some quick comments on three naval/military museums we visited in Virginia last week:
Casemate Museum/Fort Monroe (Hampton)
Fort Monroe is one of the third system coastal forts, completed shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War. The US held it throughout the war, even after losing Norfolk, and used it as a base (along with Fort Wool) to block Confederate access to the Atlantic.
The
Casemate Museum is located in one part of the old fort, in a series of old casemates. It has a number of displays relating to the evolution of coastal artillery through WWII (when it was finally realized it was obsolete), as well as displays relating to the post civil war incarceration of Jefferson Davis (I'm not sure i agree with some of the interpretative material on Davis, but i haven't done the necessary research yet before i make a serious effort to challenge it). An added bonus is the opportunity to walk the circumference of the fort on top of the earthworks; it is a very well preserved example of a system three fortification (most are long gone.)
Fort Monroe (the old fortification) is on the grounds of Fort Monroe, an active Army post. It is scheduled to be turned over to civilian authorities in the Fall of 2011 but until then, if you wish to visit the old fort and museum, drive to the gate and indicate that you want a day pass to visit the museum. you'll need valid id and car registration information. the museum is free but donations are requested.
Nauticus Museum/Hampton Roads Military Museum/USS Wisconsin (BB-64) (Norfolk)
Nauticus is on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk. The
Hampton Road Military Museum shares the building, but appears to be independently run by the US Navy. The
Iowa-class battleship USS Wisconsin is moored alongside, with gantries leading from the museum to the ship's decks.
Nauticus has quite a few interesting exhibits about marine topics (what did you expect) and about the battleship, and the naval museum is outstanding. This more than makes up for the fact that access to the battleship is severely limited; for the standard Nauticus ticket, the only access is to a limited number of exposed decks. A rather steep fee schedule is in place for tours and a visit to the interior of the battleship. I like the Nauticus museum and the Naval Museum a great deal, and recommend them, but if what you want is to see the inside of a fast battleship, other museums provide better value -- the New Jersey in Camden, and the Massachusetts in Fall River, to name two. An added bonus to visiting the New Jersey is the opportunity to tour the
USS Olympia across the Delaware on the Philadelpha waterfront. (The museum operating the Olympia is in somewhat dire straits due to the actions of an ex-director and could use some love.)
The Mariners Museum (Newport News)
Last, but far from least, this was my favorite of the trip.
The Mariner's Museum has an extensive collection of ship models that need to be seen to be believed, and excellent displays relating to the history of the Chesapeake Bay area. But the real prize is the USS Monitor Center.
In the middle of the 200x's, the US Navy and NOAA successfully recovered significant components of the
USS Monitor from the bottom of the Altantic, where the ship went down in December of 1862. The conservation effort is ongoing at the Monitor Center, and the museum provides a wonderland of displays for geeks like me who love this stuff. I would be remiss if i didn't mention the
Monitor Center blog, which i have been following for some time and which provides much insight into the issues of conserving artifacts brought up from the sea.
