NOVEMBER 4, 2026 – The National Museum of the Marine Corps marks its 20th anniversary on November 10, 2026, celebrating two decades of preserving Marine Corps history while continuing to expand with new exhibits that tell the Corps’ ongoing story.
Since opening in 2006, the Museum has welcomed more than 8 million visitors and expanded its exhibits from World War II, Korea and Vietnam to a broader sweep of Marine Corps history, from its founding in 1775 through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Planned galleries will open in the coming years that dive deeper into the Corps’ history and display the history made by today’s generation of Marines.
“For 20 years, this Museum has given Marines, veterans and their families a place to see their own experiences reflected in the larger story of the Corps,” said Col. Keil Gentry, director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. “It is a place to remember, to learn and, for many, to heal. Just as importantly, we are still collecting and preserving history as it happens so that the Marines of today will have their stories told for generations to come.”
The public is invited to visit the Museum and experience its 20-year story firsthand. Admission and parking are free. Media are invited to schedule Museum tours and interviews with leadership, curators and Marine Corps Heritage Foundation representatives.
HISTORY YOU CAN STEP INTO
The Museum cares for more than 65,000 artifacts spanning 250 years of Marine Corps history, ranging from combat aircraft to individual Civil War-era uniform buttons. Among them are the American flag raised on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima, the flag captured in Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photograph and the inspiration for the Museum’s 210-foot stainless steel-clad spire; an Academy Award presented to the Marine Corps for the World War II documentary Tarawa; and a presentation baton given to legendary Marine Band director John Philip Sousa.
Hanging above Legacy Walk is the actual UH-1E Huey used by Capt. Stephen W. Pless and his crew during the 1967 rescue mission that earned Pless the Medal of Honor.
Many of those stories are told through immersive environments rather than traditional displays alone. Visitors can board a Higgins boat preparing to land at Iwo Jima, experience the bitter conditions of the Chosin Reservoir and enter a World War I battlefield where the sounds and even the smell of combat help recreate Belleau Wood.
20 YEARS OF GROWTH
Major milestones include:
- 2006 — Opening Day: Museum opens and is dedicated by President George W. Bush.
- 2010 — The Story Expands: New galleries cover the Corps’ founding through World War I.
- 2017 — New Experiences: Children’s Gallery and Medal of Honor Theater open.
- 2020 — More Stories Added: Legacy Walk expansion explores 9/11, humanitarian missions, embassy security, Marine families and remembrance.
- 2024 — Into the Modern Era: New galleries extend the Museum’s story from 1976 through Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Looking Ahead: Hall of Valor, Interwar Years Gallery, Changing Gallery and Marine Corps Sports Gallery are planned to open in phases from 2027–2030.
Twenty years after opening, the Museum is still adding to the story. Planned galleries will explore new chapters of Marine Corps history, including the interwar years, stories of valor and the Corps’ long tradition of athletics. The additions will mark the Museum’s next major expansion and give visitors even more Marine Corps history to discover.
About the National Museum of the Marine Corps:
The National Museum of the Marine Corps opened in 2006. Its soaring design evokes the WWII image of the flag-raisers on Iwo Jima. Immersive exhibits surround visitors with the artifacts, sights, and sounds of Marines in action. The Museum is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Located at 1775 Semper Fidelis Way, Triangle, VA 22172, the Museum is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.usmcmuseum.com.
About the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation:
Dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of Marine Corps history, the Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps. It provides grants for research and the preservation, restoration, and commissioning of Marine Corps art, artifacts, and landmarks. Having secured funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center, the Foundation’s current mission is to seek support that will strengthen programming at the Museum and beyond its walls. For more information, visit www.MarineHeritage.org.