Overview

News Release

National Parks that Preserve or Commemorate Maritime History or Related Events

Additional National Park Sites that Preserve or Commemorate Maritime History or Related Events

National Park Service Maritime Related Projects, Programs, Publications and Web Sites

United States Navy Ships Named After National Parks or Associated with National Park Sites

United States Navy Museums

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National Parks that Preserve and Commemorate Maritime History or Related Themes

Assateague Island National Seashore, MD, VA: Human struggles are intertwined with this island at the ocean’s edge. Gallant surf rescues by the US Life-Saving Service and dashed dreams of a summer beach resort are but a few of the stories told here. Marine and terrestrial life functioning in concert offer a closer look at a natural and cultural world shaped by forces larger than our own. Storm tossed seas, as well as gentle breezes shape Assateague Island. This barrier island is a tale of constant movement and change. Bands of wild horses freely roam amongst plants and native animals that have adapted to a life of sand, salt and wind. Special thickened leaves and odd shapes reveal the plant world’s successful struggle here. Ghost crabs buried in the cool beach sand and tree swallows plucking bayberries on their southward migration offer glimpses of the animal world’s connection to Assateague.

Biscayne National Park, FL: Biscayne National Park is more than just a natural wonderland. From pirates to pioneers to presidents, the parade of human history here is impressive. This rich Cultural Heritage spans 10,000 years, and continues with today's park users. The lands and submerged bottomlands of Biscayne National Park are rich with archeological remains that document the cultural history of southern Florida and the Florida Keys. Submerged archeological sites include an array of shipwrecks and other representations of maritime casualties, demonstrating the international maritime heritage encompassed in the waters of Biscayne National Park. The archeological remains of many shipwrecks have been found in our waters. The earliest identified shipwreck site is from the mid 18th century. Since historical records document that early European exploration of this region began in the early 16th century, it is possible that earlier remains are waiting to be found here.

Boston National Historical Park, MA: Boston National Historical Park is an association of sites that together give the visitor a coherent view of the city's role in the nation's history. Each site brings to life the American ideals of freedom of speech, religion, government, and self-determination. Most of Boston National Historical Park's sites are connected by the Freedom Trail, a 3-mile walking tour of 16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and Charlestown. In addition to the sites along the Freedom Trail, the National Park Service maintains an important part of the Charlestown Navy Yard, one of the nation's first naval shipyards, where the USS Constitution is berthed.

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, MA: Boston Harbor Islands National Park area includes 34 islands situated within the Greater Boston shoreline. The islands are rich in natural and cultural resources. Imagine a place where you can explore tide pools, walk through a Civil War era fort, climb a lighthouse, hike lush trails and salt marshes, camp under the stars, or relax while fishing, picnicking or swimming...all within reach of downtown Boston. The 34 islands are managed by a unique, 13-member Partnership which includes the National Park Service and other public and private organizations. An advisory council provides a mechanism for public involvement. For in-depth visitor and park information visit www.BostonIslands.com.

Cabrillo National Monument, CA: On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo landed at San Diego Bay. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later became the west coast of the United States. His accomplishments were memorialized on October 14, 1913 with the establishment of Cabrillo National Monument. The park offers a superb view of San Diego’s harbor and skyline. At the highest point of the park stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has been a San Diego icon since 1854. A statue and museum in the Visitor Center commemorate Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's exploration of the coast of California. In a former army building an exhibit tells the story of the coast artillery on Point Loma. In the winter, migrating gray whales can be seen off the coast. Native coastal sage scrub habitat along the Bayside Trail offers a quiet place to reflect and relax. On the west side of the park is a small but beautiful stretch of rocky-intertidal coastline.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC: Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources, and provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Once dubbed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its treacherous currents, shoals, and storms, Cape Hatteras has a wealth of history relating to shipwrecks, lighthouses, and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. These dynamic islands provide a variety of habitats and are a valuable wintering area for migrating waterfowl. The park's fishing and surfing are considered the best on the east coast.


Cape Lookout National Seashore, NC: The environment of the Cape Lookout National Seashore has deterred man from extensively settling the area, although historically the islands have served as prominent landmarks for mariners and have been busy with maritime activities. In the early 1700's the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, sailed the waters off Cape Lookout. Early European sailors knew both the dangerous shoals off Cape Lookout Point and the safe harbor of Lookout Bight. In later years, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse warned of the hazards, and life-saving operations rescued seamen in trouble. During World War II German U-boats were a threat to ships sailing along the Core Banks. Fishing has always been the dominant vocation of the Outer Bankers. With increased maritime activity, Portsmouth Village became a transshipment point where cargo was unloaded and reloaded when ships passed through the shallow Ocracoke Inlet. Later, as storms changed the shoals and ships began to use the inlet at Hatteras, the activity at Portsmouth Village gradually decreased until, in the end, all residents left the village to live in other places. Now the village serves as a unique reminder of past cultural and economic life on the Outer Banks.

