U.S. Naval Academy Museum in
Annapolis (MD)

Wonderful museum focused primarily on Navy ship models, great experience and friendly staff on a beautiful campus.

Nice place to visit. We toured the academy and the museum. Lots of places to look at and walk around. Would definitely recommend stopping and walking through. Don’t forget your ID for security check in

The museum provides a broad and indepth display f the US Navy from it's founding to the present on the first floor. The second floor displays ship models going back 400 years. The staff were friendly and helpful.

It was super interesting, with very knowledgeable staff. I'm even in the Army and I greatly enjoyed it!

Campus is compact with a nice assortment of educational activities from diverse athletics, science, engineering, and leadership opportunities. The historic town is charming and supportive of the Naval Academy. Spiritual, emotional, physical and recreational services are well maintained in this high motivation environment. The museum emphasizes what prominent Naval Academy graduates went on to achieve.

The museum itself wasn’t great. The tour leading up the museum was awesome. The museum has quite the collection of ships and my 11 year old son loved it. Overall great experience. Take the tour, see the chapel! The guy was playing and it’s the largest organ in the country. Was simply awesome.

Absolutely loved touring the campus, seeing the Chapel and the museum. Highly worth going to!!! The grounds are extremely well kept and there's so much pride and honor that permeates everything and everyone there.

Loved it, awesome campus. The chapel was beautiful and the museum had some really cool items. Even caught a tennis match while on the campus. After we explored Main St. Annapolis which had great restaurants! Highly recommend spending time on the Naval Academy campus and downtown Annapolis!

Love it! We showed up 20 minutes before closing and the woman working was super helpful directing us to some of the most interesting and unique exhibits. All around enjoyable and informative experience.

The museum is fabulous and informational. It teaches the early history of the US navy in an engaging way. The collection of ship models are fancy.

The United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis offers a deeply immersive experience into the rich history of American naval power, combining academic rigor with engaging displays. One of the museum’s most notable features is the Rogers Ship Model Collection, which spans over 300 years of naval design. These models provide a rare, detailed look into the technological advancements in shipbuilding, making the exhibit indispensable for scholars and enthusiasts interested in the progression from wooden sailing ships to modern naval vessels. The craftsmanship and historical significance of these models offer an invaluable resource for understanding naval architecture. Another highlight is the Naval Academy Artifacts Collection, which brings visitors face-to-face with personal items from notable naval figures. A standout example is the uniform worn by Admiral George Dewey during the Battle of Manila Bay. This exhibit ties the personal histories of naval leaders with broader military strategies, offering a tangible connection to pivotal moments in naval warfare. These artifacts help contextualize the human dimension of maritime conflict, adding depth to the technical and strategic narratives present in the museum. The museum’s attention to key naval battles, such as the Battle of Midway, is especially noteworthy. Through the use of primary sources—ranging from battle plans to recovered artifacts—the exhibit offers a detailed analysis of one of the most critical engagements of World War II, demonstrating the essential role of intelligence and strategy in naval warfare. This type of historical reconstruction makes the Naval Academy Museum not only a repository of artifacts but a center for serious study of naval history. Another highlight is the **Naval Academy Artifacts Collection**, which brings visitors face-to-face with personal items from notable naval figures. A standout example is the uniform worn by Admiral George Dewey during the Battle of Manila Bay. This exhibit ties the personal histories of naval leaders with broader military strategies, offering a tangible connection to pivotal moments in naval warfare. These artifacts help contextualize the human dimension of maritime conflict, adding depth to the technical and strategic narratives present in the museum. The museum's attention to key naval battles, such as the **Battle of Midway**, is especially noteworthy. Through the use of primary sources—ranging from battle plans to recovered artifacts—the exhibit offers a detailed analysis of one of the most critical engagements of World War II, demonstrating the essential role of intelligence and strategy in naval warfare. This type of historical reconstruction makes the Naval Academy Museum not only a repository of artifacts but a center for serious study of naval history.

Amazing free Naval history and Naval Academy history museum! There were 2 veterans at the welcome desk that were very knowledgeable and helpful. The first floor is wonderful history exhibits and the 2nd floor is model ships. This is a great place to visit for those interested in American History. You can park right in front of the museum if you have a handicap placard, otherwise civilians have to park outside the Academy and walk in. They also mentioned a shuttle but we didn’t use that.

