As we passed the Navy SEAL Museum on N. Hutchinson Island Florida on our way to the Mellon Patch Inn we noticed that it was only a couple of blocks before the Inn. Since Steve had been in the Navy he really wanted to explore this attraction.
Navy Seal Museum on N. Hutchinson Island Florida
The Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC) is an 82-foot and 52-plus ton boat operated by SWCC Special Boat Teams and was used as a medium range insertion and extraction platform for special operations forces.
We have passed by the Navy SEAL Museum on N. Hutchinson Island Florida several times when visiting Chris and his family at the Inn. Honestly, I thought it was a tiny facility with nothing more than a few Naval vessels on a lawn. Oh boy, was I ever wrong! The National Navy SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors and is located on the training grounds of the original Navy combat divers, the Frogmen. The museum opened very appropriately on Veterans Day in 1985 and from its humble beginning, it has grown tremendously. It achieved national stature in 2007.
Medal of Honor Statue
Freeze Dried Shrimp – Yum or Yuck?
A Portion of the Berlin Wall
The focus of the Museum is the promotion of public education by providing the opportunity to explore the history of the United States Navy SEALs through interactive exhibits while honoring the fallen at the Navy SEAL Memorial and caring for those warriors’ families through the Trident House Charities Program.
Steve knows he’s a cool Navy SEAL.
I’m a fierce Navy SEAL. Oh yes, I am!
The National Navy SEAL Museum on N. Hutchinson Island is home to one of the most unusual and extensive collections of artifacts and exhibits of any museum. As the only museum dedicated to the elite warriors on the Navy SEAL Teams and their predecessors, the collection is your window into the secret world of Naval Special Warfare.
A camouflaged ATV
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter
Our self-guided tour of the museum itself began with Modern Day and worked backward to World War II; taking us through the Viet Nam War and then the Korean Conflict on the way. Once through the indoor exhibitions, we toured the vast outdoor portion of the property where we got to see the Medal of Honor Statue, Seafox – special warfare craft, WWII era landing craft, WWII obstacle training course, SEAL delivery vehicles, Vietnam era patrol boats and much, much more.
Bronze sculptures in the Memorial Garden honor Navy SEALs and their predecessors. Created by world-renowned artist Pablo Eduardo, the statues depict the evolution of Naval Special Warfare, featuring a Vietnam era Frogman, a contemporary SEAL warrior, and Barry, a Belgian Malinois who holds the distinction of being Naval Special Warfare Group Two’s “first dog.” Barry served with the SEALs in Iraq for three years and participated in over 225 combat missions.
Navy SEAL Memorial
One item on display gave me such goosebumps. The Maersk Alabama was captured by Somali pirates on April 8, 2009. If you saw the movie Captain Phillips you know about this horrible ordeal. Here at the Navy Seal Museum, you can board the actual lifeboat upon which Captain Richard Phillips was held hostage for five days before being rescued on April 12.
This is such an amazing, awe-inspiring and educational place to visit. Just make sure to plan a visit any Tuesday through Sunday because they are closed on Mondays.
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