The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the List of c ...

, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, it is one of the largest

maritime museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navy, navies and the m ...

s in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library contains the largest

maritime history Maritime history is the study of human interaction with and activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant. As an academic subject, it ...

collection in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the 180th meridian.- The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geopolitically, ...

History

The museum was founded in 1930 by

Archer Milton Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was an American philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic studies. He founded the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, an ...

, son of Collis P. Huntington, a railroad builder who brought the

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...

Warwick County, Virginia Warwick County was a county in Southeast Virginia that was created from Warwick River Shire, one of eight created in the Virginia Colony in 1634. Located on the Virginia Peninsula on the northern bank of the James River between Hampton Roads ...

, and who founded the City of Newport News, its coal export facilities, and

Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of aircraft carriers and one of two providers of submarines for the United States Navy. Founded as the Chesapeake Dry Dock ...

in the late 19th century. Huntington and his wife Anna acquired of land that now holds of exhibition galleries, a research library, a lake, a five-mile shoreline trail with 14 bridges, and over 35,000 maritime artifacts from around the world. After the land acquisition took place, the first two years were devoted to creating and improving a natural park and constructing a dam to create The Mariners' Lake.

Artifacts, paintings, models

The museum’s collection totals approximately 32,000 artifacts, equally divided between works of art and three-dimensional objects. The scope of the collection is international and includes miniature ship models,

scrimshaw Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and te ...

, maritime paintings, decorative arts, carved figureheads, working steam engines, and the world's only known Kratz-built steam calliope. The museum holds important collections of paintings and drawings by marine artists James Bard and Antonio Jacobsen.Mariner's Museum and Peluso, Anthony J., Jr., ''The Bard Brothers -- Painting America under Steam and Sail'', Abrams, New York 1997 The museum offers educational programs for all ages and a large research library and archives, as well as publications and Internet resources for teachers. The largest boat in its collection is the ''

Oracle Team USA 17 ''Oracle Team USA 17'' is an AC72 class catamaran of Oracle Team USA that successfully defended the 2013 America's Cup. The yacht was donated to the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, where as of 2017 it is on display. Career ''Oracle ...

'', the yacht that won the

2013 America's Cup The 34th America's Cup was a regatta, series of yacht races held in San Francisco Bay in September 2013. The series was contested between the defender Oracle Team USA team representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club, and the challenger Emirates Team ...

Collection highlights

File:Marineers Museum Eagle.jpg, USS ''Lancaster'' Eagle, John Haley Bellamy File:Scrimshaw panbone civic heroes of the American Revolution.jpg,

Scrimshaw Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and te ...

panbone, 1857, Civil Heroes of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

and

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, created by Nathaniel S. Finney File:Steamboat model commonwealth music box.jpg, Model of the Steamboat ''

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

'' crafted by John Dean Benton, c. 1864 File:Elgin cutlass pistol.jpg, Elgin Cutlass pistol File:Royal Sovereign Model King George III.jpg, Intricate and lavish model, c. 1804, of HMS ''Royal Sovereign'', Royal Yacht of

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

File:Ghana dugout ahima sankofa boat.jpg,

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

dugout

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

, ahima, 2004 File:Gold commemorative coin King Edward III.jpg, Gold coin, c. 1361–1369, commemorating the

Battle of Sluys The Battle of Sluys ( , ), also called the Battle of l'Écluse, was a naval battle fought on 24 June 1340 between Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France. It took place in the roadstead of the port of Sluis, Sluys (French ''É ...

File:County of Edinburgh on the Beach.jpg, ''County of Edinburgh on the Beach'', c. 1902, by Antonio Jacobsen File:Gloucester Inner Harbor.JPG, ''Gloucester Inner Harbor'', 1850, by

Fitz Henry Lane Fitz Henry Lane (born Nathaniel Rogers Lane; also formerly, mistakenly, known as Fitz Hugh Lane; December 19, 1804 – August 14, 1865) was an American painter and printmaker of a style that would later be called Luminism, for its use of pervasi ...

