USNA Attractions and Events
With over 100,000 visitors a year, the USNA Museum in Preble Hall is a sought-after attraction. The world-class museum, spread across two floors, features the history of the U.S. Navy and the Academy along with artifacts, stories, and interactive exhibits for the whole family. The museum’s holdings include ship models, paintings, prints, flags, uniforms, swords, firearms, medals, sculptures, silver, manuscripts, rare books, photographs, ship instruments and gear, and a wide variety of personal memorabilia. The Second Deck (second floor) features the Class of 1951 Gallery of Ships, housing one of the world’s finest collections of warship models from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
The USNA Chapel is another must-see when you’re on the Yard. Dominating the Annapolis skyline, the Chapel’s dome rivals that of the State House as one of the most iconic sights in town. Twenty-foot, sculpted doors open to the chapel’s grandiose interior space, complete with four Tiffany-designed stained glass windows. A hidden gem is the Crypt of John Paul Jones (recognized as the “Father of the U.S. Navy” since 1775), located beneath the chapel. Jones died in France while serving as a U.S. liaison in 1792. More than a century later, his remains were escorted across the Atlantic by a fleet of Navy ships and finally laid to rest in 1913 in a bronze and marble sarcophagus modeled after that of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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United States Naval Academy
Bancroft Hall (the world’s second largest dormitory) is another landmark that must be seen when visiting the Naval Academy. The impressive architecture of its Beaux-Arts façade is matched only by the beauty of the rotunda and Memorial Hall inside. The latter contains scrolls and plaques commemorating all Academy alumni and naval personnel lost in battle. Memorial Hall’s balconies offer exceptional views of the Annapolis harbor and Severn River. And don’t miss the daily noon formation (every Monday through Friday, weather permitting, during the academic year) that occurs outside Bancroft Hall before midshipmen head off to lunch.
You can also take in a cultural event: midshipmen participate in several musical and theatrical performances throughout the year. There are also spirited sporting events at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium or the Brigade Sports Complex; football, lacrosse, baseball, and hockey are some of the Academy’s most popular spectator sports.
Not to be forgotten is Commissioning Week, a period of celebration held in May for graduating midshipmen. Even if you don’t know any graduates, you can still take part by enjoying the flight demonstrations put on by the famed Blue Angels on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Commissioning Week (usually the last week in May). The week concludes with one last flyover of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on graduation day.