The one and only Maritime Archaeological Museum in Sri Lanka newly established by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage in Galle is scheduled to be opened by H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksa at 10.30 a.m. on 4th March 2010 .

The Maritime Archaeological Museum previously established in Galle was completely destroyed by the Tsunami Disaster on 26th December 2004 and the present Museum is being established after renovating a massive old building constructed during the Dutch Era and situated within the historic Rampart of Galle.

The Museum built under a special grant of Rs. 177 Mn made by the Government of the Netherlands is 40,000 square feet in extent. While marine artifacts discovered in explorations made in the ocean floor around Sri Lanka are displayed in this Museum, about 400 artifacts discovered from the remains of ships sunk in the ocean nearly 800 years ago are exhibited here.

The Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, MP, Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, Hon. Piyasiri Wijenayake, MP, Minster of Cultural Affairs, Her Excellency Leoni Cuelenaere, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Mr. Wimal Rubasinghe, Secretary Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratne, Director General, Central Cultural Fund and many more officials in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage are due to grace the occasion when this Museum is being opened to the public by H.E. the President.