In a series of canopied hangars at the Bassin à Flot, the Maritime Museum evokes the history of La Rochelle port, from the days when Parisians would arrive by train in La Rochelle to then set sail on a steamer to South America and Africa, to the present day.

There are plenty of model ships, short films and the like to entertain younger minds, but the real highlight is the trio of retired boats moored here: meteorological research ship France 1, in service from 1958 until 1985, a chalutier (fishing boat) and a tug.