Army Announces Site for National Museum

[Richard]

The Army announced today {17 June 2011} that the North Post of Fort Belvoir, Va., will be the site of the National Museum of the U.S. Army (NMUSA), scheduled to open in June 2015. Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh approved the decision this week, which also marked the Army's 236th birthday.

"In presenting the Army's storied 236-year history, this long-overdue facility will offer the American people a unique opportunity to connect with our soldiers and better understand and appreciate their many and glorious stories," McHugh said.

"Now that a site for the Army's museum has been determined, the development of the museum's master plan can be finalized," said Judson Bennett, executive director of the NMUSA project office at Fort Belvoir. Building of the museum will be funded privately through the Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the Army's heritage.

Initial construction will include a multi-story, main museum building with exhibit halls, theater, Veterans' Hall, food service and retail areas, administrative areas, an experiential learning center and a lobby with visitor reception area.

The Army is currently the only service without a centralized museum. The Navy Museum is located at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C.; the Marine Corps Museum is located at the Marine Base Quantico in Prince William County, Va.; and the Air Force Museum is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14586

[longrange1947]

About time!

Thank you Richard for the article, I missed it.

[rdret1]

From the mail I get every now and then, it looks like it will be quite impressive. Definitely plan on attending when they get it finished.

[219seminole]

While I do think it is about time the Army has a proper museum, Ft Belvoir isn't necessarily a good choice. Getting to the new museum will be akin to going to Disneyworld on July 4th. Ft Belvoir is the major site of BRAC realignment, adding nearly 20,000 employees/troops, and the impact on traffic in the congested area will be enormous. They estimate 1 million visitors a year. I live in Fairfax County and anything that lacks Metro rail access will be low on my list of places to visit.

http://www.armyhistory.org/

http://www.belvoirnewvision.com/content.asp?contentid=424

I often visit the USMC Museum, outside the gates of Quantico in Triangle, because I can get there easily with little time spent on I-95.

[stg]

That's fantastic news!

I hadn't heard anything about this before reading it on this thread. That future museum will be a must-visit for the family.

[rdret1]

While I do think it is about time the Army has a proper museum, Ft Belvoir isn't necessarily a good choice. Getting to the new museum will be akin to going to Disneyworld on July 4th. Ft Belvoir is the major site of BRAC realignment, adding nearly 20,000 employees/troops, and the impact on traffic in the congested area will be enormous. They estimate 1 million visitors a year. I live in Fairfax County and anything that lacks Metro rail access will be low on my list of places to visit.

http://www.armyhistory.org/

http://www.belvoirnewvision.com/content.asp?contentid=424

I often visit the USMC Museum, outside the gates of Quantico in Triangle, because I can get there easily with little time spent on I-95.

Wife, kids and I usually stay at Belvoir when we go to Rolling Thunder. We never had too much problem getting on or around base.