United States Naval Undersea Museum

United States Naval Undersea Museum
Map
Established1995
LocationKeyport, Washington
Coordinates47°42′01″N 122°37′30″W / 47.7004°N 122.6249°W / 47.7004; -122.6249
TypeMaritime museum
Websitewww.navalunderseamuseum.org
A fairly square-shaped, tall, gray building with glass entrance doors surrounded by large glass panes. Text on the side read NAVAL UNDERSEA MUSEUM.
The US Naval Undersea Museum pictured in 2023

The United States Naval Undersea Museum is a naval museum located at Keyport, Washington. It is one of the 10 Navy museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. It sits next to a branch of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

History

The Naval Undersea Museum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Washington State corporation established in 1980 as a philanthropic organization. Through fund-raising efforts of the Foundation, the Naval Undersea Museum and Conference Center complex in Keyport, Washington, opened in 1995.[1]

The Naval Undersea Museum combines naval history, undersea technology, and marine science. This new building, filled with more than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of exhibits, holds the largest collection of naval undersea history and science artifacts in the United States. The museum's research library contains more than 6,500 volumes that support the exhibits and provide extensive information on undersea history, science, and operations. It also holds a complete set of World War II submarine war patrol reports and more than 115 interviews from the U.S. Naval Institute's oral history collection.

The Foundation publishes the Undersea Quarterly and sponsors the Naval Undersea Museum Store. Other educational programs are supported by the Foundation in cooperation with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport.

Collection

Exhibits interpret the ocean environment, the development of undersea weapons technology, U.S. submarines, and Navy diving and salvage. Artifacts include U.S. torpedoes from the Whitehead and Howell designs to the modern Mk 48 and Mk 50 weapons, a Confederate mine, torpedo tubes from the ballistic missile submarine USS Tecumseh, and a simulated submarine control room incorporating major equipment from USS Greenling. Some noteworthy items in the Museum[2] collection[3][4][5] are the 55-ton sail of the nuclear fast attack submarine USS Sturgeon, the deep submersibles Trieste II[6] and Mystic, the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) that was used for the film The Hunt for Red October, and a re-creation of the control room of USS Greenling using the actual equipment and consoles removed from the attack submarine when it was decommissioned. Exhibit themes include the environment of the ocean, torpedoes, naval mine warfare, the technology of submarines, and diving equipment.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Naval Undersea Museum Foundation". Navy.mil. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 November 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  2. ^ Stevenson, Roy. "Naval Undersea Museum". Military. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011.
  3. ^ Dunn, Brian (2 January 2010). "A Big Day at the Naval Undersea Museum". bkdunn.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  4. ^ Popejoy, Mary (13 May 2005). "Naval Undersea Museum unloads historic torpedoes". Northwest Navigator. Archived from the original on 24 May 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  5. ^ Vorderbruggen, Henry (1 June 2007). "Undersea Museum celebrates underwater 3-D tracking". Northwest Navigator. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. ^ "DSV-1 Trieste II Renovation". 1 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
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