The Maritime and Naval History Museum is a small but worthwhile museum dedicated to Trincomalee's long history as a naval base and strategic harbour. The exhibits cover the Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods of control, the Second World War raids, and the development of the Sri Lanka Navy. Scale models of the harbour and the ships that have passed through it give a sense of the strategic importance of this deep-water bay.
The museum is housed in a colonial-era building near the waterfront and is easily combined with a visit to the harbour area. Opening hours are limited — check locally before visiting — and the displays are basic, but for anyone interested in the intersection of military history and Sri Lankan history, it fills in context that the temples alone cannot provide.