Are you on holiday in Genoa and have decided to visit the Genoa Maritime Museum and you need more information on the rooms, prices and how to get there?
You are reading the right article.
In this post, I will guide you through the majestic Galata Museo del Mare; we will discover the interactive rooms together, and you will find all the useful information on how to get there, where to eat and sleep nearby.
Read the article through to the end for all the necessary information.
Are you ready for this? Let’s get started!
Tickets for Galata Sea Museum
Galata Museo del Mare Genova: everything you need to know
The Galata, better known as the Sea Museum, is one of the three buildings of the Genoa Museum Centre which, together with the Maritime Station and the Genoa Aquarium, represents one of the largest sites in the world dedicated to the sea and its discoveries.
Built inside the oldest building in the area of the old dock, where the galleys were historically built, i.e. the boats that were part of the powerful fleet of Genoa.
Today, under the skilful renovation of the architect Guillermo Vàzquez Consuegra, the Galata has become one of the most important museums in Italy, able to fascinate millions of visitors year after year.
The Museum of the Sea can boast the two stars awarded by the Italian Touring Club, which represent the highest score conquerable, and the mention in the prestigious U.S. guide The New York Times 36 hours 125 weekend in Europe, a real bible of tourism.
Visit the Galata Museum Genoa
Visiting the Galata is an experience that takes time and requires some organization because the museum is very rich and full of interactive attractions so it would be a shame not to take advantage of all that is available.
The museum consists of four floors, one of which is occupied entirely by a beautiful terrace with a view over the entire port.
The first part of the museum is completely focused on the naval history of Genoa, from the time of the maritime republics to the present day.
The great protagonist of these first rooms is obviously Christopher Columbus, who with his voyages of discovery has revolutionized world geography.
The last floor of the museum is dedicated to a touching permanent exhibition on Italian immigration, an overview of migration flows and routes that have involved our compatriots in past centuries.
There is the area of the Galata museum that is dedicated to the submarine and includes some interactive games that help to better understand the operation of a real submarine.
Finally, you can end your visit with a tour of the GOAM, the Galata Open Air Museum. It is a space outside the Galata that extends on the docks and tells, with photos, finds of the time and interactive panels, the productive history of those places and their birth.
Well, after this general description, let’s go into the halls of the museum.
Genoa Sea Museum: the rooms
The first rooms of the Galata, those located on the ground floor, are dedicated to the naval history of Genoa and Christopher Columbus.
You can see numerous historical finds and documents that make you better understand all the preparatory work of the voyages of discovery of Columbus, the difficulties encountered and the departure to the Americas.
One of the most important rooms on this floor is the armoury of the dock, which houses the faithful full-scale reconstruction of a seventeenth-century galley.
The boat, which is 40 meters long and 9 meters high, is completely open to visitors and gives you a precise idea of what life on board was like, where sailors of the crew lived side by side, along with slaves to the oars and wheeler-dealers of all kinds.
From the first floor, you can have a complete view from the top of the galley and admire the areas defined as the carriages, i.e. the noble part in which the lords and nobles stayed during the trip.
An interactive panel is used to admire the scene of the landing of the silver bars in a faithful reproduction that stages a typical day of the seventeenth century.
On the second floor you can find the Hall of Storm, called as such because, thanks to virtual reality, you can experience a sea storm first-hand.
On the third floor, instead, you’ll put yourself in the shoes of a nineteenth century emigrant who sails from the port of Genoa to reach fortune in distant places.
Here too, thanks to virtual reality, you will be able to relive the same emotions of our compatriots at the start, and you can experience the thrill of driving a steamship leaving the Ligurian port thanks to a simulator.
Finally, on this floor, the staff of the Submarine School will prepare for the visit of the Nazario Sauro S518, a real and famous Italian submarine.
On the top floor of the Galata, the fourth, there are two terraces, called Coeclerici and Mirador, from which you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city, the old town and of course the old port.
Tickets for Galata Sea Museum
Hall of the Storm
One of the most requested and acclaimed rooms of the Galata Museo del Mare Genova is the Sala della Tempesta on the second floor.
Here the first thing you come across is the raft on which, for over 70 days, the Italian navigators Ambrogio Fogar and Mauro Mancini remained at the mercy of the oceans fighting against the fury of the sea.
You will then be able to relive the same experience thanks to 4D: right in the Hall of Storm, on board a virtual raft, you can fight against the fury of the sea reliving the fears and emotions of all those who found themselves fighting against the violence of the waves for millennia.
The scene you’re going to experience first-hand is that of a shipwreck at Cape Horn.
You’ll be on board a lifeboat, sitting on the wooden benches typical of these boats.
It is a multi-sensory experience because the boat waves and the roar of the sea increases in intensity with the passing of minutes.
Ochres, whales and albatrosses surround the boat waiting to feast on the bodies of the survivors.
