The Mariners' Museum and Park

The Mariners' Museum and Park Admission is only $1 every day! The Museum also includes the USS Monitor Center, home to the Civil War ironclad’s iconic gun turret.
(1752)

Located in the heart of Newport News, VA, The Mariners' Museum and Park connects people to the world's waters, because through the water – through our shared maritime heritage – we are connected to one another. The Mariners’ Museum, located in Newport News, VA is one of the largest and most prestigious maritime museums in the world and has been designated by Congress as America’s National Maritime

Museum. The collection of over 35,000 artifacts include miniature ship models, scrimshaw, maritime paintings, decorative arts, carved figureheads, working steam engines and much more. The Museum is situated on within a 550-acre park that is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned and maintained park that is free and open to the public. The park includes the 160-acre lake Maury, the 5-mile Noland Trail and the iconic Lion’s Bridge that overlooks the tranquil James River. The USS Monitor Center features many artifacts from the famous ironclad are on exhibit and the incredible story of her creation, battle, sinking and recovery are told in vivid detail. The Mariners’ Museum Library houses the largest maritime collection in the western hemisphere, with 78,000 volumes, one million manuscript items, 600,000 photographs, and several thousand maps, charts, and ships’ plans. Its collection is international in scope and spans six centuries with several titles dating back to the 1500s. Used extensively by international scholars and researchers, as well as interested individuals, it is one of the most comprehensive maritime research collections in the world.

🌼 Martha's Way: New waterfront boardwalk now open! 🎉We’re excited to announce the completion of the Martha’s Way projec...
06/03/2026

🌼 Martha's Way: New waterfront boardwalk now open! 🎉

We’re excited to announce the completion of the Martha’s Way project — a brand-new waterfront experience on the James River, built for walkers, sightseers, and anyone who loves the water.

Designed with our community in mind, the project includes:

🚶🏻Pedestrian walkways: Walking paths along Museum Parkway provide a designated, safe route for riverside strolls.

📸 Boardwalk and scenic overlooks: A new boardwalk and two overlooks provide a place to take in the views and snap pictures without disturbing the riprap. These additions increase community engagement and support stewardship of the James River shoreline.

We are deeply grateful to Royden Goodson, the visionary behind Martha's Way, for his generosity and desire to create a memorable asset for our community. We’d also like to thank our wonderful partners, Crofton Industries and The Blair Brothers, Inc. whose tireless efforts have made this vision a reality!

🐝 Wonder Wednesdays is almost here! 🦋Join us for the return of our popular summer program, Lil' Mariners' Wonder Wednesd...
06/02/2026

🐝 Wonder Wednesdays is almost here! 🦋

Join us for the return of our popular summer program, Lil' Mariners' Wonder Wednesdays, an interactive storytime designed just for your littlest learners! Each Wednesday, we dive into engaging tales, playful songs, and hands-on activities that get mariners ages 2-4 exploring and moving while practicing early learning skills.

Bonus: Select dates will be presented in Spanish!

Wonder Wednesdays happens weekly from June 24 until August 26 in our beautiful Bumblebee Learning Garden (Museum Lower Lobby during inclement weather).

We can't wait to explore with you!

📍The Mariners’ Museum and Park | Newport News, VA

This spring, 6th graders from Newport News Public Schools joined us on Mariners' Lake for our ongoing Mariners’ Lake Eff...
06/01/2026

This spring, 6th graders from Newport News Public Schools joined us on Mariners' Lake for our ongoing Mariners’ Lake Effect program! Not only did they learn how to kayak, but they also picked up some amazing life skills along the way 🚣

At the end of each trip, we invited the students to reflect on their experience by writing their thoughts on a whiteboard, like the one pictured. Many of the students' responses highlighted how kayaking helped them realize they are capable of more than they ever imagined! Read some of our favorite responses and see exactly what they took away from their day on the water 🌊

✨Face your fear!
✨I learned that Anything is Possible!
✨Fun will come again
✨I can do Anything!
✨I made friends with nature
✨If I fall, someone will get me
✨I learned how important it is to be outside to relax your mind
✨I want to have my birthday here

🌙 Night at The Mariners’ 🌙Saturday, June 27 | 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.Newport News Shipbuilding hasn’t just built ships; it...
05/29/2026

🌙 Night at The Mariners’ 🌙
Saturday, June 27 | 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Newport News Shipbuilding hasn’t just built ships; it’s shaped our global maritime identity for 140 years. This year at Night at The Mariners’, we’re bringing that legacy to the forefront.

