Gift Shop

The gift shop's ground floor contains a little more junk-related products that it shold. On the other hand, the second floor, dedicated to books, more than makes up for it. It's well worth a stroll through. I purchased a book here, so thumbs up.

Library

A research library houses 78,000 volumes, 350,000 photos, and one million archival items (not sure what that means, perhaps letters, log books, and charts?) so the pamphlet says. I didn't go in.

Park

The museum sits on 550 acres, and includes a 5-mile long nature trail around Maury Lake. We originally thought it would be good to stretch our legs along the trail, but after several hours walking in the museum and realizing that it was 95 degrees and 80% humidity outside, just trudging from the front door to the parking lot was enough!

Summary

The Mariner's Museum is definitely worth a stop if you are in the Colonial Williamsbrg area--about a half hour away. It will amaze even folks who may not be enthusiastic about the sea. If you have any inkling to set sail, then this museum is a must.

More of the Mariners' Museum

Introduction
Chesapeake Bay Gallery
Monitor Restoration
Age of Exploration
Defending the Seas
Collections Gallery
Great Hall of Steam
Crabtree Collection of Miniature Ships
Other Galleries
Gift Shop and More

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