A unique educational experience

One of only 4.5 percent of this nation's museums accredited
by the Association of American Museums, the National Museum of the United States Navy offers a unique educational experience through its outreach programs.

For those who lived through the Cold War, the conflict was an unforgettable period of scientific and technological achievements as well as social and political tension, punctuated by intense military crises. But for many young Americans born after 1989, the Cold War era can seem remote and difficult to understand.

Although the Cold War has ended, its issues still resonate in our relations with the former Soviet republics, as well as China, the Korean peninsula, and the Middle East. At the same time, the conflict produced unexpected benefits - not the least of which was a once-obscure communication system that later became the Internet. To truly understand today's world, one must know the history of the Cold War.

With a variety of hands-on displays and interactive exhibits, the Gallery will offer unique opportunities to students and school groups for discovery in math, science, history, geography, and social studies. In the process, the Gallery experience will breathe new life into often forgotten Cold War issues and conflicts, and personalize the values of sacrifice and devotion to duty for students of all ages.