Nauticus, The National Maritime Center
Encyclopedia
Nauticus is a maritime-themed science center
and museum
located in Norfolk, Virginia
.
Jackson Knowles Parker USN, (Ret), retired commander of Norfolk Naval Base, became the Founding Executive Director. He took an active role in raising funds and developing the plans for this center. Parker died weeks before Nauticus opened its doors to the public. Although he did not live to see his beloved project to fruition, Nauticus is truly "The House That Jack Built."
Construction began at the former site of Norfolk's Banana Pier on the downtown Norfolk Waterfront in February 1992 and Nauticus opened to the public in June 1994. Other attractions close by include the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk Scope
and Harbor Park
, home to the Norfolk Tides
.
The 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²), passenger-friendly facility features stunning views of the Elizabeth River; an enclosed, elevated passenger gangway; a retractable bridge leading into a 16-slip marina; a 54 feet (16.5 m) long mermaid cast in terrazzo floor tile in the Grand Rotunda entrance; a separate lounge and check-in area for cruise line VIP passengers; the most contemporary and security-focused Customs and Border Protection area of any cruise terminal in the nation; and state-of-the-art embarkation stations designed specifically for the Half Moone. The Half Moone welcomed its first passenger ship, RCI's Empress of the Seas, on Saturday, April 28 2007.
The Half Moone also serves as a premiere venue for special events offering more than 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²) of distinct interior event spaces, each of which include interpretation and exhibits. Among the areas available for special event rental are the Bermuda Room, which displays artifacts and objects that tell the unique historic connections between Virginia and Bermuda; the Half Moone Vista, which includes some facts about the original fort; and the Lido and Promenade Decks, which address functions of those traditional decks on board cruise ships.
The name—Half Moone—is taken from the name of the fort that was built on the same site in 1673 in the form of a "half moone." The fort was built to protect Norfolk's burgeoning maritime industry.
The USS Wisconsin opened for main deck tours on April 16, 2001. That date marked the 57th anniversary of the ship's commissioning in 1944.
The USS Wisconsin, one of only four Iowa-class battleships ever constructed by the U.S. Navy, was built from 1941 to 1943 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned in 1944. She played a major role in World War II, earning five battle stars for service against Japanese forces. She served during the Korean War, and led the Navy’s surface attack on Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, firing not only her first but also the Campaign's first Tomahawk Missile. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia and retired to the Naval Inactive Reserve Fleet in Portsmouth, Virginia, in October 1996.
On April 16, 2010, exactly 66 years from the day she was commissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, the United States Navy ceremoniously transferred ownership of the vessel to the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Vice Admiral
David Architzel
joined Mayor Paul Fraim, other city and military leaders, and former crew members on deck to conduct the ceremony. VADM Architzel presented the long glass to Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim signifying that the Mayor now has the watch.
By the end of November 2009, more than 2,495,296 visitors have walked the teak decks of historic BB-64. These visitors have come from all fifty U.S. states and from many other nations to experience the awesome battleship.
, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. Nauticus has a high-definition large screen theater and shows several nautically-related films on a rotating basis. The second floor of Nauticus houses the Hampton Roads Naval Museum
. On the third floor of Nauticus, guests can view a variety of science and maritime exhibits, including: aquaria, a horseshoe crab
touch tank, shark lab, Science On a Sphere
, NOAA
exhibits, interactive theaters and a weather station.
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
History
Nauticus was incorporated under the National Maritime Center Authority in February 1988. The following month, Rear AdmiralRear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Jackson Knowles Parker USN, (Ret), retired commander of Norfolk Naval Base, became the Founding Executive Director. He took an active role in raising funds and developing the plans for this center. Parker died weeks before Nauticus opened its doors to the public. Although he did not live to see his beloved project to fruition, Nauticus is truly "The House That Jack Built."
