Newport News, Virginia

The Mariner's Museum and Park

The maritime museum that boasts the largest nautical library in the western hemisphere.

Established in the 1930s by Archer Milton Huntington and Homer L. Ferguson, the Mariner’s Museum and Park is a walk through history, from the age of European exploration to defending the seas with the United States Navy.

The Mariners’ Museum and Park is home to the famed USS Monitor Center, which includes the Batten Conservation Complex, the largest marine archaeological metals conservation facility in the world. Watch a high-definition 3D movie in the Explorers Theater to take a look at life in and around the world’s oceans, allowing visitors to transcend the museum experience into the world of undersea exploration. Visit the International Small Craft Center to explore watercraft collected from around the world.

Deemed by Congress “America’s National Maritime Museum,” the Mariners’ collection includes more than 32,000 objects, 1.75 million Library materials and archived documents, and 210 tons of artifacts housed in the USS Monitor Center.

Just outside the Museum doors is the 550-acre Mariners’ Museum Park, the largest privately-owned park that is free and open to the public in North America. The winding 5-mile Noland Trail winds through the Park along the tranquil Lake Maury and James River.

Visit for the whole day to experience all that The Mariners’ Museum and Park has to offer.