Melaka Maritime Museum
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Melaka Maritime Museum in Melaka, Malaysia — the Melaka Maritime Museum, or Muzium Samudera, is housed in a 36-metre replica of the Portuguese carrack Flor de la Mar near the mouth of the Melaka River. Open Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM; closed Mondays. Admission: RM10 for Malaysian adults; RM20 for foreign adults; RM5 for Malaysian children; RM10 for foreign children (one ticket covers Phase I, Phase II and the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum). Allow 1.5–2 hours.
Visitor information last reviewed 22 October 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
Melaka Maritime Museum at a glance: hours, tickets and time needed
| Opening hours | Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays |
| Last entry | 4:30 PM |
| Admission | RM10 for Malaysian adults; RM20 for foreign adults; RM5 for Malaysian children; RM10 for foreign children (one ticket covers Phase I, Phase II and the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum) |
| Booking | Tickets usually available on the day |
| Time needed | 1.5–2 hours |
| Best time to visit | Tuesday to Sunday mornings, before the ship's upper decks warm up. |
| Getting there | Walk: Beside the mouth of the Melaka River, about 450 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys |
| Address | Muzium Samudera, Jalan Quayside, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia |
| Official website | perzim.gov.my |
Checked 2026-10-22 against the official website. Prices and hours change — confirm before you travel.
What is Melaka Maritime Museum known for?
The Maritime Museum, known locally as Muzium Samudera, is built inside a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese carrack built in Lisbon in 1502. After the Portuguese conquest of Melaka in 1511, the ship was carrying Afonso de Albuquerque and a large treasure intended for the Portuguese king when it was lost off the coast of Sumatra in November 1511; the wreck has never been found. Construction of the replica started in early 1990, and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad opened the museum on 13 June 1994. A second phase, in the old Guthrie building next to the ship, opened to the public on 23 May 1998.
According to PERZIM, the replica is 34 metres high, 36 metres long and 8 metres wide, and it stands on Jalan Quayside near the mouth of the Melaka River. Visitors climb aboard and follow an exhibition that Tourism Malaysia says spans three floors. The focus is Melaka's maritime history and its golden age as the 'Emporium of the East', and PERZIM frames the story around a blunt lesson: when Melaka lost political power over its seas, it lost everything. Displays cover the spice trade, naval battles, shipwrecks and the way colonial powers shaped the port.
Exhibits follow the development of trade from the Malay Sultanate through the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods to the Japanese occupation of Malaya, using paintings, old maps, ship models and artefacts linked to seafaring and commerce in Melaka. Phase II, in the restored Guthrie warehouse, turns to the sea itself, with themes such as ocean exploration, life in the sea and treasures from the sea, presented with modern sound and lighting. The same ticket admits visitors to the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium TLDM), which PERZIM opened in 1996.
PERZIM, the Melaka Museum Corporation, lists the museum as open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with last entry at 4:30 PM, and closed on Mondays. Tickets are RM10 for Malaysian adults and RM20 for foreign adults, with children at RM5 and RM10, and cover all three parts of the complex. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours to see them all. Tourism Malaysia's guide gives different weekday and weekend hours, so check with PERZIM before planning a Monday or late-afternoon visit.
Best for: Families · History Enthusiasts · Photographers
What are the must-see works at Melaka Maritime Museum?
4 highlights that define the collection: Flor de la Mar replica, Ship models, maps and paintings of the Melaka trade, Muzium Samudera Phase II and more.
Flor de la Mar replica
Replica of a Portuguese carrack (original built in Lisbon, 1502)
📍 Phase I, Jalan Quayside
A walk-through reconstruction, 36 metres long and 34 metres high, of the 400-ton carrack that sank off Sumatra in 1511 laden with treasure from Melaka.
Ship models, maps and paintings of the Melaka trade
Melaka's maritime trade · Sultanate to Japanese occupation
📍 Inside the ship replica
Models of ships, old maps and paintings that trace how Melaka's port worked under the sultans, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British and the Japanese.
Muzium Samudera Phase II
Restored Guthrie warehouse · opened 1998
📍 Next to the ship replica
Galleries on ocean exploration, sea life and treasures from the sea, set in the old Guthrie building beside the Flor de la Mar.
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium TLDM)
Malaysian naval history · opened 1996
📍 Maritime Museum complex
A museum on the history of the Royal Malaysian Navy, included in the Maritime Museum ticket.
Collections and highlights
- • Flor de la Mar ship replica
- • Maritime trade from the Malay Sultanate to the Japanese occupation
- • Ship models
- • Old maps and paintings
- • Ocean exploration and sea life (Phase II)
- • Royal Malaysian Navy history
Tips for visiting Melaka Maritime Museum
- 1.
