The Naval Museum covers Veracruz's long history as Mexico's primary port and the theatre of multiple foreign interventions. The exhibits run from the Spanish colonial fleet and the pirate attacks of the 17th and 18th centuries through to the French intervention of 1838 and 1862, and the US occupation of 1914 — a chapter of Mexican history that is not well known outside the country but which the museum treats with appropriate seriousness.
The collection includes ship models, charts, colonial-era navigation instruments, weapons, and documents relating to each period. It is not large, but it is well organised and the historical context it provides for the city's waterfront is genuinely useful. Plan an hour. The museum is near the malecón, within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas.