Navy Museums

When you want to teach your children about the military, instead of shipping them off to the recruiting center (again), you might want to take them to a museum that explains what the Navy does and what this might mean for their future. Putting children into the same room as the ships and the other tools of war can help to create a stronger connection between your child and the reality of the situation of the military. There are a number of different navy museums you can visit in the world, helping to make your child a bit smarter than they are now. Hopefully.

A List of Navy Museums

If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to Navy museums, you might want to try out some of these:

• Great Lakes Naval Museum - Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
• Hampton Roads Naval Museum - Norfolk, Virginia
• National Museum of the U.S. Navy - Washington, D.C.
• National Naval Aviation Museum - Pensacola, Florida
• Naval Undersea Museum - Keyport, Washington
• Naval War College Museum - Newport, Rhode Island
• Navy Art Collection - Washington, D.C.
• Patuxent River Naval Air Museum - Patuxent River, Maryland
• Puget Sound Navy Museum - Bremerton, Washington
• Submarine Force Museum & Historic Ship Nautilus - Groton, Connecticut
• U.S. Naval Academy Museum - Annapolis, Maryland
• U.S. Navy Seabee Museum - Port Hueneme, California
• USS Constitution "Old Ironsides," - Boston, Massachusetts

If your child is really interested in the Navy, it might be a good idea to take them around to all of these museums, trying to see how many you can see in the course of a year. This way, your child will have the most well rounded education about the Navy. And maybe, you’ll be able to drop them off at one of the museums where he or she can be recruited. (Fingers crossed.)

Why the Navy is Important

While the military is often something most people take for granted, this doesn’t have to be the case for your child. When you show your child what the Navy does, for example, they will begin to see just how wonderful it is that some people volunteer to be in the military in the first place. The Navy provides protection on the waters, both at home and abroad, helping to create a safe space for American citizens. This allows for safe travel and it helps the countries that are partners with the United States as well. The Navy wants everyone to feel safe and secure when they are in the water.

Your child is going to get more out of going to Navy museums than they ever would out of a history class. And while you might be bored to tears after a while, you can also learn something along the way. Maybe it’s time to stop taking your fellow Americans in the military for granted.