Best time to visit
Tuesday to Sunday mornings, before the ship's upper decks warm up. PERZIM lists Monday as a closing day and last entry at 4:30 PM, and you need time for all three parts of the ticket.
- 2.
Tickets & booking
Pay at the museum: RM10 Malaysian / RM20 foreign adults, RM5 / RM10 children, covering Phase I, Phase II and the Navy Museum. Groups can ask PERZIM for a guided tour by giving the date, time and group size.
- 3.
Accessibility
No accessibility information is published. The exhibition inside the ship replica spans three floors, so wheelchair users should contact PERZIM (+606 333 3333) before visiting.
- 4.
Photography rules
No photography policy is published online; ask staff before photographing displays and avoid flash. The whole ship is best photographed from across the road.
How do you get to Melaka Maritime Museum?
- walk Beside the mouth of the Melaka River, about 450 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys
- taxi Grab or taxi from Melaka Sentral, the city's main bus terminal, to Muzium Samudera on Jalan Quayside
Address: Muzium Samudera, Jalan Quayside, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Sources we checked
Visitor facts and history on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown.
- Harga Tiket — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium & Galeri — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Kronologi — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Soalan Lazim — Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), checked 22 October 2026
- Museums In Melaka — Tourism Malaysia (Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board), checked 22 October 2026
- Maritime Museum (Malaysia) — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium Samudera — Wikipedia (Bahasa Melayu), checked 22 October 2026
- Flor de la Mar — Wikipedia, checked 22 October 2026
- Muzium Samudera — OpenStreetMap, checked 22 October 2026
Melaka Maritime Museum: frequently asked questions
How much is the entrance fee for the Melaka Maritime Museum?
PERZIM, the Melaka Museum Corporation, charges RM10 for Malaysian adults and RM20 for foreign adults, with children's tickets at RM5 for Malaysians and RM10 for non-citizens. One ticket covers the Flor de la Mar replica (Phase I), Muzium Samudera Phase II and the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum. PERZIM does not publish senior or student concessions online, so ask at the counter.
Where is the Melaka Maritime Museum and how do I get there?
The museum is on Jalan Quayside near the mouth of the Melaka River in Bandar Hilir, the old-town core, and the ship replica is impossible to miss. It is roughly 450 metres from the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum and a short walk from Dutch Square and the Stadthuys. From Melaka Sentral, the city's main bus terminal, take a Grab or taxi.
How long should I spend at the Melaka Maritime Museum?
Plan 1.5–2 hours for the highlights of Melaka Maritime Museum. Add extra time for temporary exhibitions, the shop and the café.
What are the highlights of the Melaka Maritime Museum?
The main draw is the replica of the Flor de la Mar, the Portuguese carrack lost off Sumatra in 1511 with treasure from Melaka. Inside, ship models, old maps and paintings trace the port's trade from the Malay Sultanate through the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods to the Japanese occupation. Phase II turns to ocean exploration, sea life and treasures from the sea.
Can I take photos inside the Melaka Maritime Museum?
PERZIM does not publish a photography policy on its website, so check for signs or ask staff before photographing the displays, and avoid flash near paintings and old maps. The ship's exterior is easiest to photograph from across the road, where the masts and hull fit into one frame, ideally in the morning before the light becomes harsh.
Was the Flor de la Mar a real ship?
Yes. The Flor de la Mar (Flor do Mar in modern Portuguese) was a 400-ton carrack built in Lisbon in 1502, the largest of its kind at the time. After the Portuguese conquest of Melaka in 1511 it was carrying Afonso de Albuquerque and treasure meant for the Portuguese king when it was lost off the coast of Sumatra in November 1511. Its wreck has never been found.
Why do some guides list different opening hours for the Maritime Museum?
PERZIM, which runs the museum, lists it as open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with last entry at 4:30 PM, and closed on Mondays. Tourism Malaysia's guide instead gives Monday-to-Thursday hours and later closing from Friday to Sunday. We follow PERZIM as the operator; if you can only come on a Monday or late in the day, call +606 333 3333 first.
Is Melaka Maritime Museum open on Mondays?
No — Melaka Maritime Museum is closed every Monday. It is open Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM. Plan a different museum for that day, and check the official website for holiday changes.
Is Melaka Maritime Museum free to visit?
No — standard admission is RM10 for Malaysian adults; RM20 for foreign adults; RM5 for Malaysian children; RM10 for foreign children (one ticket covers Phase I, Phase II and the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum).
