About a year ago I had an unexpected opportunity to visit the Naval Academy Museum. I say “unexpected” because I didn’t even know there was a museum at the Naval Academy. I had a vague memory of visiting the crypt of John Paul Jones when I was in high school, but back then I was more interested in admiring the plebes than I was in history. I’ve been to the Academy a few times since then, but never heard about the museum until I was invited on a group tour.
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Renovated gallery of ships museum[/caption]
For someone like myself with no connection to the Naval Academy such a tour sounded a bit dull, but I was curious enough to check it out.
I particularly enjoyed the “Alumni in Space” exhibit about Academy grads that went on to become astronauts I also loved seeing all the artifacts from famous battles and ships, as well as stories and photos of well-known historical figures. I could have spent hours on the first floor reading everything and gawking at the displays, but we had to move along.
Our tour guide led us around the first floor of the museum, which is dedicated mostly to the history of the Navy and the Naval Academy. I was completely blown away by the world-class exhibits, and the historic artifacts throughout. It’s a fully interactive experience that breathes life into the amazing characters and history that has shaped our country.
On the second floor, we found ourselves surrounded by the most beautiful model ships I had ever seen. There were so many! I walked around marveling at the perfect, tiny replicas built with such unbelievable detail. My absolute favorites were the ships carved from bone. Our tour guide explained that the ships were built by prisoners-of-war, using bones from their daily food rations.
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Sailboat pictures[/caption]
The Naval Academy Museum is free to the public, and definitely worthy of a visit. You don’t have to be an Academy grad or a history buff to enjoy all it has to offer. Make sure to allow yourself a few hours, and don’t forget to check out the gift shop on the ground floor.
I don’t even have the words to describe how stunning these models are; you just have to see them for yourself. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the meticulous details of each ship. You will want to give yourself plenty of time to really notice the craftsmanship and read the information displayed with the ships.
The Naval Academy Museum is free to the public, and definitely worthy of a visit. You don’t have to be an Academy grad or a history buff to enjoy all it has to offer. Make sure to allow yourself a few hours, and don’t forget to check out the gift shop on the ground floor.
