Malta at War Museum

Malta at War Museum tells the story of the island's Second World War years from inside the old fortifications of Vittoriosa, the Three Cities town that most visitors know by its older name, Birgu. The museum sits in Couvre Porte, the original walled entrance into the city, so the building is part of the history before you reach the first exhibit. It is a short hop across the water from Valletta, which makes it an easy half-day addition to a Grand Harbour itinerary.

The museum is run by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, a voluntary organisation that looks after several wartime sites around the islands. If you are comparing places to visit, the museum is listed in our directory of museums in Malta, and the surrounding streets are covered in our Vittoriosa guide.

What you can see and do

The headline experience is a visit to the underground air-raid shelters, the cramped subterranean spaces where families sheltered while the island was bombed between 1940 and 1943. Standing in them gives a very different sense of the Siege of Malta than a photograph or a history book can offer, and it is the part of the visit most people remember.

Alongside the museum itself, you can buy tickets for the War H.Q. Tunnels. These were opened in 1940 to house the combined war headquarters of all three services underground, safe from air attack, and they held the Fighter Sector Operations Room used during the Battle for Malta. After the war NATO used the complex until 1977 to follow Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean. Exclusive guided tours are offered twice daily and can be bought at the museum or online.

There is also a shop with souvenirs, gifts, jewellery and clothing, and the site has toilets and maps for visitors. Allow at least an hour for the museum, longer if there is a queue, because you may stay as long as you like during opening hours on the day of your booking.

Tickets, prices and passes

Booking online is the cheapest and most convenient route, and you can choose print-at-home tickets and show them on your phone or on paper. Tickets bought on site are card only, because the venue does not handle cash. Current prices for the museum are €14 for an adult, €12 for a senior aged 60 or over with valid ID, €7 for a child and €28 for a family of two adults and three children. Members of the organisation go in free.

Seniors from overseas get the same concession as Maltese residents, as long as they can show proof of age on arrival. Your ticket is valid for one day only, but you may leave and come back on the same day.

If you plan to see several wartime sites, the Heritage Pass is worth a look. It costs €50 for an individual or €95 for a family and stays valid for a week from first use, giving one visit each to Malta at War Museum, the Lascaris War Rooms, the Saluting Battery, the War H.Q. Tunnels, Fort Rinella, the Malta Time Gun museum, St Peter's Galleries and St Thomas Tower. The multi-site ticket saves 40 per cent against buying each entry separately. The same organisation runs the Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta, and our wider things to do in Malta page shows how a war-history day fits into a longer stay, while our Malta weather guide helps you pick a month.

Getting to Vittoriosa

Buses 2 and 3 run from the main bus station in Valletta and stop right outside the Couvre Porte gate. If you are driving, follow the signs for Cottonera (the Three Cities) and then on to Vittoriosa on the eastern side of the Grand Harbour.

The most scenic route is the harbour ferry between Valletta and Vittoriosa, which sails about every 15 minutes from Lascaris Quay. In Valletta you reach the quay by taking the lift down from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and crossing the road, so a morning in the capital pairs naturally with an afternoon here. Our Valletta guide and Three Cities guide cover what to see on either side of the water, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens page describes the viewpoint above the lift. If you need a base, see hotels in Valletta.

Groups, schools and families

Groups of 10 or more can book in advance for reduced admission and pay at the gate. Meal deals are available if you reserve ahead, with sandwiches, hot meals, salads, baked goods and a children's menu from the Victory Cafe, plus discounts on audio guides subject to availability. Schools can arrange discounted entry with on-site supervision and meal deals.

There is no strict dress code, though visitors are asked to dress respectfully because families are often present. Lost property is held at reception. If you want to understand the order in which the island's history unfolded before you visit, our Knights of Malta guide explains the earlier chapter that shaped Vittoriosa's fortifications, and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in our directory covers a much earlier chapter.

To ask about group rates, school visits, tickets or anything else, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the museum.