National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum facts for kids
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| Established | November 11, 1985 |
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| Location | 3300 N Hwy A1A, Fort Pierce, FL 34949 |
| Type | Military museum |
| Founder | Norman Olson |
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, also called the Navy SEAL Museum, is in St. Lucie County, near Fort Pierce, Florida. This museum teaches visitors about the brave Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) teams. It also keeps the history of the SEALs alive. These original Navy "frogmen" first trained right outside Fort Pierce.
The idea for the museum started with Albert Stankie and other former UDT "Frogmen." They collected items and stories from their time serving in World War II. They worked hard to get the old Ft. Pierce Treasure Museum building. The Navy SEAL Museum is on public land owned by Florida. It officially opened in 1985. In 2008, the U.S. Congress recognized it as a National Museum.
Contents
A very important part of the museum is the UDT-SEAL Memorial. This memorial honors all Navy SEALs and their earlier groups. It features a large bronze statue of a modern Navy SEAL. This statue is 9 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds.
Around the statue, black granite walls list the names of all "Frogmen" from World War II and modern Navy SEALs. These are the brave service members who died while serving their country. A calm reflecting pool surrounds the statue, making it a peaceful place to remember them.
Cool Exhibits to Explore
The museum has many interesting items from the SEALs' history. These items range from their early days as Scouts & Raiders, through the Underwater Demolition Teams, to recent Navy SEAL missions.
- World War II Training Obstacles: You can see original obstacles used for demolition training. These were used before the famous Normandy landings (D-Day).
- "Shark Tooth Boat": This is an LCPL boat that UDT teams used during World War II in the Pacific and the Korean War.
- Patrol Boat River (PBR): This type of boat was used by UDTs and SEALs during the Vietnam War. These boats were perfect for rivers and canals because they could go in shallow water.
- Apollo Spacecraft Training Gear: See the actual training equipment used by UDT "frogmen." They were the recovery teams for the Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury space missions.
- Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC): This is a large 82-foot boat used by Special Boat Teams. It helped Navy SEALs get to and from missions along coastlines.
- SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDVs): These are special mini-submarines like the MK XII MOD 0, MARK IX (9), and MARK VII (7) MOD 0. They fill with water inside, so operators wear air tanks. SEALs use them to secretly enter enemy harbors.
- Vehicles from Modern Operations: The museum displays various vehicles used by SEALs in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
- The MV Maersk Alabama Lifeboat: This is the actual lifeboat where Somali pirates held Captain Richard Phillips hostage. This happened during the Maersk Alabama hijacking.
- Medal of Honor Wall: A special wall honors all the brave service members who received the Medal of Honor. Each one has a description of their heroic actions.
Future Plans for the Museum
The museum is growing! In 2024, plans were announced to build a new two-story building on the museum grounds. The St. Lucie County Planning Commission approved these construction plans on April 22, 2025.
This new building will be large, covering 30,747 square feet. It will cost $20 million to build. The new space will include conference rooms and meeting areas. It will also provide more room for exciting new exhibits. There will even be a rooftop area with ocean views, perfect for special events.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de los Navy SEAL para niños
