The Mariners’ is the proud caretaker of more than 200 tons of artifacts recovered from the wreck of USS Monitor, including its revolving gun turret, Dahlgren guns, steam engine, and more. In partnership with NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, we are honored to conserve, preserve, and share Monitor‘s incredible story to audiences worldwide.
The USS Monitor Center houses the award-winning exhibit Ironclad Revolution as well as the largest and most advanced conservation lab of any maritime museum in the world, The Batten Conservation Complex.
Ironclad Revolution invites you to experience the story of USS Monitor, CSS Virginia, and the historic 1862, Battle of Hampton Roads through a melding of artifacts, original documents, paintings, personal accounts, and interactives that will pique all five senses. Immerse yourself in the tales of the individuals who lived through and lost their lives in this pivotal period of American history.
On March 9, 1987, The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, was designated the principal repository and conservation facility for USS Monitor artifacts recovered from the site. It is also the official visitor center for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
In 2007, the museum opened the Batten Conservation Laboratory Complex. This state-of-the-art facility houses thousands of small and large Monitor artifacts where scientists study the corrosion process and preserve components of the shipwreck. In the conservation complex, museum visitors can stand just feet from the turret, steam engine, and Dahlgren guns as they watch conservators at work.
That same year, the museum's USS Monitor Center opened to the public. At the heart of the center is the exhibition Ironclad Revolution, which offers a melding of artifacts, original documents, paintings, personal accounts, interactive exhibits, and environments that immerse visitors in the story of the USS Monitor.
What you’ll experience
- Be a part of the action in the high-definition Battle Theater. This 15-minute film* is family-friendly and gives a play-by-play of the Battle of Hampton Roads.*
- Walk the deck of the full-scale Monitor replica. See if you can find and ring the ship’s bell.
- From the Batten Conservation Complex observation platform get a bird’s eye view of Monitor’s turret, Dahlgren guns, and steam engine undergoing conservation treatment.
- Try your hand at designing your own ironclad ship. Will it sink or be a record-setting warship?
- Go back in time as you explore the building of CSS Virginia from the salvaged Merrimac at Gosport Navy Yard.
- Venture upstairs to the Batten Conservation Complex Clean Lab to see our conservators at work!
Source:
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
The Mariners' Museum and Park
Phone: 757-591-7777
