National Museum of the United States Army
Encyclopedia
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 the selfless service of over 30 million American men and women who have served in times of war and peace. A project of the Department of the Army with fundraising support from The Army Historical Foundation, its total cost, including design, construction, installation, and associated fees, is expected to be $200 million.
This 155000 square feet (14,400 m²), state-of-the-art museum on 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) will be located 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.
Two nationally renowned firms, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York and Christopher Chadbourne & Associates of Boston
, have been selected as the architectural engineers and the exhibit design team, respectively. Annual visitation is anticipated to exceed 750,000 and includes students, soldiers and their families, national and international leaders, and the general public. The museum will provide visitors in the Army’s history and heritage through exhibits and programs that highlight Army values.
Thousands of original artifacts, manuscripts, artworks, photographs, and other materials documenting the Army’s and America’s history will be on permanent display. Dozens of educational programs developed in conjunction with scholars, historians, and teachers will further bring Army history to life for visitors.
The National Army Museum will also feature a parade ground for living history re-enactments
and public performances, an amphitheater, and a memorial walk to honor Army veterans, especially those who were killed in service of their country. There will be no admission charge to visit the museum.
Two other galleries, Fighting for the Nation and the Army and Society, will depict the Army’s strength as an agent of peace and nation building. Three additional galleries will be added during the second phase of construction: The Army and the Frontier, Anatomy of the Army, and Army Life, bringing the total exhibit space to 87000 square feet (8,082.6 m²).
Ft. Belvoir is spread over several locations, but the main base is in Fairfax County, Virginia
and occupies the former Belvoir estate of William Fairfax
. The post is bisected by US 1 (Richmond Highway): the area of Ft. Belvoir between US 1 and the Potomac River is the "South Post", while the area between US 1 and Telegraph Road is the "North Post". The preferred site for the museum is on the North Post, along the Fairfax County Parkway
at the intersection with Kingman Road.
Ft. Belvoir is about 20 miles south of Washington D.C., but is only three miles south of George Washington's historic Mount Vernon
estate, which draws over one million visitors per year. Museum officials hope to establish a connection with America's first Commander-in-Chief in order to attract some of Mt. Vernon's visitors.
This 155000 square feet (14,400 m²), state-of-the-art museum on 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) will be located 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Two nationally renowned firms, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York and Christopher Chadbourne & Associates of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, have been selected as the architectural engineers and the exhibit design team, respectively. Annual visitation is anticipated to exceed 750,000 and includes students, soldiers and their families, national and international leaders, and the general public. The museum will provide visitors in the Army’s history and heritage through exhibits and programs that highlight Army values.
Thousands of original artifacts, manuscripts, artworks, photographs, and other materials documenting the Army’s and America’s history will be on permanent display. Dozens of educational programs developed in conjunction with scholars, historians, and teachers will further bring Army history to life for visitors.
The National Army Museum will also feature a parade ground for living history re-enactments
Living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is...
and public performances, an amphitheater, and a memorial walk to honor Army veterans, especially those who were killed in service of their country. There will be no admission charge to visit the museum.
Objectives
The National Museum of the United States Army describes its objectives as:- Educate and engage current and future generations about the Army and its contributions
- Preserve the Army’s history and its prominent role in the nation’s past, present, and future
- Honor Army values, such as patriotism, respect, loyalty, and integrity, while providing an understanding of what it means to serve
- Pay tribute to fourteen generations of American soldiers whose leadership, selfless service, and personal sacrifice have forged and safeguarded our nation
- Inspire soldiers of today by connecting their experience to the legacy and leadership of a great nation
- Stimulate the youth of America to pursue scholastic excellence in any field of study that supports the Army’s core missionMissionMission may refer to:* Mission , variety of grape* Mission , base of missionary practice* Mission statement, a formal short written statement of an organization's value proposition...
s.
Galleries
The museum, to be constructed in phases, will initially include 50500 square feet (4,691.6 m²) of exhibit space for three major galleries. The first-phase centerpiece of the museum will be the Soldiers’ Stories gallery where personal soldier accounts will be augmented by artifacts, documents, and images that trace the Army’s storied history from colonial times until today.Two other galleries, Fighting for the Nation and the Army and Society, will depict the Army’s strength as an agent of peace and nation building. Three additional galleries will be added during the second phase of construction: The Army and the Frontier, Anatomy of the Army, and Army Life, bringing the total exhibit space to 87000 square feet (8,082.6 m²).
Ft. Belvoir North Post location
On Friday 17 June 2011 the Department of Defense released a press release, stating:Ft. Belvoir is spread over several locations, but the main base is in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
and occupies the former Belvoir estate of William Fairfax
William Fairfax
William Fairfax was a political appointee of the English Crown and a politician: he was Collector of Customs in Barbados, and Chief Justice and governor of the Bahamas; he served as Customs agent in Marblehead, Massachusetts before being reassigned to the Virginia colony. There he was elected to...
