The German Naval Museum is Wilhelmshaven's strongest single sight. The indoor galleries cover the German navy from the 19th century onward, but the real draw is outside, where museum ships are moored in the harbour.
The guided-missile destroyer Mölders is the headline piece: a 134-metre Cold War warship that visitors can board and explore. The collection also includes smaller naval vessels and equipment, making the museum much more physical than a standard display of models and uniforms.