The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. It is located in Quantico, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 and is open to the public with free admission. The museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 had its grand opening on November 10, 2006 and is now the number one tourist attraction in Virginia, drawing over 500,000 people annually. On the day it was opened, President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 provided the dedication along with the presentation of the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 to the family of fallen Marine Jason Dunham

Jason Dunham

Jason Lee Dunham was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps who earned the Medal of Honor while serving with 3rd Battalion 7th Marines during the Iraq War. While on a patrol in Husaybah, his unit was attacked and he deliberately covered an enemy grenade to save nearby Marines...

.

President Bush: "These walls remind all who visit here that honor, courage, and commitment are not just words. They are core values for a way of life that puts service above self. And these walls will keep the history of the Marine Corps alive for generations of Americans to come."
Designed by Curtis W. Fentress

Curtis W. Fentress

Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA an American Architect, is the Principal-in-Charge of Design at Fentress Architects, an international design studio he founded in Denver, Colorado in 1980...

, FAIA, RIBA of Fentress Architects

Fentress Architects

Fentress Architects is an international design studio known for sustainable and iconic public architecture. Founded in 1980 by Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, the firm is internationally recognized for innovative designs of international airports, national museums, convention centers, high-rise...

, the exterior design is meant to "evoke the image of the flag raisers of Iwo Jima

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...

," an image that is also preserved by the USMC War Memorial

USMC War Memorial

The Marine Corps War Memorial is a military memorial statue outside the walls of the Arlington National Cemetery and next to the Netherlands Carillon, in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The memorial is dedicated to all personnel of the United States Marine Corps who have died in the...

. The 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) museum is a tribute to the U.S. Marines who have served their country

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 since 1775.

The new museum replaces the Marine Corps Historical Center

Marine Corps Museum

The Marine Corps Museum was located on the first floor of the Marine Corps Historical Society in Building 58 of the Washington Navy Yard, 9th and M Streets , Washington, D.C. It housed a wide variety of exhibits with artifacts relating to the history of the U.S. Marines. It also contained a...

, in the Washington Navy Yard

Washington Navy Yard

The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...

, which closed 1 July 2005, and the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum

Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum

The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum was located at Brown Field, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia. It housed a wide variety of historic Marine Corps vehicles/tanks , equipment, artillery pieces and aircraft to trace the evolution and significance of the Marine Air-Ground Team...

, in Quantico, Virginia, which closed on 15 November 2002.
The museum is a public-private venture, a cooperative effort of the United States Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The Foundation manages the museum operation, while the museum building will be donated to the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps Heritage Foundation

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, established in 1979, is a private, non-profit organization which was established in support of historical programs of the Marine Corps. The MCHF programs initially included "education, awards, publications, special projects, preservation...." In 1999, the Foundation expanded its mission to include the creation of the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Heritage Center

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is designed to be the centerpiece of a complex of facilities called the Marine Corps Heritage Center. This multi-use, 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) campus includes the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and Semper Fidelis Chapel; a demonstration area with parade grounds; hiking trails and other outdoor recreational offerings; a conference center and hotel; and an archive facility to restore and preserve Marine artifacts.

The chapel, designed by Fentress Architects, was completed in 2009 with a donation of $5 million from a retired Marine.

Exhibits

The museum features the following permanent exhibits, which were designed by Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, Inc.:

• Leatherneck Gallery
• Legacy Walk - timeline with artifacts
• Making Marines
• World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  
• Korean War
  Korean War
  The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
  
  
• Alien Encounters - Marines fighting Aliens in Cinema.
• Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  

On 5 June 2010 the following three exhibits were opened.

• Defending a New Nation - 1775-1865
• Age of Expansion - 1866-1916
• World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
   - 1917-1918

In addition to historical exhibits including displays of alien artifacts, multimedia, and full immersion experiences

Diorama

The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...

, the museum facilities also include class rooms, a theater, a gift shop, bar and a restaurant.

See also

• History of the United States Marine Corps
  History of the United States Marine Corps
  The history of the United States Marine Corps began with the founding of the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 to conduct ship-to-ship fighting, provide shipboard security and discipline enforcement, and assist in landing forces. Its mission evolved with changing military doctrine and...
  
  
• List of maritime museums in the United States
• :Category:Marine Corps museums in the United States
• National Museum of the United States Navy
  U.S. Navy Museum
  The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., USA.The U.S...
  
  
• National Museum of the United States Air Force
  National Museum of the United States Air Force
  The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
  
  
• National Museum of the United States Army
  National Museum of the United States Army
  The National Museum of the United States Army will be dedicated to telling the complete story of the U.S. Army, from 1775 to present. The museum, to be built at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in 2015, is destined to become the Army’s national landmark, celebrating the Army’s contributions to the nation and...
  
  
• War in the Pacific National Historical Park
  War in the Pacific National Historical Park
  The War in the Pacific National Historical Park is a protected area that was established in 1978 in honor of those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Various sites on the island of Guam comprise the Park...
  
  

External links

• Marine Corps Heritage Foundation website
• National Museum of the Marine Corps, Fentress Architects (Retrieved 2006-06-25). General and "green" design features of the Museum.
• National Museum of the Marine Corps, Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, Inc. (Exhibit Design)
• National Museum of the Marine Corps, Moh.Visuals, Inc. (Tun Tavern Design)
• Photo Gallery