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Naval Exhibits

American Helicopter Museum
Exhibit: Over the Horizon
Location: 1220 American Boulevard, West Chester, PA (Click here for Google Map)

Duration: Now - November 9, 2025

Hours: Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.

The exhibit from the American Helicopter Museum showcases the evolution of naval helicopters through aircraft, models, photos, and video — highlighting roles from anti-submarine warfare to beach landings.

American Swedish Historical Museum
Exhibit: And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Navy Shipbuilding in Philadelphia
Location: 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA (Click here for Google Map)

Duration: Now - January 4, 2026

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Philadelphia has long been a hub for U.S. Navy shipbuilding, from the Revolutionary War to the Cold War. The exhibit, curated by the National Museum of the United States Navy, highlights the region’s historic contributions, the ships built in the region, and the people behind them.

Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum
Exhibit: Commodore James Biddle
Location: 1332-1202 State Road, Bensalem, PA

Duration: Now - November 11, 2025

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, with select Saturdays through November 14, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (check ahead before visiting)

Explore the remarkable naval career of Commodore James Biddle, who helped shape the early U.S. Navy. Biddle oversaw Philadelphia’s U.S. Naval Asylum, the Navy’s early officer training site before the Academy moved to Annapolis.

Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial
Exhibit: Shipbuilding of the Delaware River
Location: 100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ (Click here for Google Map)

Duration: Ongoing

Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The exhibit highlights the rich history of ship construction and repair along the Delaware River. The exhibit showcases artifacts and tools from historic shipyards, including items recovered during the Battleship New Jersey’s 2024 dry docking, offering a closer look at the craftsmanship and innovation that shaped America’s maritime legacy

Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial
Exhibit: Support Any Friend

Duration: Ongoing
Location: 100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ (Click here for Google Map)
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Created by the Naval History and Heritage Command, the exhibit showcases the history of the Navy communities, including aviation, special forces, and surface warfare, in the second half of the 20th century.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Exhibit: To Provide a Naval Armament: United States Navy and Marine History, 1775 – 1958
Location: 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA (Click here for Google Map)

Duration: October 8, 2025 - January 9, 2026

Hours: Tuesday, Thursday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Wednesday 1 – 7 p.m.

The exhibit, presented in partnership with Homecoming 250, draws on the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s collections to explore Navy and Marine Corps history from the Revolution through the Cold War — anchored in the people and stories of Philadelphia. Open through 9 January 2026.

Independence Seaport Museum
Exhibits: Small but Mighty!: Models, Toys and Miniature Ships; Patriots and Pirates
Location: 211 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA

Duration: Ongoing

Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Models, Toys, and Miniature Ships: Featuring nearly 50 rarely seen models, the exhibit explores the history and evolution of the U.S. Navy through a range of ship models—from historic Navy vessels and Pond Yacht models to toy models that would have been sailed on the floor of large Victorian homes in the 19th century.

Discover Philadelphia’s role in the founding of the United States Navy at the Pirates & Patriots exhibit. Learn how the Navy was born out of debate right here in the city, and why Philadelphia’s shipbuilders were key to its creation. Explore artifacts and stories that bring this pivotal moment in history to life.

Library Company of Philadelphia
Exhibit: Fair Winds and Following Seas: Peacetime Naval Operations to 1939
Location: 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA

Duration: October 9, 2025 - March 2026

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm (other times by arrangement)

This exhibition will highlight some of the vital operations outside the scope of war of the USN and USMC, up to 1939. These actions include exploration, rescues, humanitarian missions, diplomacy, slave trade interdiction, and protection of commerce. They represent the historical understanding that a nation's strength lies not only in its ability to defeat its enemies through military action, but also through its ability to protect its interests, grow and understand its dominion, and build strategic partnerships.

MARITIME EXHIBITS

African American Museum of Philadelphia
Exhibit: Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad
Location: 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA

Duration: Now - March 2026

Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please note that our last tour starts at 4 p.m.

The powerful exhibition deepens our understanding of how African Americans have historically fought for life, liberty, and happiness—both within and beyond America’s borders. Sailing to Freedom centers on the largely untold story of enslaved African Americans who escaped bondage by sea, highlighting the maritime Underground Railroad as a critical, yet overlooked, path to freedom. The Museum will be closed for installation starting September 21, and will re-open on November 1, 2025.

Pennsylvania Hospital
Exhibit: From Wharf to Ward: Pennsylvania Hospital & Marine Health, 1799 – 1830
Location: 800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19108

Duration: October 6, 2025 to January 9, 2026

Hours: By appointment.

The exhibit explores Pennsylvania Hospital’s role as the designated Marine Hospital for the Philadelphia area during the early republic, highlighting its care for merchant seamen and contributions to maritime medicine.

Museum EXHIBITS

Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Exhibit: “What Think You of an American Fleet?”: The History of the Continental Navy
Location: 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Duration: 2 Hours
Hours: 6:30 - 8:30 pm EDT

Step into the origins of America’s naval power with “What Think You of an American Fleet: The Rise and Fall of the Continental Navy,” a compelling lecture by author Tim McGrath presented in connection with the exhibit To Provide a Naval Armament. McGrath explores the formation, struggles, and achievements of the Continental Navy during the American Revolution, drawing on his acclaimed books Give Me a Fast Ship
and John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail. This engaging talk brings to life the people, ships, and stories that shaped the nation’s first naval force, offering a unique perspective on America’s maritime beginnings.





Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Exhibit: Genealogical Research in Navy and Marine Corps History
Location: 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Duration: 1 Hour
Hours: 6:30 - 7:30 pm EST
Explore Navy and Marine Corps records to uncover your military ancestors’ stories in America’s rise to naval power.





Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Exhibit: View the exhibit “To Provide a Naval Armament” with J.J. Ahern
Location: 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

View the exhibit “To Provide a Naval Armament” with J.J. Ahern:
Step aboard history at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s exhibit, To Provide a Naval Armament. Curated by J.J. Ahern, this immersive experience traces the rise of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from their Revolutionary War roots in Philadelphia to their emergence as global powers. Featuring rare letters, ship plans, diaries, and wartime photographs, the exhibit reveals the courage and innovation that built America’s sea services. Join a Curator Gallery Talk to uncover the stories behind these artifacts and Philadelphia’s lasting impact on the nation’s naval legacy.