The reconstruction and repurposing of the ship Galeb, for the needs of the Museum of the City of Rijeka and accompanying tourist and commercial facilities, is underway. After the completion of the reconstruction, the ship will offer an attractive permanent museum exhibit on the history of the ship, occasional exhibitions, open-air cinema and creative workshops on a total of 5,565 m². In addition to the cultural offer, Galeb will also have a commercial section – hotel, restaurant and a souvenir shop, which will be offered to potential future managers through a lease tender. It is expected that the aforementioned facilities will further increase the tourist attractiveness and usability of the newly renovated cultural heritage, and create new accommodation capacities that the center of Rijeka lacks.

Operations on the reconstruction of the existing ship do not change its external appearance, and the new content is placed in the space with as little intervention as possible. New security and technical systems are being introduced that enable modern use and development of museum activities. The Dalmont shipyard from Kraljevica was selected as the contractor for the restoration of Galeb and the planned completion of the works including housing the Museum of the City of Rijeka, is expected in 2023. Designer Nikolina Jelavić Mitrović, winner of the European Museum of the Year award for her work at the Vukovar City Museum, and the author of the award-winning exhibition at the Museum of Sinjska alka, was hired to design the new permanent exhibition. The project envisages that the ship will be stationed in the heart of the port of Rijeka and that it will increase the cultural and artistic offer in the city of Rijeka with its rich contents.