Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro speaks to audience members on Oct. 18, 2024, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., to announce the location for the new National Museum of the United States Navy. (Abigayle Lutz/U.S. Navy)
WASHINGTON — A new national museum for the U.S. Navy is planned for outside the historic Washington Navy Yard to give the public unfettered access to the sea service’s history.
The museum will be built at Tingey Street and M Street near the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, the Navy announced in a ceremony Friday at the new site. The museum is meant to replace the existing Navy National Museum located on base at the Navy Yard, which is largely off limits to the general public.
“The new National Museum of the U.S. Navy will provide a dramatically improved opportunity for the American public to be inspired by the long history of valor and sacrifice of American sailors in the defense of our country, and to learn the vital importance of sea power to our way of life,” said retired Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command. “It will showcase not only the legacy of the past but also the global operations of the Navy today, upholding the freedom of the seas, upon which our freedom depends.”
The Navy evaluated 18 cities and 42 sites as candidates for a new location of the national museum, according to Kristina Higgins, spokeswoman for the Naval History and Heritage Command. The Washington site beat out locations in San Diego, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Norfolk. Each city was evaluated for attendance, market diversity, operating gap, cost per visitor, fundraising potential and capital costs. Estimates indicate the new National Museum of the U.S. Navy campus could attract more than 1.5 million visitors annually, Higgins said.
In May, the Navy signed a land-exchange agreement that paved the way for the location.
The state-of-the-art facility is planned to expand beyond a traditional museum to a campus layout that combines the museum, a high-tech conference center and retail space with dining options. The museum is intended to be a self-funded tourist destination that aims to intrigue, inform and inspire generations of visitors, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.
“The envisioned campus will serve as an educational, inspirational, cultural and ceremonial center for those serving in the Navy today. It would build public understanding of the Navy’s rich history and proud heritage, offer educational activities and programming, and act as a backdrop for notable career events for active, Reserve and retiring personnel,” Higgins said.
The construction of the museum is estimated to cost $250 million, with opportunities for additional development that could total up to $500 million, she said.
To raise funds for the new museum, the Navy has partnered with the Navy Museum Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving naval history. A law also provides the opportunity for Congress to match funds raised by a nonprofit foundation for the purpose of financing a national museum. The national museums of the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force have all benefited from this statutory provision.
The museum was first announced in 2020. The groundbreaking is planned for October 2025 coinciding with the Navy’s 250th birthday. It is projected to open by 2030.
“This ceremony marks a significant step forward in our journey to reimagine the Navy Museum,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said. “This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to preserving and honoring the rich history of our Navy and to ensuring that its legacy continues to inspire and educate future generations.”
