National Museum of the United States Navy

It's a relatively small museum showcasing the naval aspect of the US military history starting from the revolutionary war. It is located inside an operating military base, so visitors need to get the pass - a little bit of a bureaucracy, a little more for the non-us citizens. Took us about 20 -25 minutes to get the pass. The volunteer who greeted us at the door was very welcoming and gave us helpful directions and a nice overview of the place.

I am interested in military history and especially Korean war. While visiting DC, we found this Navy Museum. It is not the easiest museum to get in because it is located in Navy yard. First you need to register at welcome center so you need passport with you or ID is ok if you are US citizen. Children do not need ID if with a parent. There were many workers going thru same background check process so be prepared to wait 30 to 60 minutes. People at the office were nice and waiting room has A/C. Museum is in two buildings. Main building has mostly WW2 history. Second building has nice stuff from Korean war and also a little from Vietnam. We found cold war exhibition pretty interesting. Gentleman at the main building was very helpful assisting us. There were no other tourists at that time so it sure was exclusive visit.

A little bit tricky to get into the museum, you have to go all the way around the fence and search for the only available entrance. The staff is very nice and helpful. The shop closes at 2:30 p.m. so if you want to buy a souvenir, make sure you get there earlier. It is very detailed and has a lot of mini ships and boats. Make sure you also go to the submarine museum which is right next to it! Enjoy =)

What a gem! We made a point to visit here while in D.C. My daughter is a huge fan of World War II Naval history and this was the place to be for her. Much of the museum is dedicated to World War II. Many gun turrets are displayed (manufactured in the museum building?). There are displays for many aspects of the Navy in World War II including Midway, Coral Sea, Japanese artifacts, ship navigation, and large detailed models of various World Ware II ships. I learned many little insights at these displays. There is also early Navy history at the front of the museum. The fight top from USS Constitution, an example of USS Constitution gun deck and construction display are very interesting and educational. My only complaints are some artifacts could have more detail (some did have QR code to learn more!), and the models inside glass cases were difficult to see due to reflects from light sources and nearby museum artifacts. We were the only ones in attendance. It takes effort to register and access the Navy base to get to the museum. I recommend filling out paperwork from website ahead of time. If you are interested in Navy history, I highly recommend this location!