History of the place
An immersive experience at the heart of the maritime heritage
Today, the Maritime and Port Museum invites you to discover an exceptional heritage through a multi-site experience: a permanent tour of almost 1,600 m², temporary exhibitions, four ships open to visitors and the emblematic Risban lighthouse, offering a panoramic view of the North Sea and maritime Flanders.
This vast project was not built in a day… The official inauguration of the museum took place on 26 September 1992, marking the start of an adventure dedicated to the memory of the port and those who shaped it.
An emblematic site: from tobacco storage to the birth of the museum
Located in the heart of the Citadelle district, the museum site occupies a strategic location which, from the 19th century onwards, played a key role in the economic development of the port of Dunkirk.
An associative museum, born of a passion for the maritime world
The museum is above all the fruit of a collective effort, initiated by the port workers themselves.
In the 1970s, the dockers spontaneously began to preserve their tools, which had become obsolete as handling techniques evolved. This first act of conservation gave rise to the idea of a museum dedicated to the port trades and the maritime history of Dunkirk.
Thanks to the commitment of local institutions and port stakeholders, the project took shape. In 1982, the creation of the A.C.M.A.P.O.R. enabled the former tobacco warehouse to be saved and restored, and in 1992 it became a space dedicated to promoting maritime and port heritage.
Today, the museum perpetuates this mission by offering an immersive and lively approach to the history of the port, its ships and the people who shaped it.
Key dates
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1835
Construction of a salt warehouse on the current site of the museum. The warehouse was destroyed by fire in 1868.
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1869-1871
Rebuilt in 1869, the building was sold in 1871 to the Direction Générale des Manufactures de l’État. It then became a storage warehouse for tobacco bales unloaded in Dunkirk, destined for the Manufacture des Tabacs de Lille. The site was later managed by the Société d’exploitation industrielle des tabacs et allumettes (SEITA).
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1974
Threatened with demolition, the warehouse was sold by the State to the Dunkirk Urban Community (CUD). Consideration is now being given to its future, as part of the redevelopment of the district.
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1982
Creation of the Association pour la Création d’une Maison de la Vie et des Traditions Portuaires (A.C.M.A.P.O.R.), working to transform the site into a museum.
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1988
Start of renovation work on the building.
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1992
Opening of the museum, dedicated to the history of the port and its workers.
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2022
To mark its 30th anniversary, the Musée portuaire became the Musée maritime et portuaire, underlining the importance of the maritime dimension in its collections.
A collective commitment to the museum’s long-term future
The museum is distinguished by its identity as a museum of society, deeply marked by its port heritage and its evolution into a multi-site museum. This specificity is made possible by the close links it maintains with its public partners: the Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, which provides the tobacco warehouse, four ships afloat and the Risban workshop-reserve, and the French State, which provides the lighthouse.
Since its opening, the museum has benefited from the strong commitment of the Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, which plays a key role in its operation and development. Alongside the French State, the Hauts-de-France Region and the Département du Nord, this institutional support guarantees the museum’s continuity and asserts its territorial roots. The involvement of the communes of the agglomeration also testifies to their support for the museum’s cultural project.
In addition to this public support, the museum also benefits from private partnerships, notably through the Corporate Patrons Club, which brings together some 50 companies that actively contribute to the museum’s life.
A museum awarded the “Musée de France” label
Since 2002, the Musée maritime et portuaire has been awarded the prestigious “Musée de France” label, guaranteeing the scientific quality of its collections and its commitment to the preservation and transmission of heritage.
The museum’s scientific and cultural project
The result of a collaborative, cross-disciplinary drafting process, it is a common reference for the museum team. A strategic steering tool, it focuses on both conceptual and operational dimensions. It outlines the short- and medium-term actions to be taken in all areas (acquisitions, restorations, inventory, cultural and educational programming, visitor policy, research and dissemination, etc.), as well as the resources required to support them.