The guide at the front desk was very helpful. He gave an entire history of sea fairing and US naval warfare and how the museum would show each step of the evolution of ships.

Beautiful campus, friendly and knowledgeable visitor center staff and museum staff. Very accessible , no guards treat you like they are soldiers and you might pose a security threat to the campus ?

Commissioning Week at USNA is an unforgettable experience! The whole week is filled with excitement and pride. The events, from the Blue Angels' stunning air show to the graduation ceremony, are truly spectacular. The atmosphere is electric with the joy and accomplishment of the midshipmen and their families. It's well-organized and runs smoothly. Be sure to arrive early for the best spots, especially since parking can get tight. Overall, an incredible celebration of dedication and achievement. Highly recommend attending if you ever get the chance!

In Maryland USA one of the best iconic places to visit. Sourrounding near by areas have breathtaking view. The architecture and ambiance some times make you feel you are in europe too.

We did a self-guided tour of the campus. Informative Visitor Center, beautifully maintained grounds and buildings. The Chapel and the Cript are a must visit part of the campus. There is a museum at the site, but we did not visit.

Very well organized museum with incredibly interesting information and exhibits. The museum far surpassed my expectations, and the volunteers at the entrance are also very friendly and helpful. Having it organized chronologically was a great idea, it is a voyage through the history of the US. Lots of amazing model ships, historical relics, and very well told stories. I want to visit again it was so interesting.

Great place, but it is a MUST to take the guided tour, if not, you are just going to take pictures of big buildings but will not understand anything... the little stories they told about the place are awesome!!! Go Navy! :)

Awesome museum. I couldn't find it at first, and when I finally did, I only had a half hour until they closed. Super nice staff, despite the late time, he gave me a quick run down of what to look at, and why. Extremely nice collection of several hundred year old model ships dating back to the 1600s. The detail, restorations, and general maintenance is immaculate. I particularly enjoyed the bone ships and the wild story behind them, be sure to inquire with the staff!

+1 on very friendly staff, rich collection of artifacts about the US naval history and the (most British) dockyard ship models collection (on the 2nd floor). Few video displays were under repairs but this didn’t detract too much from our experience. It’s even better if audio guides were available, since much of the value is in the stories behind the artifacts - traditional displays and explanations provide some of it, but I’m sure there is much more! The story about the Enigma machine may serve as one example: it all started with Poles deciphering earlier versions in the 1930s, this know-how was then transferred to the Brits in 1939, and continued all through the WWII in Bletchley Park.

I really enjoyed this museum. All staff were very courteous and friendly. It is also a wonderful and extensive exhibit! If you like history, you'll love this museum!

I was fortunate to visit the United States Naval Academy for a STEM Educators workshop. We were given a tour of the facilities and came away from it very impressed. The educational resources are top notch. The professors and classrooms are knowledgeable, engaging, and well equipped. The surrounding grounds are beautiful and very well taken care of. History seeps out at you. It is pretty cool to see the cadets in formations too.

I went there a few weeks ago and boy I had a great time. Everybody was very friendly. You have to go through security and follow instructions but after that, you can carry on by enjoying the campus life there. I highly suggest you go on a tour because the tour guide will be willing to describe each event that happened and one of them loves to talk about the Army Navy game. There is a marching band full of naval students who March to lunch and it is really cool to see the band play as well so take advantage by using your time to watch these Naval academy students March into the building for lunch. Overall, the place was amazing and a worth visiting if you go on vacation in Maryland. You will be amazed to see an insight view of the naval academy and it's history behind it.

I visited with my partner, who is in the Marine Corp, and we were both delighted with how beautiful and nicely laid out this museum is. It's only two floors, but manages to compact so much history and exhibits in it.

Wonderful museum. It covers the entire history of the USNA, and the US Navy. The exhibits are beautiful and their collection of ship models is unmatched. Don't make the same mistake I did at first: they are closed on Tuesdays. Be sure to do the walking tour of Annapolis and check out the restaurants in town.

We really enjoyed our visit to the museum. It was very informative and the displays were very detailed. Definitely worth visiting. I have two little boys and they loved seeing the model boats on the second floor. Very cool and elaborate!