Nautical History Gallery & Museum

"I stumbled upon this pleasant surprise at Liberty Station on my last visit to my hometown and discovered this awesome exhibit to US Navy history. While admiring the intricate and detailed large-scale models of the ships on display, the craftsman himself, Joe, struck up a conversation with me about the ships he had built in here. An ex-Marine with a passion for modelling, it was a real treat talking with Joe about his methods when it comes to handcrafting these amazing replicas of US Navy warships! Being a modeler myself, albeit of smaller scale ships, it was really fun hearing how he cobbles things together. He has a passion especially for ships from the early era from the Spanish-American War through WWI as can be seen by his incredible small-scale recreations of the BB-1 USS Indiana and the CV-1 Langley. He's currently working on the USS Baltimore, a Spanish-American War era protected cruiser, which is turning out great so far. He's also full of knowledge about how these ships were designed. I learned the reason USN battleships used cage masts was because enemy shells fired at them would pass right through the lattice masts and not explode, which is why the USN went with them for a while. However, it turned out the gales of the North Atlantic would end up bending and breaking them, so Mother Nature had the upper hand on cage masts. As a result the Navy got rid of them. Definitely come on by here and talk to Joe. He's an awesome guy and its a really cool tribute to US Navy ship history, especially in a city with such a rich Naval heritage as San Diego! A very good location too considering the former Naval Training Center's century-long history!"

"Came here today and stayed for around 2 hours!! Joe was the best and told me everything about every piece there. I’m from Nj and i rarely come to San Diego but this was the highlight of my trip. It’s so welcoming and it’s free and it’s so amazing to just look at!! i wish i could have been there longer but i had to sadly go :(. But this is my new favorite stop! This place personally keeps alive the history of nautical history. He also hand makes all the models and finds personal found things that related to them. There’s also hands on things that are legit from the ships of that time. He takes his time and effort into everything and you see it. I will be coming back again! Thank you Old Navy/Blue!"

"Wow! Loved it so much! Joe is a passionate man and all of the models and artifacts he’s got is certainly a labor of love. Some crazy genuine items are in there and the models are stunning. From old wooden ships to WWII he’s got all the historical knows. I do really suggest a visit. I spent almost an hour and a half in that one room! (You don’t have to stay that long though). Best of all: ITS FREE! Though if you liked the exhibit you can leave a donation. His work is amazing. This place is a bit hard to find, just head into the main building at the old command center can take the west wing down the corridors to the spot. You’ll know when you see it haha! Anyway my photos don’t do justice. Joe can tell you all about what’s up here! Anyway. Lovely hidden gem of a spot. And if you’re a plane watcher the park next to here is a solid place to watch takeoffs. Excellent stuff!"

"Incredible experience. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Joe & it was the highlight of our first day visiting San Diego. He has a clear passion & knowledge for nautical history, and is a tremendously gifted builder of these model ships. I hope he can someday get into an even larger space to share more of this with the community!"

"Stopped by on a whim, and had a delightful conversation with Joe, who has built each and every boat model himself. He's super knowledgeable about the history of the ships and recreating them in precise and beautiful detail. He's a real enthusiast, and anyone interested in history, ships, the Navy, or even model building will have a great experience."