Melbourne Maritime Museum

The Melbourne Maritime Museum sits beside the Yarra River with a preserved cargo vessel and tells the story of seafaring and transport development in Victoria. The collection includes ships, period tools, documents, and displays explaining maritime commerce and shipbuilding methods.

The museum was founded in 1978 to preserve Victoria's maritime heritage and was built around an 1885 cargo vessel. The historic dry dock beside it shows original structures from the 19th century that were used for ship repairs.

The museum tells how maritime trade shaped Melbourne's growth and made the river port central to the city's identity. Visitors learn about the daily work of dock workers and the importance of seafaring commerce to the region.

The museum is open on weekends and during school holidays in Victoria, with longer hours during special maritime events. The best time to visit is in good weather, since many displays are outdoors.

The dry dock is among the oldest still-standing dry docks in the world and still shows the original pump equipment and boilers from the 19th century. These systems were needed to drain water and lift ships from the river so repairs could be made.