Seafarers and navigation history buffs will definitely feel at home at one of the biggest maritime museums in the world ? the Mariner?s Museum.

Located at Newport News, Virginia, this 800-acre property is home to almost 35,000 artifacts that call the oceans their homes. The seafaring spirit comes alive through the museum?s collections containing thousands of carved figureheads, steam engines, replica models, paintings, and other ocean-related stuff. The museum?s prized possession is the USS Monitor, the famous ironclad that fought in the epic naval battle during the American Civil War. The ironclad?s replica can be found at the USS Monitor Center, where there are also battle theater, interactive exhibits and other maritime artifacts. The museum also offers education programs to the public, a large library and archive. There are also publications and internet sources for teachers and other interested people.