The Mariners' Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Mariners' Lake |
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Mallards on The Mariners' Lake
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 The Mariners' Lake
Location in Virginia
The Mariners' Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mariners' Museum and Park, Newport News, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°02′31″N 76°29′14″W / 37.04194°N 76.48722°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 167 acres (68 ha) |
The Mariners' Lake is a man-made lake, also known as a reservoir. It's a special part of The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. This beautiful lake is located in the southeastern part of Virginia, in an area called Hampton Roads.
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Discovering The Mariners' Lake
The Mariners' Lake is a big part of the museum's outdoor space. It covers about 167 acres, which is like 126 football fields! The lake has a five-mile shoreline trail. This trail has fourteen bridges, making it a great place to explore and enjoy nature.
How the Lake Was Created
The museum was started in 1932 by Archer M. Huntington. He was the son of Collis Potter Huntington, a famous railroad builder. Archer and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, bought 800 acres of land for the museum.
The first two years were spent making the park and building a dam. This dam created the lake. The museum's leaders decided to name it "Lake Maury." This name honored Matthew Fontaine Maury, a Virginian who lived in the 1800s. He was known as the "Father of Modern Oceanography" because of his work studying the oceans.
The Mariners' Museum and Its Collection
The Mariners' Museum is home to an amazing collection of items from all over the world. It has more than 35,000 maritime artifacts. These are objects related to ships, the sea, and sailing.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has 10 permanent galleries. These are special rooms where you can see different exhibits. There are also changing exhibits and ones that travel to other places. You can even explore some exhibits online!
One of the most exciting parts of the museum is the U.S.S. Monitor Center. It opened in 2007. Here, you can see a full-size copy of the Monitor. This was a famous ironclad warship from the American Civil War. You can also see the real turret (the spinning gun tower) from the original Monitor, which was recovered from the ocean. Many other items from the ship are on display too.
Famous Ships: USS Monitor and CSS Virginia
The USS Monitor was a ship from the Union side during the American Civil War. It fought against the Confederate ironclad ship, the CSS Virginia. This famous battle, called the Battle of Hampton Roads, happened in March 1862.
The Lake's New Name
On June 19, 2020, the museum's Board of Trustees made a change. They voted to rename the lake from "Lake Maury" to "The Mariners' Lake." This decision was part of a larger movement to change names that honored Confederate figures. The new name, "The Mariners' Lake," better reflects the museum's mission and its connection to maritime history.