Stroll through our galleries and chat with The Mariners’ Team as we share items from our Collection that highlight NNS’ profound impact on the Newport News community and beyond. Your evening includes:

✨ In-depth artifact interpretation
🍽️ Gourmet local bites
🍷 Dozens of international wine varietals
🎟️ Get your tickets today: marinersmuseum.org/event/night-at-the-mariners

🛥️☀️We heard boating season is coming up? But here at The Mariners' Museum and Park, boating season is every season. ☀️🛥...
05/27/2026

🛥️☀️We heard boating season is coming up? But here at The Mariners' Museum and Park, boating season is every season. ☀️🛥️
We invite you to visit The Mariners' to discover which boat you'd like to take for a spin — and to find your own connection to the world’s waters through history and nature. 🌊🛥️☀️

Today marks our final post of the Conservation Curious series. We appreciate you all taking this journey with us to lear...
05/26/2026

Today marks our final post of the Conservation Curious series. We appreciate you all taking this journey with us to learn about what it means to care for a place like The Mariners’ Museum and Park. To wrap up this series, we will answer the question, “Why conserve?”

Conservation ensures the long term preservation of our living and museum collections. The Museum houses over 3,200 objects, approximately 110,000 volumes of books, journals, and microform in our Library, and around 9,000 linear feet of archival material; the Park has 550-acres of land, 5-miles of walking trails, and a 167-acre freshwater lake. Taking care of these areas allows not just our generation to learn and enjoy these artifacts and outdoor spaces, but gives future generations the opportunity as well.

🚧Partial road closure notice🚧On Sunday, May 31st, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Museum Drive will be partially closed due ...
05/26/2026

🚧Partial road closure notice🚧
On Sunday, May 31st, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Museum Drive will be partially closed due to a race. 👟 The closure starts at Lions Bridge and ends at the gate near back of the Museum, as indicated in the second photo. The Museum and Park will remain open during this time.

This poignant photograph, captured over 80 years ago, serves as a powerful reminder of the solemnity and sacrifice that ...
05/25/2026

This poignant photograph, captured over 80 years ago, serves as a powerful reminder of the solemnity and sacrifice that define Memorial Day.

On May 30, 1944, just one week before the D-Day landings in Normandy, Staff Sergeant James M. Piercey, Station Compliment Battalion, stood at attention with basic trainees of the 2nd Platoon during Memorial Day services at CPH, Pennsylvania.

Today, we join those who have come before us in honoring all who have served and sacrificed for our freedom.

United States Army Signal Corps Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation Photographs, Indexes, and Other Material, P0003. Item #: P0003/01- # E-8072. Sponsored by a Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resource (CLIR), Grant Number CON-539.

🛠️ LECTURE REMINDER: A Modelmaker’s JourneyTHIS Friday, May 29!Don't miss your chance to see maritime history come alive...
05/24/2026

🛠️ LECTURE REMINDER: A Modelmaker’s Journey
THIS Friday, May 29!

Don't miss your chance to see maritime history come alive! Join us at 10:30 a.m. to meet "Metalworking Craftsman of the Year" Rich Carlstedt and see his incredible 1/16th-scale working model of USS Monitor’s engine.

Members: Free
Guests: $1 👉 Register now: marinersmuseum.org/event/a-modelmakers-journey/

National Maritime Day, celebrated on May 22, was created to recognize the maritime industry in the United States. ⚓ The ...
05/22/2026

National Maritime Day, celebrated on May 22, was created to recognize the maritime industry in the United States. ⚓ The significance of the 22nd is that on this day in 1819, the first ever transoceanic voyage using steam power began when the American steamship Savannah set sail from its namesake city in Georgia. Here at The Mariners’, we have a ship model of SS Savannah (pictured here) on display within our USS Monitor Center. Be sure to check out this beautiful ship model on your next visit!

Address

100 Museum Drive
Newport News, VA
23606

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17575962222

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Mariners' Museum and Park posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to The Mariners' Museum and Park:

Shortcuts

Share

Category