Construction began at the former site of Norfolk's Banana Pier on the downtown Norfolk Waterfront in February 1992 and Nauticus opened to the public in June 1994. Other attractions close by include the Virginia Zoo, Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope is a multipurpose culture, entertainment, convention and sports arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell...
and Harbor Park
Harbor Park
Harbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It has been rated the best minor league stadium by Baseball America. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International...
, home to the Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
.
Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center
The City of Norfolk opened the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center—located at Nauticus in downtown Norfolk—on Saturday, April 7, 2007.The 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²), passenger-friendly facility features stunning views of the Elizabeth River; an enclosed, elevated passenger gangway; a retractable bridge leading into a 16-slip marina; a 54 feet (16.5 m) long mermaid cast in terrazzo floor tile in the Grand Rotunda entrance; a separate lounge and check-in area for cruise line VIP passengers; the most contemporary and security-focused Customs and Border Protection area of any cruise terminal in the nation; and state-of-the-art embarkation stations designed specifically for the Half Moone. The Half Moone welcomed its first passenger ship, RCI's Empress of the Seas, on Saturday, April 28 2007.
The Half Moone also serves as a premiere venue for special events offering more than 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²) of distinct interior event spaces, each of which include interpretation and exhibits. Among the areas available for special event rental are the Bermuda Room, which displays artifacts and objects that tell the unique historic connections between Virginia and Bermuda; the Half Moone Vista, which includes some facts about the original fort; and the Lido and Promenade Decks, which address functions of those traditional decks on board cruise ships.
The name—Half Moone—is taken from the name of the fort that was built on the same site in 1673 in the form of a "half moone." The fort was built to protect Norfolk's burgeoning maritime industry.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
One of the largest battleships ever built arrived at Nauticus on the downtown Norfolk waterfront on December 7, 2000. That date was significant because it marked the 57th anniversary of the USS Wisconsin's launching in 1943 – two years to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.The USS Wisconsin opened for main deck tours on April 16, 2001. That date marked the 57th anniversary of the ship's commissioning in 1944.
The USS Wisconsin, one of only four Iowa-class battleships ever constructed by the U.S. Navy, was built from 1941 to 1943 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned in 1944. She played a major role in World War II, earning five battle stars for service against Japanese forces. She served during the Korean War, and led the Navy’s surface attack on Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, firing not only her first but also the Campaign's first Tomahawk Missile. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia and retired to the Naval Inactive Reserve Fleet in Portsmouth, Virginia, in October 1996.
On April 16, 2010, exactly 66 years from the day she was commissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, the United States Navy ceremoniously transferred ownership of the vessel to the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
David Architzel
David Architzel
David Architzel is a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy. He grew up in Merrick, New York and has one brother, Ralph, and two sisters, Reba and Anne Fleming. Architzel graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1973 with a degree in mathematics. He became the Commanding officer of the USS...
joined Mayor Paul Fraim, other city and military leaders, and former crew members on deck to conduct the ceremony. VADM Architzel presented the long glass to Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim signifying that the Mayor now has the watch.
By the end of November 2009, more than 2,495,296 visitors have walked the teak decks of historic BB-64. These visitors have come from all fifty U.S. states and from many other nations to experience the awesome battleship.
Exhibits
The museum features hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters, aquariaAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. Nauticus has a high-definition large screen theater and shows several nautically-related films on a rotating basis. The second floor of Nauticus houses the Hampton Roads Naval Museum
Hampton Roads Naval Museum
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is one of the 12 Navy museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. It celebrates the long history of the U.S. Navy in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is co-located with the Nauticus National Maritime Center in downtown Norfolk, Virginia...
. On the third floor of Nauticus, guests can view a variety of science and maritime exhibits, including: aquaria, a horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crab
The Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is a marine chelicerate arthropod. Despite its name, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. Horseshoe crabs are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America...
touch tank, shark lab, Science On a Sphere
Science On a Sphere
Science On a Sphere is a spherical projection system created by NOAA. It presents high-resolution video on suspended globe rather than a flat screen, with the aim of better representing global phenomena. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on...
, NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
exhibits, interactive theaters and a weather station.