Virginia Air and Space Museum The Virginia Air and Space Centre is just one of the dozens of thriving military and civilian historical museums dotted along the coast between Washington, DC, and Savannah. It is also one of the best. Located at 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton, VA, it draws on a wealth of local […]
Central Army Museum, Moscow The Central Museum of the Armed Forces is spectacular and quite different from the Armoury found in the Moscow Kremlin. Out at 129110 Moscow, 2, Ulitsa Sovyetskoy Armii; about 15 or 20 minutes north in a taxi (or Metro plus trolleybus) from central Moscow, it is strongly recommended for at least […]
Australian National Maritime Museum The first impact of the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is impressive. This is due in no small measure to its unique architecture (left) and perfect setting in Darling Harbour. Once inside, the same standard is maintained with a series of world-class displays of maritime objects and interactive exhibits. Additionally, the […]
The James Craig Originally Clan McLeod, the James Craig was a Clipper-era iron-hulled sailing ship. She foundered as a coal hulk in Recherche Bay, Tasmania, where she lay for four decades until Sydney Heritage Fleet volunteers commenced a salvage program in 1972. In July 2000 she began her long sea trials program, gaining a Class […]
The USN Academy Museum, Annapolis The ship models housed in the “Class of 1951” Gallery in the United States Naval Academy Museum must rival any in the world for painstaking quality, detail and value. Above is a beautifully sectioned model of HMS Grafton, a two-and-a-half gun-deck third-rate of 1679. (USN Academy photo) The museum, situated […]
The Madrid maritime museum The Madrid Maritime Museum’s crest. Very clearly, Museo Naval Madrid has been around for a very long time. Its carpeted and polished wood floors exude a comfortable gentleman’s club atmosphere. Its priceless collections of ancient small arms, models and charts are in demand by other major museums around the world as […]
Barcelona maritime museum The Barcelona Maritime Museum must be one of the best-designed maritime museums in the world. It is presently housed in a Royal Shipyard dating back to the eighth century, together with 14th to 18th century Gothic warehouses and fortifications that grew up around the old shipyard. The richly decorated stem […]
Mikasa, the Tsushima Straits victor Don’t be misled by the “10 minutes walk, 8 if you run a bit” posted signs in Japan. The Mikasa website says the old museum battleship might be only a 10 minute walk from the National Line Yokosuka-Chuo railway station, but it’s a good 45-minute slog around the dockyard and […]
RAN Heritage centre by John Ellis The RAN Heritage Centre, Garden Island, has replaced the old Spectacle Island Repository. There is a story that there was a victualling storekeeper at the Royal Edward Victualling Yard, Pyrmont, before World War I, who did not fully follow directives from the newly established Navy Office, then in […]
Aurora Aurora, the Russian history-laden pre-Dreadnought Pallada class armoured six-inch cruiser, is kept in mint condition just off the Peter and Paul fortress in the Neva River, St Petersburg. This cruiser was one of only three, along with Oleg and Zhemchug, to break free and escape from the Japanese fleet during the Battle of Tsushima […]
