Volvo Ocean Race Museum

This interactive museum lets you experience the wonders of a thrilling ocean race. Its technology lets visitors learn both about the race and the environment in which it takes place.

The Volvo Ocean Race Museum, located on the harbor-side of the Spanish port of Alicante, is dedicated to the sailing regatta now known as “The Ocean Race.” The event, which was created in 1973, was previously called the “Whitbread Round the World Race,” named for the British brewery that was its first sponsor.

Construction of the museum occurred in 2011 and 2012, the second time Alicante was the regatta’s Port of Departure. The museum occupies 13,993 square feet (1,300 square meters) on the site of the former naval station, which is now part of the sports marina complex. It has two floors: the exhibition space and a library fill the ground floor, and upstairs has a multipurpose space for workshops, along with a cafeteria-restaurant with a large terrace overlooking the harbor.

Rather than being a simple repository for artifacts (although there are a number of smaller items), the museum is an interactive institution. Outside the museum, you’ll find the hull of a competition boat. The museum is also full of excellent models, including one constructed from Legos. There’s also a simulator where visitors can experience some of the sensations of ocean racing. From the museum, you can also see the regatta’s center of operations of the regatta.