The museum is open from 10 am - 6 pm
Calle San Juan de Dios No 3-62 Cartagena
The Caribbean Naval Museum
The Museo Naval del Caribe is a cultural institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the naval and maritime history of the Colombian Caribbean. Since its creation, the museum has become an important space for historical memory, promoting knowledge about Colombia’s naval tradition and the strategic role of the Caribbean in the country’s development.
The history of the museum began in 1970, when Rear Admiral Eduardo Wills Olaya, then the second commander of the Colombian Navy, proposed the creation of a naval museum in Cartagena to Vice Admiral Jaime Parra Ramírez.
The proposal was immediately accepted. Vice Admiral Parra assigned the implementation of the project to Rear Admiral Eduardo Meléndez Ramírez, who at the time served as commander of the Atlantic Naval Force.
On January 4, 1970, as recorded in Act No. 1 of the museum, the General Assembly met to approve the institution’s bylaws and elect its first Board of Directors.
This meeting marked the formal beginning of the project and established the administrative foundation for the museum as an institution dedicated to preserving the naval history of Colombia.
On February 10, 1970, the act of incorporation was registered at the Second Notary Office of the Circuit of Cartagena and signed by notary Leonardo Angulo, granting legal validity to the creation of the museum.
Later, through Resolution No. 0206 of March 12, 1970, the Government of Bolívar granted legal status to the museum as a mixed (public and private) non-profit institution.
In the early years of the project, the possibility of establishing the museum in a former naval hospital was considered. However, this idea was abandoned due to space limitations.
Despite this challenge, the initiative continued with the goal of finding a suitable location to house the museum and its historical collections.
The project was resumed in 1984 under the leadership of Rear Admiral Rafael Grau Araujo, who identified a historic building belonging to the former Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús in Cartagena as a potential site for the museum.
After negotiations with the Ministry of Public Works and the Society of Jesus, the building was ceded to the Navy in 1987, allowing restoration and adaptation work to begin. Thanks to the efforts of figures such as Dr. Mauricio Obregón Andreu, funding was secured from the Organization of American States, the CARIMOS program, and private donations to restore and adapt the building.
In 1991, during the commemoration of the Quincentenary of the Discovery of America, the museum received important contributions from Spain and several Colombian institutions. These resources allowed the complete restoration of the historic building.
Since its founding, the museum has also received strong support from businesses and foundations, including significant contributions from the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño. Its management has remained linked to the Colombian Navy and the Escuela Naval de Cadetes Almirante Padilla, ensuring its development as a key institution dedicated to preserving the naval history of the Caribbean.