The end of the shipwreck is uncertain and will depend only on your own cold blood and that of the other participants.
The experience is organised at fixed times and it is worth booking to make sure you get a seat on the lifeboat.
Other rooms
Among the other rooms that arouse great interest in adults and children, there is also the Brigantino on the second floor.
It is the faithful reconstruction of a boat of the nineteenth century, the brig, a very solid and fast boat used especially for naval battles and for pirate raids.
In the room dedicated to him, you can visit the reconstruction, which is equipped with original pieces, and experience the feeling of being a sailor of the time.
The captain’s cabin was also faithfully reconstructed, with original furnishings from the time.
For those who want to be fascinated by the mysteries of the sea, a visit to the Mare Monstrum room is a must, where fantasy is unleashed in pursuit of the worst sea monsters that for centuries have frightened but also intrigued the sailors of the time.
Among real creatures and other pure birth of the creativity of the time, you can take a trip back in time and discover the worst fears of those who ploughed the sea.
Duration of the visit
The visit of the museum with the main attractions lasts about an hour and a half, but it is always good to allow yourself a little more time, especially if you are with your children because many of the attractions are interactive and therefore require more time to discover them and have fun with them.
Galata Museo del Mare di Genova is open every day from March to October, from 10 am to 7.30 pm.
The last entrance, however, is scheduled at 18.30 to allow an easy visit of the museum route without having to rush or miss any attraction.
In the winter months, from November to February, the museum is closed on Mondays and on the other days of the week follows the hours 10-18 until Friday, with the last admission at 17, and 10-19.30 on weekends with last entry at 18.
Galata Museo del Mare Tickets
The prices for visiting the Museum of the Sea in Genoa vary greatly depending on the type of visit you wish to make.
Let’s see them together.
The Galata is part of a museum complex that can be visited entirely with a single ticket that has a cost ranging from 45 to 55 euros if you decide on a fixed date and time.
The cost may rise slightly, up to 57 euros, if you want to buy an open ticket that gives you the right to enter only once but on any date, according to your schedule.
You can decide, however, to visit only the Galata to focus your attention on all the beauties that are on display.
In this case, the price of a visit to the Museo del Mare Genova is 13 euro for adults, 8 euro for children and 11 euro for those who can take advantage of the reduced price.
If you want to visit the submarine together with the Galata, then you can take advantage of the cumulative ticket for the two attractions, which costs 19 euros for adults, 14 euros for children and 17 euros for teenagers.
Finally, the last package available is the Galatacquario, which allows you to visit the Galata and the Acquario di Genova at a cost of 42 euros for adults, 30 euros for children and 38 euros for teenagers.
Children up to the age of three always enter free of charge.
All tickets can be purchased at the ticket offices or on the website of the Galata, thus avoiding having to queue at the box office.
Tickets for Galata Sea Museum
Discounts Galata Sea Museum
In addition to discounted tickets reserved for the military, over 65s and disabled people with companions, the Galata offers other forms of discount that make the ticket more convenient.
The largest discount is for large groups.
In this case, in fact, with a number of participants exceeding ten people you can pay only 7 euros for the entrance.
There are also special agreements that may vary from year to year.
The advice is to check on the official website or directly at the ticket offices, which are the conventions available to pay less for the ticket to the Galata.
Genoa Sea Museum for children
The Galata is a fascinating place for all ages, but it will surely be a fantastic experience for children.
There are, in fact, many interactive attractions designed especially for children and unique experiences that they can experience inside the museum, to get closer to the sea and its beauty.
In particular, however, great attention from the Galata is reserved for schools for which, depending on age and class, special activities are designed that will leave an indelible memory in the minds of children.
In addition to the guided tour of the museum, in fact, you can take educational workshops with specialists in the field as well as live experiences in costume to immerse yourself even more in the atmosphere of the time.
Among the most interesting attractions are those dedicated to pirates but also to science at the bottom of the sea.
Some workshops illustrate the life and nutrition of sailors at the bottom of the sea, and there are also those aimed at discovering the secrets of Christopher Columbus’ travels.
The catalogue of activities that can be carried out with schools is really very wide and articulated so my advice is to visit the site to find the path that best suits your class.
Submarine
One of the great attractions of the Galata Sea Museum is the submarine that is located in the dock, just opposite the entrance to the museum.
It is the legendary Nazario Sauro S518 that was built in 1976 and retired in 2002.
The submarine was a major protagonist of the Cold War and, thanks to protective helmets and custom audio guides, can be experienced in virtual reality during a mission.
The submarine is in perfect condition and is faithfully preserved in its original state.
Since access to the visit is forbidden to children under 4 years of age, pregnant women and disabled people, on the third floor of the Galata you can make the pre-show, a virtual experience that will reveal all the secrets of the Nazario Sauro, using the equipment on board and discovering the living conditions of those who worked on this submarine for many years.