. The post is bisected by US 1 (Richmond Highway): the area of Ft. Belvoir between US 1 and the Potomac River is the "South Post", while the area between US 1 and Telegraph Road is the "North Post". The preferred site for the museum is on the North Post, along the Fairfax County Parkway
Fairfax County Parkway
The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It provides a north–south arterial route in Fairfax County with a mix of interchanges and signalized and unsignalized intersections. Its alignment roughly corresponds to part of...
at the intersection with Kingman Road.
Ft. Belvoir is about 20 miles south of Washington D.C., but is only three miles south of George Washington's historic Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
estate, which draws over one million visitors per year. Museum officials hope to establish a connection with America's first Commander-in-Chief in order to attract some of Mt. Vernon's visitors.
Other Army museums
- 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum82nd Airborne Division War Memorial MuseumThe 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum is a museum located at Ardennes and Gela Streets on the Fort Bragg Army base. Established in 1945, the museum chronicles the history of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1917 to the present including World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and Persian...
- Airborne & Special Operations MuseumAirborne & Special Operations MuseumThe Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the United States Army Museum System. Located near Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina, it opened to the public on August 16, 2000, the 60th anniversary of the first U.S. Army parachute jump in 1940 at Fort Benning, Ga.Its emphasis is on...
- Fort Lewis Military MuseumFort Lewis MuseumThe Fort Lewis Military Museum is a military museum at Fort Lewis in the state of Washington, U.S. It is housed in the historic former Red Shield Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and can be seen prominently from Interstate 5. It is the only certified U.S...
- General George Patton Museum
- Harbor Defense MuseumHarbor Defense MuseumThe Harbor Defense Museum, sometimes called, The Caponier, located within the grounds of Fort Hamilton in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn is a 19th century fort, New York City's only military museum and one of only seventy military museums in the United States that is funded and operated by the...
- National Infantry MuseumNational Infantry MuseumThe National Infantry Museum is a museum located in South Columbus, Georgia, just outside Fort Benning, the home of the Infantry. The museum honors the history of infantry forces in the United States Army.The museum is in size and cost $107 million to build...
- U.S. Army Chaplain Museum
- U.S. Army Medical Department MuseumUnited States Army Medical Department MuseumThe U.S. Army Medical Department Museum or AMEDD Museum, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, originated as part of the Army's Field Service School at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It moved to Fort Sam Houston in 1946. It is currently a component of the U.S...
- U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii
- U.S. Army Ordnance MuseumUnited States Army Ordnance MuseumThe U.S. Army Ordnance Museum is a museum that is in the process of being re-located to Fort Lee, in Fort Lee, Virginia. Its previous building—at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland—was closed in September 2010, although many outdoor exhibits are still accessible to the...
- U.S. Army Quartermaster MuseumArmy Quartermaster MuseumThe United States Army Quartermaster Museum, located at Fort Lee, Virginia, is one of a number of small museums in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The museum's aim is to preserve and exhibit the history of the Quartermaster Corps, which was formed in 1775 and to date it has collected more than 20,000...
- U.S. Army Transportation MuseumU.S. Army Transportation MuseumThe U.S. Army Transportation Museum is a United States Army museum of vehicles and other transportation-related equipment and memorabilia. It is located on the grounds of Fort Eustis, Virginia, in Newport News, on the Virginia Peninsula.-History:...
- U.S. Army Women's MuseumUnited States Army Women's MuseumThe US Army Women's Museum is located at Fort Lee, Virginia, USA.-Mission:The mission of the Army Women's Museum is to collect, preserve, research, exhibit and interpret historically significant properties related to service of women across all branches and organizations of the United States Army...
- West Point Museum
See also
- Army Medical Museum and LibraryArmy Medical Museum and LibraryThe Army Medical Museum and Library of the U.S. Army was a large brick building constructed in 1887 at South B Street and 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C., USA, which is directly on the National Mall...
- Military history of the United StatesMilitary history of the United StatesThe military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries. During the course of those years, the United States evolved from a new nation fighting the British Empire for independence without a professional military , through a monumental American Civil War to the world's sole...
- National Museum of the Marine CorpsNational Museum of the Marine CorpsThe National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. It is located in Quantico, Virginia and is open to the public with free admission. The museum had its grand opening on November 10, 2006 and is now the number one tourist attraction in Virginia,...
- National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe 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 NavyU.S. Navy MuseumThe 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...
- Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and MemorialSoldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and MemorialSoldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial is a National Register of Historic Places landmark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
- U.S. Army Center of Military History
- U.S. Army Heritage and Education CenterU.S. Army Heritage and Education CenterThe United States Army Heritage and Education Center , in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is the U.S. Army's primary historical research facility. Formed in 1999, the center consists of the Military History Institute , the Army Heritage Museum , the U.S. Army Conservation Center, and the Visitor and...
- Vietnam Combat Artists ProgramVietnam Combat Artists ProgramIn June 1966, the Army Vietnam Combat Artists Program was established as part of the United States Army Art Program, utilizing teams of soldier-artists to make pictorial records of U.S. Army activities in the course of the Vietnam War for the annals of military history. The concept of the Vietnam...
- War in the Pacific National Historical ParkWar in the Pacific National Historical ParkThe 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
- National Museum of the United States Army official website
- The Army Historical Foundation website (National Museum of the United States Army)
- U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center alternative website
- Official website of the United States Army Center of Military History