HMS Surprise — Attraction in San Diego

Despite this being my first visit to the Maritime Museum, I'm already a little biased in its favor, for one very simple reason: they have the HMS Surprise, the ship built and used for filming one of my favorite movies of all time, "Master and Commander". I paid the admission fee to see this ship alone. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

I'm going to contain my exuberant enthusiasm for the aforementioned ship above, and point out that there are at least six other ships docked here that can be toured, including a submarine (not for the claustrophobic), as well as other multi-masted sailing vessels of various eras and nationalities, a steamboat (which also serves as the main "building" of the museum, including the gift shop).

If you're lucky, stick around for period-accurate actors and re-enactments and guided tours, and keep an eye out for large groups of lucky students learning the ropes (literally) of operating the ship during their overnight adventures. Man, I would go back to school just for an opportunity like this!

If nautical nonsense is something you wish...this museum is something you don't...

Best known or its starring role in Master and Commander with Russell Crowe (movie memorabilia and signage present on board), this vessel is not actually historical - it never existed. That certainly doesn't extract from the pleasure of getting aboard and exploring.

Originally the HMS Rose, this vessel is a relatively faithful replica of an 18th century 24 Gun British Imperial Navy Frigate. Thus, the headspace and all things below the deck reflect the way these ships would have been built and operated (hammocks and tables slung between or over cannon).

This is my personal favorite of the ships available for access at the Maritime Museum (included...

HMS Surprise was originally built in 1970 as a replica of the 18th C. Royal frigate "Rose." It sailed for 30 years as a British training ship and public attraction. In 2000, it was converted with painstaking authenticity into a 24 gun frigate for the 2003 award-winning movie Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe. The film was set during the Napoleonic Wars in battles off the coast of South America with the French ship Acheron. -- The HMS Surprise joined the San Diego Maritime Museum in 2004. In 2020-21, the ship was partially restored and almost...