Freshly Renovated Naval War College Museum in Newport Opens in January

The Naval War College Museum in Newport will reopen to the public on Jan. 4 of 2016 after nearly six months of renovation work to install a new climate control system.

The new system stabilizes the temperature and maintains proper humidity levels to preserve the priceless art and artifacts that tell the remarkable and ongoing history of the United States Navy.

Located inside the original home of the Naval War College in Newport, is where Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan delivered his lectures on naval history and tactics in the late 1800s.

Today, it’s one of nine official Department of the Navy museums and its exhibits have artifacts and documents dating back to the 1500s to the present day.

“As a public trust, museums must be good stewards of the artifacts in their care,” said John Pentangelo, the museum’s managing director. “We are thrilled to be reopening so that we can continue to engage visitors to the museum and the Naval War College with our impressive collections.”

To meet this objective, the museum also completed construction of a climate-controlled artifact storage room at an off-site location in October of 2014. These initiatives are part of the ongoing efforts of the Naval History and Heritage Command, to ensure our Navy’s museums remain “second to none” in the twenty-first century.

To mark the grand opening in January, the museum presents DEEP FREEZE! The Seabees in Antarctica, 1955-1956. The exhibit features 28 works by Navy artists and other artifacts documenting the remarkable service of the Navy in support of an international scientific and exploration program.

The museum is also proud to be one of the few venues in the United States to display the c. 1798 life mask of Admiral Lord Viscount Horatio Nelson (1758-1805).

Don’t miss the unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of history’s most famous naval hero.

Before the upgrades, museum officials were concerned about heat and humidity causing mold growth on some artifacts and the swelling of wooden objects. It also weakened textile fibers and oxidized certain metal objects.

For more information, visit www.usnwc.edu/museum or call 401-841-4052.

For directions and hours, go HERE.

For updates and other interesting information from the museum, follow them on their Facebook page and blog.

Photo courtesy: Newport Naval War College Museum.