The United States Naval Academy educates officers for commissioning primarily into the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Located in Annapolis, Maryland, and known to insiders as “the Yard,” the campus has become a National Historic Landmark. Home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments that resonate with students and audiences, the Academy highlights what it can mean for a location to become an experience.
Home to Notable Naval Monument and Attractions
Fort Severn was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War fort. The Navy acquired this fort and other bases in the area in 1845 to house what would become the new onshore United States Naval Academy. Originally 9.9 acres, it has grown to be a 340-acre campus in the modern era. In the process of doing so, it has become the home to an interactive museum honoring the history and legacy of the institution as well as numerous and notable monuments that have come to attract the interest of everyone.
One of the most famous monuments on The Yard, the Tripoli Monument honors the Navy members who died at the Battle of Tripoli to protect Americans. Within the vicinity is the Clemson Monument, also known as the Mexican-American War Monument, which was dedicated to the memory of four fallen midshipmen. Featuring four cannons, it is the longest-standing monument on Naval Academy grounds. Not far from it is the Macedonian Monument, which features the figurehead of HMS Macedonian that depicts Alexander the Great. This figurehead was captured in the opening days of the War of 1812 and is surrounded by four cannons captured from the HMS Macedonian.
The Herndon Monument, Jeannette Monument, Submarine Monument, Tecumseh Statue and Midway Monument are just a few of the other notable attractions on the campus. Naval Academy Tourism efforts were designed to welcome visitors to the world of the Academy to discover these landmarks that define what audiences of all types can experience across the campus, creating direct and indirect benefits to stakeholders.
Supporting USNA Comradery, Teamwork and Fun
The USNA Gift Shop and Midshipman Stores provide visitors with ways to purchase a variety of Navy products, many of which feature images of the monuments and landmarks located throughout the campus. Additionally, various restaurants reside on the campus, ranging from grab-and-go snacks at a coffee bar to meals at the historic gatehouse. As a specific example, the Alley serves fine dining options for the public.
100% of the profits from Navy tours, restaurants, shops, museums and catering services are returned to the Brigade of Midshipmen to promote camaraderie, teamwork, and fun. Further illustrating the connection of the space, a variety of paths like the Soley Walk represent heroes of the Navy and nation. Numerous historic buildings further showcase the connection that audiences can see and experience in multiple ways when making their way across The Yard.
With the space to cultivate engagement on various levels, the United States Naval Academy has the same opportunity that countless other colleges and institutions possess. The landmarks that define the campus of the Academy have been able to attract an incredible amount of activity, highlighting what it can mean to transform a location into a place where people can experience the history and legacy of an institution, culture and nation.
Experiences that Cultivate Attention and Engagement
Countless historic sites and campuses are located across the world but few have enabled experiences like the monuments and landmarks in the Yard. Doing so has cultivated engagement from both students and visitors, showcasing the sorts of benefits that can be realized for a space in the short and long term.
