Mariners' Museum and Park facts for kids
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| Established | 1930 |
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| Location | 100 Museum Drive Newport News, Virginia United States |
| Type | Maritime |
The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, USA. It's known as America's National Maritime Museum because the U.S. Congress gave it that special title. It's one of the biggest museums about the sea in North America! The museum also has a huge library. This library holds the largest collection of maritime history items in the Western Hemisphere (North and South America).
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The museum was started in 1930 by Archer Milton Huntington. His father, Collis P. Huntington, was a famous railroad builder. Collis Huntington helped bring the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to Warwick County, Virginia. He also founded the city of Newport News. He built its coal shipping ports and the Newport News Shipbuilding company.
Archer and his wife, Anna, bought a huge piece of land. It was about 800 acres, which is like 600 football fields! Today, this land holds the museum's galleries, a research library, and a big lake. The lake is 167 acres. There's also a five-mile trail around the lake with 14 bridges. The museum has over 35,000 items from all over the world. The first two years were spent making the park beautiful. They also built a dam to create The Mariners' Lake.
Amazing Sea Artifacts and Art
The museum has about 32,000 items in its collection. Half of these are artworks, and the other half are 3D objects. These items come from all over the world! You can see tiny ship models and scrimshaw (art carved into whalebone). There are also beautiful paintings of the sea. You'll find decorative art and carved figureheads (figures from the front of old ships).
The museum even has working steam engines. It also has the only known Kratz-built steam calliope in the world. This is a musical instrument that plays sounds using steam! The museum has important collections of paintings and drawings. These were made by famous marine artists like James Bard and Antonio Jacobsen.
The museum offers fun learning programs for all ages. It has a large research library and archives. They also provide resources for teachers. The biggest boat in their collection is the Oracle Team USA 17. This yacht won the 2013 America's Cup, a famous sailing race!
Collection Highlights
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USS Lancaster Eagle, made by John Haley Bellamy
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Scrimshaw panbone from 1857. It shows heroes of the American Revolution and the Washington Monument in Richmond, Virginia. It was made by Nathaniel S. Finney.
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Model of the Steamboat Commonwealth. Crafted by John Dean Benton around 1864.
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Elgin Cutlass pistol
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A detailed model from about 1804 of HMS Royal Sovereign. This was the Royal Yacht of King George III.
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A gold coin from about 1361–1369. It remembers the Battle of Sluys.
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County of Edinburgh on the Beach, painted around 1902 by Antonio Jacobsen.
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Gloucester Inner Harbor, painted in 1850 by Fitz Henry Lane.
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Octant made by Joseph Roux around 1780.
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A silver-plated mariner's astrolabe from 1645. It was made by Nicolao Ruffo.
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Oracle Team USA's AC72, the winner of the 2013 America's Cup.
Exploring the USS Monitor Center
The Mariners' Museum is home to the USS Monitor Center. The ironclad ship Monitor became famous in the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862. This battle happened during the American Civil War. The remains of the Monitor were found on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This was about 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
The wreck site was named the first national marine sanctuary in the United States. It's special because it protects a historical item, not just nature. Many items from the Monitor have been brought to the museum. These include its turret (the spinning gun tower), propeller, anchor, and engine. Even some personal items of the crew are there. For several years, these items were kept in special tanks. This helped to protect the metal.
The USS Monitor Center officially opened on March 9, 2007. It shows a full-size copy of the ship. You can also see the real turret that was brought up from the ocean. Many other items and displays are there too. Right now, they are working to fix up the ship's original engine.
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The propeller from USS Monitor.
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A Dahlgren gun.
Enjoying the Park and Noland Trail
The Mariners' Museum Park is a large, natural area. It's 550 acres and is privately taken care of. It's a peaceful place where visitors can walk, run, or have a picnic. Inside the park is The Mariners' Lake, which is 167 acres.
The five-mile Noland Trail follows the edge of The Mariners' Lake. The Noland Family gave this trail as a gift in 1991. They also continue to support it financially. The trail has fourteen bridges, picnic spots, and benches. It's easy to access for everyone. There are also markers every mile. Each fall, the museum hosts a 10K run on the Noland Trail.
The Mariners' Museum Park is open every day for everyone to enjoy. Benches are placed about every half-mile along the trail. They offer great spots to rest. You can find beautiful views of The Mariners' Lake around every corner.
The famous Lions Bridge is a highlight for visitors. It's a dam that offers a beautiful view of the James River. It's a perfect spot for families to gather in the Museum Park. The dam's beauty is made even better by several statues. These were designed by Anna Hyatt Huntington. She was a sculptor and the wife of the museum's founder, Archer Milton Huntington. Four stone lions were placed on the ends of the dam in October 1932. Anna also created a monument called Conquering the Wild. It looks out over the Lions Bridge, the park, and The Mariners' Lake.
See also
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- National Maritime Museums, a list of maritime museums around the world
