Mariners' Museum and Park

The Mariners’ Museum and Park is a major maritime museum complex in Newport News, Virginia, founded in 1930 by Archer M. Huntington. It combines museum galleries, conservation facilities and extensive parkland.

The museum’s collections span ship models, maritime art, charts and artifacts, and it is internationally known for the USS Monitor Center, which preserves and interprets material recovered from the Civil War ironclad Monitor. The site also includes a conservation laboratory and rotating exhibitions.

The adjoining park provides trails, lakeside paths and open space that complement the museum’s cultural offerings and create a large recreational area for visitors and residents.

The complex sits in Newport News on the James River, accessible from local roads and regional highways serving the Hampton Roads area.

• Founding and scope: Founded in 1930 by philanthropist Archer M. Huntington, the museum is one of the larger maritime museums in the United States with substantial collections and conservation facilities.
• Monitor conservation: Home to the USS Monitor turret and an active conservation laboratory where historic iron and wooden artifacts are stabilized and interpreted for the public.

What to See #

• USS Monitor Center: A dedicated exhibition centre that houses the conserved turret and artifacts from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor along with interpretive displays on ironclad technology and maritime archaeology.
• Mariners' Park: Parkland adjoining the museum with lakes, walking trails and picnic areas that provide recreational space for visitors and local residents.