WELCOME TO THE U.S. NAVAL UNDERSEA MUSEUM!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Navy’s undersea operations, technology, combat, research, and salvage, you’ve come to the right place! Come for a visit to see how exceptional people and cutting edge technology create an incredibly capable undersea force.
Open 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Wednesday-Monday. CLOSED on Tuesday.
Closed: New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
HISTORY
The U.S. Naval Undersea Museum was established on July 23, 1979, by the Secretary of the Navy. The following year the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation was formed as a non-profit organization to raise funds to build and outfit a museum facility. Construction of the 68,000 square foot building occurred in stages beginning in 1985 and concluding with completion of the Jack Murdock Auditorium in 1994. With over 39,000 artifacts, the museum is an important repository for information and items related to undersea weapons, submarine technology, diving and salvage artifacts, and undersea vehicle technology.
LONG-TERM EXHIBITS
The museum’s long-term exhibits provide a comprehensive introduction to the Navy’s undersea history and operations. Come discover the wide range of activities that happen undersea!
THE OCEAN ENVIRONMENT
This highly interactive exhibit explores key physical properties of the ocean such as buoyancy, pressure, density, heat transfer, light, sound, salinity, and oxygen.
TORPEDO TECHNOLOGY
Learn more about the technological marvel that is the torpedo in our Torpedo Technology exhibit, which follows the history and development of U.S. torpedoes from early Howell and Whitehead torpedoes to modern torpedoes like the MK 48 ADCAP and MK 50.
MINE WARFARE
This exhibit traces the history of mine warfare from the Revolutionary War through modern operations and features examples of mines from these engagements as well as the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
PRESERVING PEACE: THE NAVY’S STRATEGIC DETERRENCE PROGRAM
This exhibit delves into the storied history of the U.S. Navy’s strategic deterrence program from its Cold War beginnings in the 1950s through today’s modernization efforts.
SAVING SUBMARINERS: SUBMARINE RESCUE AND ESCAPE
Explore the changes to submarine rescue and escape over time and discover why the U.S. Navy strongly prefers rescue over escape as the safest, most reliable method of saving submariners.
GREENLING CONTROL ROOM
This recreated control room from Cold War submarine USS Greenling (SSN 614) features equipment from the sub, including periscopes, the ship control panel, fire control panel, and ballast control panel.
SEARCH, SPY, RESCUE, RECOVER: NAVY VEHICLES UNDER THE SEA
Throughout the world, Navy vehicles recover lost objects, spy for information, disarm undersea mines, rescue accident survivors, investigate the ocean, and more.
OUTDOOR EXHIBITS
Connect with undersea history before you even step foot inside the museum by touring our outdoor exhibits. Enjoy the chance to see and learn about these oversize artifacts on display outside the museum:
Mystic (DSRV 1)
DSRVs Mystic and Avalon provided rapid-response submarine rescue capability to the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 2008.
Trieste II (DSV 1)
Trieste II (DSV 1) was the first deep submergence vehicle built by the U.S. Navy, following its acquisition of the original Trieste bathyscaphe. With an operating depth of 20,000 feet, Trieste II performed undersea research and tasks, including examining the remains of USS Scorpion in 1969. Most recently, Trieste II made national news in late 2012 after the Central Intelligence Agency released information about a secret mission it conducted in 1972 to retrieve a lost spy satellite film capsule from 16,400 feet.
Sail of USS Sturgeon (SSN 637)
USS Sturgeon was the lead ship in her class of 37 fast attack submarines. Sturgeon-class submarines were the workhorses of the Submarine Force during the Cold War, conducting surveillance and reconnaissance missions, taking part in battle and strike group operations, and providing precision strike capability and ground warfare support. After Sturgeon was decommissioned in 1994, her sail was brought to the museum for permanent installation.
Sealab End Bell
The Navy’s Sealab projects of the 1960s tested and demonstrated the viability of saturation diving, which allows divers to live and work at great depths for days, weeks, or even months.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITS
MARINE MAMMALS: THE NAVY’S SUPER SEARCHERS
Navy animals detect mines and intruders in a fraction of the time it takes human divers and human-made technology. This exhibit explores the missions Navy dolphins and sea lions perform and the science behind their remarkable abilities.
NEDU: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
The Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) has safeguarded Navy divers and expanded their diving capabilities since 1927. Its official mission is to research, develop, test, and evaluate diving equipment and procedures, but more simply, its job is problem-solving: NEDU personnel use their expertise and experience to find solutions for the many challenges of working underwater.
U.S. NAVY MILITARY DIVERS
Navy divers possess exceptional diving expertise and abilities — excellence necessary to safely handle the dangerous, challenging nature of military diving.
ONLINE EXHIBITS
Click on the link above to see additional references to our Navy undersea!
STEM ACTIVITIES
STEM activities are available for use in the classroom or at home! Multiple STEM-based lessons are available online and can be printed out wherever learners may be. These lessons cover a variety of concepts and can be taught using basic materials found in your own home.
Logging Requirements
Now that you have learned about this amazing museum, I hope you enjoy your visit. Yes, there are several questions you need to answer in order to log this Virtual Cache. Spending some time here during open hours, to appreciate our community's amazing resource, and to learn about our Navy's history under the sea, will earn this difficulty rating.
To log this Virtual Cache, please (A) send me the answers to the following 4 questions via geocaching.com message and (B) attach your photo with your found log. Remember you are providing "proof of presence!"
(A1) In the ocean environment display, what object was shrunk from going 10,000 feet below the ocean's surface.
(A2) In the Greenling control room, what can you see through the periscope?
(A3) Outdoors, how many steps does it take you to walk around the sail?
(A4) What was the most interesting aspect of the museum or fact you learned? You are welcome to include this in your found log too.
(B) Please attach to your found log, a photo of yourself, your GPS, or your hand, with an exhibit as the background. There are examples of diving helmits in the family learning center, if you want a unique shot. According to the conduct guidelines, still and video photography for noncommercial use is permitted in the museum, unless otherwise posted.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.