National Marine Corps Museum
Anyone driving along I-95 north to Washington D.C. will easily see the towering spire that rises above the National Marine Corps Museum in Prince William County.
It clearly evokes the image of the American marine flag-raisers of Iwo Jima, one of the most famous battles in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.
The museum’s collection includes the second flag that Marines raised at the top of Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. The photo of the raising by an Associated Press photographer inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington D.C.
The museum’s 120,000-square-foot structure has interactive exhibits that surround visitors with irreplaceable artifacts and immerse them in the sights and sounds of Marines in action.
“The collections held in trust at the National Museum of the Marine Corps document over 240 years of Marine Corps history,” according to the museum. “The mission of the Museum is to collect and preserve in perpetuity, artifacts that reflect and chronicle the history of the Corps. The more than 60,000 uniforms, weapons, vehicles, medals, flags, aircraft, works of art and other artifacts in the Museum’s collections trace the history of the Marine Corps from 1775 to the present.”
Holdings are available in five collections: ordnance, uniforms and heraldry, aviation, art and cultural and material history.
The museum dominates a complex of facilities known as the Marine Corps Heritage Center in Prince William County. The 135-acre campus includes the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and Chapel; a demonstration area and parade grounds; hiking trails and other outdoor attractions.
Another attraction is the big screen Medal of Honor Theatre and the signature film “We, the Marines”. The 369-seat theater has two 4K laser projectors There is a fee for this attraction.
Other Attractions
Other attractions include:
- Combat Art Gallery and Studio
- Expanded Education Suite and Children’s Gallery
- Legacy Walk Extension
- Historical galleries covering the Corps’ history from 1976 to the present
- Hall of Valor
- Marine Corps Sports Gallery and Hall of Fame
- Inter-wars Gallery (1919-1940)
The galleries include more than 500 artifacts.
Visitors will find more things to do with an indoor laser rifle shooting range, a variety of special events, a Colonial era pub and restaurant called Tun Tavern, a museum store, the Devil Dog Diner cafeteria restaurant.
The National Marine Corps Museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Christmas Day. Admission except for the movie theater is free.
http://www.usmcmuseum.org/