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Newport News, Virginia knows the importance of preserving American history. The area dates back to 1634, and has witnessed many significant historical events. Newport News is even a part of the Historic Triangle. The Historic Triangle refers to the three historic colonial communities on the Virginia Peninsula, that are home to many historic sites dating back to the American Revolution and Civil War.

Because of the area’s historical significance, Archer Milton Huntington opened the Mariners’ Museum and Park in 1930. Huntington was the son of Collis P. Huntington who was the official founder the City of Newport News. Perhaps Archer’s father tutored him in the importance of preserving the city’s historical significance. The Mariners’ Museum and Park has been named America’s National Maritime Museum by Congress, and is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The museum also includes the Mariners’ Museum Library which has the largest maritime history collection in the Western Hemisphere.

The museum has over 35,000 maritime artifacts from around the globe, several exhibitions and galleries, a research library, a five mile shoreline trail that features fourteen bridges, a park, a lake and a dam. The artifacts include everything from ship models, to artwork, to working steam engines. The museum also has the only known existing Kratz-built steam calliope. A calliope is a large musical instrument, that creates sound by sending steam through large whistles; the whistles usually came from locomotives. Calliopes were very loud and could be heard for miles. There was no way to adjust the volume or tone of each whistle so, “music,” was made through the rhythm of how long and often the different whistles were blown. The instrument was also referred to as a steam organ or steam piano.

The Mariners’ Museum Park is five hundred and fifty acres of property that offers a scenic place to walk, run, or picnic. Within the park, there is also a 167-acre lake and a well-used hiking trail. The park also includes the Lions Bridge with a dam that is known for its beautiful view of the James River. Another part of the Mariners’ Museum is the USS Monitor Center. The USS Monitor was wrecked off the shores of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. While the USS Monitor is still at the bottom of the sea, several pieces of the vessel were recovered and brought to the Mariners’ Museum to be put on display. Today, visitors can go to the USS Monitor Center and tour a full-scale replica of the Monitor, as well as see the recovered pieces of the original. All in all, the Mariner’s Museum and Park hopes to educate visitors on maritime history and inspire them with the fascinating stories from times past.

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