Remarkable! A WA Shipwreck Museum Fremantle Review

Last Updated on 26 June 2024 by Ariana Svenson

The WA Shipwreck Museum Fremantle is a great place to get a taste for Western Australia’s maritime history.  Enjoy our review and guide to the Fremantle Shipwreck Museum.  Honestly, what a great place for the little pirate – or the history buff!  And, with thousands of kilometers of coastline in Western Australia, there are lots of tales of daring, shipwrecks and tragedy be told!

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“Must See” – WA Shipwreck Museum Fremantle

Number 1 on our list of things to do in Fremantle is visit the restored hull of the Batavia.  It was the highlight of the Shipwreck Museum visit for us both for its size and also its story.  Kept in a temperature-controlled room, this a fascinating piece of Australia’s first European history… sadly full of blood, and revealing how animal humans can be.  Maybe don’t tell the kids the story!

At the top of the Batavia Gallery is a very small children’s play area with a few well-designed exhibits that kept Master 5 fascinated for a good 15 minutes.  This was a great chance for the folks to read of some of the information!

As a parent, I often feel a little ‘robbed’ by visiting museums with kids, as there is hardly time to read and absorb the displays as the kids shoot from exhibit to exhibit.  As the WA Shipwreck Museum is small but beautifully prepared and jam-packed with information I did get to take in some information.  Plus, it is free so there isn’t the same feeling of needing to get value for money.

We visited the WA Shipwreck Museum with Master 5 who has a general interest in boats and all things mechanical (and guns).  So the cannons, bells, and ship models all got a lot of attention from him.  He particularly enjoyed the display of the SS Xantho where they had raised a ship’s motor from the seafloor.

How Long is a Visit to the WA Shipwrecks Museum Fremantle?

All up we were in the Shipwreck Museum  for about 45 minutes, not a reflection of the quality of the museum but the attention span of a 5-year-old.  Once children have a good degree of reading comprehension this will be a fascinating place for them to learn more about the early history of Western Australia, particularly the intrepid sailors and people that were the first Europeans to visit.

What is the Cost to Visit?

Best of all the Fremantle Shipwreck Museum is Free, though a $5 donation is appreciated.

For more information on the WA Shipwrecks Museum check here.

What is There Nearby the Fremantle Shipwreck Museum?

The Fremantle Wharf includes some Western Australian culinary institutions.  Cicerellos and Kailis Bros Seafood we buy our fish n chips there and then go and eat them under the pines in Fremantle Park.

Other Things to do in Fremantle With Kids?

If you are looking to make a day of it in Fremantle, we recommend a visit to the Fremantle Shipwreck Museum, followed by fish n chips in the park and then a ride on the Fremantle Ferris Wheel.  Also referred to as the Fremantle Tourist Wheel.

We also like the WA Maritime Museum but definitely wouldn’t recommend a visit on the same day you visit the WA Shipwrecks Museum!

If you have older kids we would recommend a visit to the Fremantle Prison.

If you enjoyed our WA Shipwreck Museum Review let us know below.

The Verdict – Remarkable! A WA Shipwreck Museum Fremantle Review

In all this is a not-to-miss attraction if you are visiting Fremantle Western Australia.  Even though the museum is relatively small, there is a lot to see and take in.  If you are visiting with children there is enough to see and explore to keep them interested so you can explore the WA Shipwreck Museum as a family.  And, best of all, it is free to visit!

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