The installation of a new aircraft will mean the closure of the National Museum of the Marine Corps starting Monday.
A World War II SBD Dauntless dive bomber will be added to the museum’s collection of artifacts that tell the history of the Marine Corps from the founding of the U.S. through the Vietnam War. The aircraft will be hung from the ceiling of the central gallery.
The museum will close from Jan. 4 to March 31, 2016, for the installation project. Outside the museum, an outdoor playground, the Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel, it’s nearby memorials, and pathways on the museum grounds is expected to remain open during construction. A museum gift shop will continue to operate online during the closure.
“While we never like to close the doors of our Museum, this process will better enable us to tell the stories of every American who has earned the title ‘Marine,” remarked LtGen Robert R. Blackman, Jr., President and CEO of the Foundation in a press release. “Marine Corps history is American history, and we look forward to sharing these impressive pieces of our past with visitors from across the country and around the world.”
The museum is undergoing an expansion in addition to the new aircraft and upcoming closure. A new 128,000 square-foot addition is being added that will feature a new art gallery, a large-format 350-seat theatre, and a new exhibit that will tell the story of Marine Corps operations from the 1980s to today.
A Hall of Valor will be added to showcase Medal of Honor recipients. The addition is expected to cost $69 million and complete the circle layout building designers originally envisioned for the structure. Construction should be completed in 2017.
The Marine Corps Museum opened at Quantico in 2006. It has welcomed more than 3 million visitors since that time. Admission to the museum is free.
