The Mariners’ Museum is one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest maritime museums. Tracing humanity’s 3,000 years of seafaring, the museum’s collection features 32,000 artifacts. Admire maritime paintings and ship models and learn about seagoing vessels through engaging interactive activities. Save time to amble along the well-maintained walking trails in the scenic 550-acre (220-hectare) park surrounding the museum.
As you enter the museum, notice the enormous eagle figurehead that greets approaching visitors. Weighing 3,200 pounds (1,450 kilograms), this massive figurehead was made for the USS Lancaster in 1880.
Go to the USS Monitor Center to see artifacts from the Civil War ironclad Monitor vessel which was part of the 1862 Peninsula Campaign. The artifacts were recovered from the vessel lying off the coast of North Carolina. Experience the Battle of Hampton Roads inside the virtual Battle Theater and walk along the deck of a full-scale reproduction of the vessel. Find out about the preservation of the USS Monitor’s turret, steam engine and other aspects of the vessel at the Batten Conservation Complex. Build your own virtual model of an ironclad vessel.
Housing 150 boats from 42 different countries, the museum’s International Small Craft Center is another highlight. Follow the elevated path, where the boats are arranged in 11 thematic areas. Look for the ceremonial agai-ni-waiaucanoe, used in the rite of a boy’s transition to manhood in the traditional culture on San Cristobal. See vessels built for competitions including the Dilemma, a racing yacht that won every race in which it was entered.
Wander around the beautiful parkland that surrounds the museum. Stroll along the 5-mile (8-kilometer) Noland Trail, which follows the shoreline of scenic Lake Maury. Examine the statuary decorating the beautiful Lion’s Bridge dam. These sculptures were designed in the 1930s by museum founder Archer Milton Huntington’s wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington.
The Mariners’ Museum is located in Newport News and is easily accessible by highway from Richmond and Virginia Beach. The museum is open daily, with regular closures for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Free parking is available outside the entrance. Delve into thousands of years of seafaring history at the Mariners’ Museum.