Places of Interest
The Classic Boat Museum
Medina Yard, 32 Thetis Rd, Cowes PO31 7DJ
The Classic Boat Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the heritage of boating and yachting on the Isle of Wight. A working museum alive with year-round restoration projects, it showcases an inspiring collection of classic vessels alongside tools, artefacts, books, photographs and film. Together, these displays tell the story of boat building, sailing and racing through the last century.
It houses unique trophies loaned by Dame Ellen MacArthur to classic wooden boats of international renown, there is something of interest to both children and adults alike.
The Sir Max Aitken Museum
The Prospect, 83 High Street, Cowes, PO31 7AJ
Discover one of Cowes’ most distinctive museums, housed in a beautifully preserved 18th-century sailmakers’ loft where Ratsey & Lapthorn once crafted sails for the King’s racing yacht Britannia. Inside, the collection founded by Sir Max Aitken, wartime pilot, celebrated yachtsman, and co-creator of the Cowes–Torquay Powerboat Race—offers an immersive journey through three centuries of yachting and maritime heritage. His legacy lives on through an extraordinary array of marine paintings, ship models, figureheads, nautical instruments, trophies and furniture, including models and awards from his own championship-winning yachts. Whether you’re captivated by maritime history or simply enjoy unique and beautifully curated displays, this museum is an unmissable stop in Cowes.
