The Museum of Navigation in Seville is a very impressive building built on the very bank of the river. The Navigation Museum was actually designed for the needs of the "EXPO" fair in 1992, when three replicas of Columbus's three ships were anchored on the river. This is an interactive museum about navigation and seafaring. In the museum, visitors can experience various multi-sensory functions, exploring the exhibits through touch, smell and hearing. This museum is a great place to spend a day with the family by the river.
The exhibition space consists of a very spacious hall, the size of which is enhanced by a high ceiling and as many as 14,000 LED bulbs, of various sizes and shapes, which turn on and off, forming rolling waves with their light effects. In the museum, you can watch various animated films that tell stories about the lives of many adventurers and expeditions, traders who sailed the seas of the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries and explored novelties, new ports, ships and gained experience. Inside, the museum looks like a ship, because there are large curved wooden beams inside the museum.
Every child who visits the museum can try out being a captain or a sailor. Tug of war, a visit to the authentic captain's cabin stand out. In the museum there is a special animator who talks about his adventures and there is also a modern traveler, a man who came to Spain from Africa with his small boat. Stories can be heard in English and Spanish. Beautiful wooden models of ships are exhibited in the museum. The exhibited model that attracts the most attention is the ship of Christopher Columbus "Santa Maria", and there are also "more modern" models of ships from the 20th century.
Among the artifacts that are exhibited in the museum are various original documents that were used in the famous voyage to the New World, then feather blankets, very brightly colored, there are exhibited stuffed insects from the tropics, which were a new discovery at the time. Children love interactive games such as steering the ship in front of the big TV screen or shooting and fighting pirates. One part of the museum is often called a "sobering sight", the completely realistic part of sailing at that time, which is the food that was eaten at that time, the utensils that were used on long journeys and the way of survival.
With the entrance ticket to the museum, you get the opportunity to visit the 50 meter high tower (Torre Mirador) located along the river, from where visitors can enjoy a spectacular view. Shops, cafes with a view of the river are an indispensable part of the museum. And besides the permanent ones, there are also temporary exhibitions. The most famous and most visited temporary exhibition was "Titanic" from 2012 to 2013.
Working hours
from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 7.30 pm
closed on Mondays and holidays (Christmas, Easter)
Ticket price
Adults 4.90 euros
pensioners, students, disabled people 3.90 euros
for children up to 5 years old the entrance is free.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
Photo credit: Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
