VIRGINIA PENINSULA chapter of MOAA (VIPMOAA)

PROGRAM BIO:  Named by Congress in 1988 as “America’s National Maritime Museum,” the museum was established in 1930 as an international maritime museum.  Located in Newport News near the tidal portion of the James River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the museum focuses much of its programming on the history and culture of the Bay region and the use of the Bay resources through an array of museum-sponsored activities.  The museum includes permanent galleries, changing and traveling exhibits, and “virtual” galleries available through the Museum website.  One of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world, it houses a treasure trove of items inspired by “human experience” on the sea.  It does so by assembling a renowned and strikingly diverse collection of maritime artifacts including figureheads, ship models; navigational instruments; small craft ;paintings; prints; drawings; engravings; and watercolors.  The Museum is also home to the largest maritime library in the world with a collection of books, maps, charts, and manuscripts, as well as photographs and other items that chronicle six centuries of maritime history.  It has received much attention recently for its award-winning USS Monitor Center, which features exhibits on the Civil War ironclad and the “Battle of Hampton Roads,” as well as one of the country’s largest museum conservation facilities which houses the actual turret of yhe Monitor, as well as guns and other artifacts.  Visitors can walk on a full-scale replica of the USS Monitor and take part in interactive exhibits and view films in the “Battle Theatre.” 

This event is especially timely this year as the nation recognizes the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War. The day’s activities include special guided tours beginning at 10:00AM followed by a “Box Lunch” luncheon. Members can continue to tour the Museum following lunch on their own.  To attend, please send in your reservation coupon to arrive "VIPMOAA Hospitality May" no later than May 18.