Colombo Port Maritime Museum, Maritime museum near Colombo Port, Sri Lanka

Colombo Port Maritime Museum is a museum housed in a restored colonial-era building on Chaithya Road, displaying seafaring equipment, model ships, and objects related to maritime history. The rooms present different themes about the island's sea-faring past and are arranged for visitor access.

The building was built by the Dutch in 1676 as a prison and served as a jail compound under colonial rule for centuries. Authorities transformed it into this museum in 2003 to document and preserve the island's maritime history.

The exhibits showcase sculptures and maritime objects that reflect Sri Lanka's long tradition of seafaring and exchange with distant lands. The artifacts reveal how the island played an important role in shipping and trade across centuries.

The museum is at 19 Chaithya Road, beside the Colombo Port, and is run by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It occupies the former Dutch prison, so look for the old prison building rather than a modern hall. The museum is closed on Mondays and public holidays; flash photography is not permitted inside.

It is the only surviving Dutch-period building inside the Colombo Port area, built in 1676 as a prison. The conversion cost Rs 25 million and followed a concept first put forward by ports minister M. H. M. Ashraff; Rauff Hakeem opened the museum in August 2003.