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The Museum, Park, and Noland Trail opening updates.

(See below for Park and Trail usage guidelines)

To our Mariners’ Family,

We want to keep you informed of The Mariners’ Museum and Park’s efforts to serve our community safely by providing updates on a regular basis. Please check this page or our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) prior to your visit for the most up-to-date information.

The Mariners’ Park and the Noland Trail: OPEN

The Mariners’ Park and the Noland Trail are currently open for public use. There are several guidelines and restrictions in place so please review those below prior to your visit. We are honored to care for such a valuable community resource, and look forward to seeing everyone in the Park and on the Noland Trail!

The following guidelines and restrictions are in addition to the normal Park and Trail rules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  1. Show courtesy to others and remain at least 6 feet apart from others not in your group.
  2. Do not use the Park if you are sick or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
  3. Unauthorized large gatherings and organized sports are prohibited.
  4. There will be no public restroom facilities available. Please come prepared.
  5. Park gates close at 7 p.m.
  6. Help our staff by not littering and picking up after your pet.
  7. Boating and fishing on The Mariners’ Lake will remain off-limits.
  8. Rules and restrictions are subject to change. Please check for updates before your visit.
  9. As always, guests are using the Park and Noland Trail at their own risk.

The Mariners’ Museum Galleries and In-Person Programs: CLOSED

While the Governor’s Phase III executive order allows museums to open their doors to the general public, we are deciding to keep our galleries closed until further notice. The safety and well-being of our guests and team continues to be our top priority. With the coronavirus continuing to be a challenge in our region, we feel it is best to keep the Museum closed to the public until the spread of the virus has a consistent downward trend. While we are sad not to engage with guests in person, this closure has offered great opportunities for our team to dig deeper into our Collection, cultivate stories of those objects, and develop captivating digital content to further our mission outside of the Museum’s physical building.

Our team remains committed behind the scenes to connect people to the world’s waters by working on content and projects to further enhance our ability to tell stories. This temporary closure also allows our team to complete and begin major projects that will elevate the guest experience when our galleries do reopen.

Here are some of the many projects our team has been working on:

  • Our Conservation team continues to care for our vast collection as well as the artifacts of USS Monitor. Current projects include the re-support of a 22-ton Japanese midget-submarine, the oldest object from the Japanese Imperial Navy and one of the oldest midget submarines; the completion of the upgrades to our Clean Lab within the Batten Conservation Complex which includes a new observation area for guests to witness our team’s intricate conservation work; and assessment of Isabel, a small fishing boat built in 1925 from Malaga, Spain and one of the earliest collected vessels in our collection.
  • Our Interpretation team has been busy working on our digital content and stories, connecting with people through our virtual programming and lectures, and undertaking the redevelopment of our entire web presence.
  • Our Education team is ramping up to be able to serve our SOL-based programs through our award-winning virtual education programs to students both live with hands-on activities as well as pre-recorded offerings.
  • Our Library and Archives and Collections Management teams are hard at work answering research requests, including those from our Chris-Craft collection. The teams are also improving access to our Collection as they enhance catalog records and bring newly-donated materials into the Collection as well as working on loans to other institutions.
  • Our Exhibit Design team continues to work on improving our galleries with upgrades and updates as well as undergoing a large-scale lighting project in our USS Monitor Center gallery.

Stay up to date!

While we can’t physically be with you in our beloved Museum, we will do our best to bring the Museum to YOU through new blog posts each week! With investigation, innovation, and intrigue leading the way, our staff is determined to bring you authentic stories that will give you a deeper understanding of how we are all connected to the world’s waters.

Read more

Thank you for your understanding, patience, and support. Once the spread of the virus begins to trend downward in the Hampton Roads area or as deemed acceptable by the Virginia Health Department, we will revisit our plans for reopening the Museum galleries at that time.

The safety and well-being of our Mariners’ Family, Guests, Staff, and Volunteers remain our highest priority. We hope that everyone uses precautions and stays safe and healthy.

We look forward to seeing you in the Park and Trail or connecting with us online!