File:Joseph Roux Octant.jpg, Octant made by Joseph Roux c. 1780 File:Silver-plated_Mariner%27s_Astrolabe.jpg, silver-plated

mariner's astrolabe The mariner's astrolabe, also called sea astrolabe, was an inclinometer used to determine the latitude of a ship at sea by measuring the sun's noon altitude (declination) or the meridian altitude of a star of known declination. Not an astrolabe ...

, 1645, made by Nicolao Ruffo File:AC72 in Speed and Innovation.jpg, Oracle Team USA's AC72, winner of the

File:Alexander Calder's c.-1938 statue of Leif Eriksson in Newport News, Virginia LCCN2020724547.tif, A casting of

Alexander Stirling Calder Alexander Stirling Calder (January 11, 1870 – January 7, 1945) was an American sculpture, sculptor and teacher. He was the son of sculptor Alexander Milne Calder and the father of sculptor Alexander Calder, Alexander (Sandy) Calder. His best-kn ...

's Statue of Leif Erikson.

USS ''Monitor'' Center

The Mariners' Museum is home to the USS ''Monitor'' Center. The ironclad ''Monitor'' was made famous in the

Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Merrimack'' or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. The battle was fought over two days, March 8 and 9, 1862, in Hampton ...

in 1862 during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, and its remains were located on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean about 16 miles southeast of

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. As a temperate barrier island, the landscape has been shaped by wind, waves, and storms. There are long stretches of beach ...

, North Carolina. The wreck site was designated as the United States' first national marine sanctuary, the only one of the 13 national marine sanctuaries created to protect a cultural resource rather than a natural resource or a mix of natural and cultural resources. Many artifacts from ''Monitor'' have been brought to the museum, including her turret, propeller, anchor, engine, and some personal effects of the crew. For several years, they were conserved in special tanks to stabilize the metal. The USS ''Monitor'' Center officially opened on March 9, 2007, and displays include a full-scale replica, the original recovered turret, and many artifacts and related items. Current efforts are focused on restoring the engine. Image:Marineers Museum Monitor Prop.jpg, Propeller from USS ''Monitor'' Image:Mariners Museum 2007 032a.jpg, Dahlgren gun

Park and Noland Trail

The Mariners' Museum Park is 550 acres of privately maintained, naturally wooded property that offers visitors a quiet and serene place to walk, run, or picnic. Within the Park is the 167-acre The Mariners' Lake. Following the shoreline of The Mariners' Lake is the five-mile Noland Trail. Dedicated as a gift from the Noland Family in 1991 and with significant ongoing financial support from the Noland Family, the trail has fourteen bridges, picnic areas, benches, handicap access, and mile markers. Each fall The Mariners' Museum hosts a 10K run on the Noland Trail. The Mariners’ Museum Park is open daily to the public. Benches at approximately every half-mile offer places of rest along the trail, and views of The Mariners' Lake can be found around every corner. The famous Lions Bridge, a dam that provides a scenic view of the James River, remains a highlight for visitors—a perfect family gathering place to enjoy the Museum Park. The beauty of the dam is enhanced by several fine pieces of statuary designed by Anna Hyatt Huntington, sculptor and wife of Museum founder Archer Milton Huntington. Four stone lions were mounted on the ends of the parapets of the dam in October 1932. Anna also created and dedicated a monument entitled ''Conquering the Wild'' that overlooks the Lions Bridge, the park, and The Mariners' Lake.

Notes

References

External links

*
USS ''Monitor'' CenterThe Mariners' Museum Image CollectionThe Mariners' Museum Twitter PageThe Mariners' Museum Facebook page
{{authority control History museums in Virginia Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Landmarks in Virginia Maritime museums in Virginia Military and war museums in Virginia Museums established in 1930 Museums in Newport News, Virginia 1930 establishments in Virginia Private congressionally designated national museums of the United States