National Museum of the Marine Corps

06/23/2026

📚Ready to talk history, leadership, and literature?

Join the National Museum of the Marine Corps for the Books and Boots Virtual Book Club, held every second Tuesday of the month.

For our second session, we'll discuss "The Marines of Autumn" by James Brady on July 14 at 6:30 PM.

06/21/2026

A Marine's greatest title isn't always found on their uniform.

Whether separated by distance, deployment, or duty, fathers carry their families with them every step of the journey. The photographs in their hands hold more than memories, they are reminders of the people waiting at home and a reflection of why they serve.

This Father's Day, we honor the fathers whose love, sacrifice, and commitment shape the next generation.

Happy Father's Day from the National Museum of the Marine Corps.❤️

06/19/2026

We're kicking off the summer with the first session of Summer Camp at the National Museum of the Marine Corps! From hands-on activities to smiling faces and new discoveries, it's been an exciting start to a season full of learning and fun.

Looking for a free activity this summer? Explore our galleries, experience the history and legacy of Marines, and enjoy everything the Museum has to offer.

Don't forget to keep an eye on our upcoming events throughout the summer, including concerts, car shows, and more. There's always something happening at the National Museum of the Marine Corps!

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

Join us tomorrow, June 18 at 7 PM as the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters take the stage. As the Navy's official chorus, the Sea Chanters perform a wide range of music-from sea shanties and patriotic standards to Broadway and contemporary selections-delivering a dynamic and engaging vocal performance. 🎶

Concerts are held outdoors on the Museum's entry plaza, weather permitting. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets. The Museum, Tun Tavern and Museum Store will remain open until 6:45 PM. Outdoor concessions will be available. No alcoholic beverages permitted on Museum grounds. Free and open to the public!

The performance will be livestreamed on the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation page for those who cannot attend in person! We look forward to seeing you both face-to-face and virtually.

06/17/2026

Its | The First Marine Belt-fed Machine Gun 🥔

Machine gunners have been integral to the Marine regiment for over a century. Major Edward Cole developed brilliant tactics and procedures in the years leading up to World War I that set up the 6th Machine Gun Battalion for success. By World War II, machine guns were integrated down to the platoon level. But the history of the Machine Gun within the Marine Corps goes back even further.

The first Marine machine guns were adopted in 1895 with the introduction of the M1895 “potato digger”. Designed by John Moses Browning and produced by C**t in 6mm Navy, the gun gave the Navy and Marines an impressive amount of firepower in a relatively lightweight package. The gun weighed 40lbs, and so a tripod or a carriage mount was necessary to effectively employ it ashore, but it was far easier to handle than a landing gun weighing several hundred pounds.

The gun was nicknamed the “potato digger” because of the toggle action under the gun’s receiver that flexed downward as the gun fired. If the gun was positioned too close to the dirt, the scissor arm attached to the bolt would start to dig into the dirt beneath it.

When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, the M1895 was the only machine gun available to Marine landing forces. Four machine guns were taken ashore on 12 June 1898 when the Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Two of those guns, serial numbers 98 and 99 were transferred to the Marines from the USS Texas and all four guns were instrumental in the capture of Cuzco Well, the main fresh water source for the Spanish forces the Marines faced.

The Museum’s M1895 machine gun, serial number 1 was hand built by the Browning Brothers and demonstrated to the Navy in 1893 and is actually one of the pre-production guns. When the Navy adopted the type in 1895, the C**t Fi****ms production run began with a new serial number 1, which has caused some confusion for researchers in the past. The new series number 1 served aboard the USS Lancaster during the Spanish American War.

The “potato digger”, while short lived in frontline service, built a foundation for Marine machine gun operations that grew and evolved as the technology advanced. Those early belt-fed 6mm machine guns were soon replaced by .30 caliber M1909 Benet-Mercie machine rifles, M1915 Lewis guns, and eventually the French Hotchkiss and Chauchat machine guns that the Marines took into combat in 1918.

06/16/2026

We were honored to host Drawing for Marines today, featuring a talk and live art demonstration by Maximilian Uriarte, creator of Terminal Lance. Max shared how his artistic career developed throughout his life and Marine Corps service, offered insight into the creation of Terminal Lance and Battle Born, gave attendees a preview of some of his current projects, and demonstrated how he uses digital software to draw a Marine in real time.

Thank you for visiting, Max!

06/15/2026

One of the many things that makes a visit to the National Museum of the Marine Corps so memorable is the people you'll meet along the way. Our dedicated staff and volunteers are always eager to share Marine Corps history and help visitors connect with the stories behind the exhibits.

Their passion extends beyond the museum's walls, too, as they demonstrated this past weekend at Richmond SailFest and the Celebration of Declaration Day at Gunston Hall!

06/14/2026

Not the Army.

But today, we're wishing a very Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army and celebrating 251 years of service to our nation. 🇺🇸

Need help telling the branches apart? Visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps and explore the history, legacy, and traditions of Marines throughout our nation's history.