumb Z7903MMmichaelb
    2 October 2024
  • star rating  Nice but insufficient  - The size of the museum is nice, but it seems like they couldn't do it justice. It's a little hard to understand universally. I found their exhibitions impressive. It seemed... Read more

    avatar thumb Explore55379545645
    17 September 2024

    star rating  So fun for young and old while learning more about the history of Genoa  - This is a very fun interactive museum. It far exceeded any of my expectations. The nearby sub was fun to explore. This was a great museum for my 20 something... Read more

    avatar thumb Gmanbumpy
    1 September 2024

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