Interactive panels are available to listen to interviews with the protagonists of the missions of the Nazario Sauro S518.
How to get to the museum of the sea
The Galata Museo del Mare is located at Calata de Mari 1, obviously in Genoa.
This is an area that is part of the Via Gramsci dock and is easily accessible in many different ways.
The simplest and least polluting world is obviously to reach the museum on foot or by public transport.
But there are also some tips to follow for those who want to reach the museum by car or train.
Here are all the instructions that may be useful to reach Galata.
On foot
On foot, you can reach the Galata Museo del Mare with a nice walk that will allow you to discover the Port of Genoa, one of the beating hearts of the city.
The Museum is a 10-minute walk from Genoa Piazza Principe Station and about 25 minutes from Brignole Station.
By public transport
To shorten the route, however, you can use the subway: the arrival station is Darsena, and from here, the journey on foot is really short.
The ordinary ticket costs 1.5 euros and lasts 100 minutes.
It can be purchased in the special box office inside each station.
Using the same type of ticket, you can also decide to reach the Galata by bus.
The reference lines are 1 and 18 from the Gramsci 2 stop in the west direction or lines 20, 32, 34 and 35 from the Balbi 2 stop in the west direction.
For the direction Levante, the right stop is Darsena, and the most suitable bus lines are 1, 18, 20, 32, 34 and 35.
By car
To reach Galata Museo del Mare by car, whatever the direction of origin, the reference exit is the Genova-Ovest tollbooth.
From here, it will be quite easy to reach the museum thanks to the road signs that clearly indicate the path to reach the museum.
Once off the highway, in fact, my advice is to take the elevated road and exit at the first available exit.
You will find yourself in the Porto Antico area, where there are several car parks, all of which charge a fee.
Let’s see the best.
Where to park near the Galata Maritime Museum
Parking in Genoa is never easy because of the shape of the city that develops in height along the slopes of the hill that flows into the sea.
For this reason, the most sensible advice to park your car and then continue with the visit to the museum of the sea is to use the private parking of Mercanzia (located in Via Turati, a few meters from the Galata) or the Marina Park (about 1 km from the museum).
For more information read my guide on where to park in Genoa.
By train
An alternative way to reach Genoa Museum of the Sea is by train.
In this case, there are two reference stations: the first is Genoa Piazza Principe, which is only a 10-minute walk from Galata and is therefore extremely convenient for organizing a visit to the museum.
The second station is Genova Brignole, a little further away.
If you choose this second station, the journey to Galata should then continue by bus 18 or 20 towards Sampierdarena.
Where to sleep near the Genoa Maritime Museum
To stay near the Galata, there are plenty of choices because Genoa, and in particular the area of the dock, has a strong tourist vocation and for this reason, there is accommodation of all kinds, suitable to meet any need both in respect to comfort and budget.
Genova Suite Art has the undeniable advantage of having a private car park, a significant advantage for those arriving to Genoa by car, given the difficulty of finding a place for their car.
Genoa Suite Art
Genova Suite Art, on the other hand, combines the possibility of staying near the old port with the beauty of a historic residence, with ceilings frescoed in the second half of the sixteenth century.
Modern furnishings, free Wi-Fi and smart TVs complete the offer of this three-star boutique hotel.
Hotels De Ville
Finally, for lovers of luxury, the ideal structure is the Hotel de Ville, a four-star hotel right in front of the Galata with tastefully decorated rooms, all with air conditioning, rich breakfast in the morning and a small welcome buffet in the room.
Where to eat near the Museum of the Sea
Visiting the Galata and having fun with the many attractions that there are can definitely build up an appetite and therefore, it is better to know the right addresses for eating near the Museum of the Sea.
Trattoria dell’Acciughetta
The Trattoria dell’Acciughetta is a typical restaurant where you can taste the good cuisine of the Ligurian tradition, spending very little compared to the quality of raw materials.
Good choices of dishes are the pesto and all the ones based on fish.
Indarsena Oyster Bar
The Indarsena Oyster Bar restaurant, on the other hand, is known for being the only one in the city that serves raw fish dishes, strictly fresh.
Oysters, but also snails, shrimp and crabs are an absolute must.
If you are looking for an aphrodisiac dish, then, the pink pearls of Alaska are a delicacy not to be missed.
Molo 21
Combining taste and convenience is possible if you choose Molo 21, another restaurant in the Porto Antico area that offers typical Ligurian cuisine but also pizzas and gachas.
Try the trenette al pesto, strictly homemade, and the typical Ligurian pansoti in a walnut sauce.
Conclusion
Well, here we are at the end of this long article on the Museum of the Sea in Genoa.
Do you have any questions or concerns?
Read my guides with the top 10 things to do in Genoa in a day, or with children, or leave a comment below.
Happy holidays,
Andrea
Tickets for Galata Sea Museum
