Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum is a recreated 19th-century port village spread across the headland south of town. The site incorporates the original Warrnambool lighthouses — still functioning as navigation aids — alongside warehouses, a sail loft, a smithy, and a chandlery filled with the tools and cargo of a working colonial harbour. The collection centres on artefacts salvaged from the many ships that came to grief on the so-called Shipwreck Coast, one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the southern hemisphere.
The centrepiece is a spectacular sound-and-light show, Shipwrecked, staged most evenings at dusk. It tells the story of the Loch Ard disaster with projection, narration, and theatrical effects across the entire landscape of the headland — the lighthouses, the sea, and a full-scale replica of the doomed vessel. Even travellers who do not otherwise seek out heritage attractions tend to find it genuinely moving.
Allow two to three hours for a thorough visit. The onsite café and restaurant make a good lunch stop, and the views from the headland across Lady Bay are excellent.