Charlestown Navy Yard (Boston National Historical Park), MA: When the Charlestown Navy Yard closed in 1974 after nearly 175 years of serving the fleet, 30 acres became part of Boston National Historical Park. The National Park Service now maintains an important part of the ship yard, and as part of the Park Service's interpretive program, USS Constitution, in connection with the United States Navy, and USS Cassin Young are preserved as representatives of the kinds of vessels built in this yard. Together they represent a 200-year-old tradition of building fine ships for the Navy. The National Park Service offers a variety of programs and activities in the Navy Yard. Visitors are invited to begin at the Navy Yard Visitor Information Center located on the Freedom Trail near Gate 1 of the Navy Yard. The Information Center is open daily and provides daily program schedules. Visitors may take self-guided or ranger-guided walking tours of the Navy Yard. The ranger-guided walking tour explores the yard's 174 years of history by taking visitors past such sites as the Chain Forge, where die-lock anchor chain was first manufactured; the Ropewalk, a quarter-mile long building designed by famed architect Alexander Parris; and Dry Dock 1, one of the first two dry docks constructed in the nation. This one-mile walking tour lasts 90 minutes. For more information on tour schedules or to make group reservations, please call (617)242-5601.
The Charlestown Navy Yard is also host to visiting ships from around the world.


Essex National Heritage Area, MA: The Essex National Heritage Area begins just 10 miles north of Boston and extends for 40 miles along the scenic coast of Massachusetts. The Area is characterized by white, sandy beaches interspersed with rugged granite outcroppings, and overlaid by 400 years of New England history and culture. From the Atlantic Ocean up the Merrimack River, this 550-square-mile region features historic seaports, white clapboard buildings, renown art and cultural museums, antique farms, wooden boat-building shops, early industrial mill complexes, and significant wildlife refuges - both on-shore and off-shore. The Area is instilled with authentic Yankee character. Three significant themes of American history can be easily experienced within its boundaries: early colonial settlement, maritime commerce and sailing, and New England’s early Industrial Revolution. The Area contains two National Park sites and hundreds of historic structures, museums, and natural resources, and it is within an easy day trip of Boston by train or car. For more information, please visit www.essexheritage.org.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, MD: "O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light," a large red, white and blue banner? "Whose broad stripes and bright stars . . . were so gallantly streaming!" over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort by 1,000 dedicated Americans inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner." Regardless of the "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air" the defenders of Fort McHenry stopped the British advance on Baltimore and helped to preserve the United States of America – "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Following the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, the fort never again came under attack. However, it remained an active military post off and on for the next 100 years. It became an area administered by the National Park Service in 1933, two years after Key's poem became this country's National Anthem. Of all the areas in the National Park System, Fort McHenry is the only one designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, NC: The first English attempts at colonization in the New World (1585-1587) are commemorated here. These efforts, sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, ended with the disappearance of 116 men, women and children (including two that were born in the New World). The fate of this "lost colony" remains a mystery to this day. The Park was established in 1941, and enlarged in 1990 by Public Law 1001-603 to include the preservation of Native American culture, The American Civil War, the Freedman's Colony, and the activities of radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden. The park is also home to the outdoor symphonic drama THE LOST COLONY, performed in the Waterside Theatre during the summer since 1937. The park is 513 acres in size.

Gateway National Recreation Area, NY/NJ: Gateway NRA is a 26,000 acre recreation area located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area. The park extends through three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey. Park sites offer a variety of recreation opportunities, along with a chance to explore many significant cultural and natural resources.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, CA: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of the largest urban national parks in the world, and one of the most heavily visited units (16 million visitors each year) in the National Park system. The park was established in 1972 as part of a trend to make national park resources more accessible to urban populations and bring "parks to the people." Golden Gate’s nearly 75,000 acres of land and water extend north of the Golden Gate Bridge to Tomales Bay in Marin County, and south to San Mateo County. The park encompasses 59 miles of bay and ocean shoreline. The park’s lands represent one of the nation’s largest coastal preserves. The park contains numerous natural and cultural areas, including Alcatraz, Marin Headlands, Nike Missile Site, Fort Mason, as well as Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, and the Presidio of San Francisco. These sites contain a variety of archeological sites, military forts and other historic structures which present a rich chronicle of two hundred years of history, including Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier, the Mexican Republic, evolution of American coastal fortifications, maritime history, 18th century and early 20th century agriculture, military history, California Gold Rush, Buffalo Soldiers, and the growth of urban San Francisco.

Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL/MS: Gulf Islands National Seashore is known for its snowy white-quartz beaches, and emerald blue-green waters that stretch 160 miles from Cat Island in Mississippi to the eastern tip of Santa Rosa Island in Florida. These sites are geographically connected as much as they are historically interwoven. The maritime history includes tales of devastation, death, imprisonment, and events that effected groups from Civil War soldiers to skilled slaves to the Chirichua Apache. The Naval Live Oaks area in Gulf Breeze, Florida is a wooded oasis, parallel to a congested interstate. Visitors can walk along a 1.2 mile trail dotted with 100 year old live oaks, set aside for shipbuilding in 1829, by John Quincy Adams. A short drive from Naval Live Oaks is the Santa Rosa Island where Fort Pickens was constructed to guard against enemy ships. After the British devastated America’s seaports in the War of 1812, an elaborate system of coast fortifications was constructed along the Eastern seaboard. Visitors can tour Fort Pickens, Barrancas and the Advanced Redoubt, imagining the lives of the soldiers who depended on ships for their food, supplies and messages from home. Both Fort Pickens in Florida and Fort Massachusetts in Mississippi served as prisons. At Pickens, Geronimo and the Chirichua Apache were imprisoned, stacking cannon balls, pulling weeds and performing other laborious tasks. In Mississippi, suspected spies, collaborators and sympathizers were housed at Fort Massachusetts on West Ship Island. In addition to West Ship Island, visitors can enjoy hiking, and primitive camping on Horn and Petite Bois Island, federally recognized wilderness areas off the Mississippi coast. Natural beauty, recreational opportunities and historic richness abound at Gulf Islands National Seashore.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, MA: New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling port during the 19th century. A variety of cultural landscapes, historic buildings, museum collections, and archives preserve this history and collectively recount the stories of a remarkable era. Whaling, a leading 19th century enterprise, contributed to America's economic and political vitality. New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was created in 1996. The park encompasses 34 acres spread over 13 city blocks and includes a visitor center, the New Bedford Whaling Museum,the Seamen's Bethel, the schooner Ernestina, and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum.

New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route, NJ: The New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route was established in 1988 "to provide for public appreciation, education, understanding, and enjoyment" of significant natural and cultural sites associated with the coastal area of the State of New Jersey. The Coastal Heritage Trail is divided into five regions linked by the common heritage of life on the Jersey Shore and Raritan and Delaware bays. Five themes define different aspects of coastal life: Maritime History, Coastal Habitats, Wildlife Migration, Historic Settlements, and Relaxation and Inspiration. The Maritime History, Coastal Habitats, and Wildlife Migration theme Trails are open to the public. The trail is intended primarily for vehicular tourism. It is a partnership project by the National Park Service in cooperation with the State of New Jersey and many other public and private organizations working to preserve the state's natural and cultural heritage. The Trail extends along coastal New Jersey, from Perth Amboy to Cape May on the Atlantic coast, and west along the Delaware Bay from Cape May to the Delaware Memorial Bridge at Deepwater, New Jersey. The Trail's expanded web page – In Depth button - provides a listing of destinations with detailed site descriptions of each region.

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, OH: On September 10, 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry defeated and captured a British squadron of warships at the Battle of Lake Erie. The battle, fought during the War of 1812, secured control of Lake Erie for the United States and enabled General William Henry Harrison to conduct a successful invasion of Western Upper Canada. Harrison subsequently defeated the British and Indians at the Thames River on October 5, 1813. The dual victories of Lake Erie and the Thames provided an important morale boost to the young country and gave the United States a much stronger bargaining position at the peace talks. The Treaty of Ghent, signed on Christmas Eve 1814, ended the War 1812. However, in 1817 the United States signed the Rush-Bagot Agreement with Great Britain, a document that has resulted in peaceful relations between the United States and Canada since the War of 1812. Constructed between 1912 and 1915 by a commission of nine states and the federal government, Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial was built not only to commemorate the American naval triumph, but also "to inculcate the lessons of international peace by arbitration and disarmament." On June 2, 1936 the memorial was established as a unit of the National Park Service by a presidential proclamation of Franklin D. Roosevelt.


Point Reyes National Seashore, CA: Point Reyes National Seashore contains unique elements of biological and historical interest in a spectacularly scenic panorama of thunderous ocean breakers, open grasslands, bushy hillsides and forested ridges. Native land mammals number about 37 species and marine mammals augment this total by another dozen species. The biological diversity stems from a favorable location in the middle of California and the natural occurrence of many distinct habitats. Nearly 20% of the State's flowering plant species are represented on the peninsula and over 45% of the bird species in North America have been sighted. The Point Reyes National Seashore was established by President John F. Kennedy on September 13, 1962.

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, CA: Port Chicago Naval Magazine was dedicated as a National Memorial to honor the courage and commitment of the Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Mariners, and working civilians killed and injured in the largest homeland disaster during World War II. On July 17, 1944, 320 men, over 200 of which were African-Americans, were instantly killed when a loaded munition ship blew up during loading operations. The Memorial recognizes the critical role they and the survivors of the explosion played in winning the war in the Pacific. Port Chicago National Memorial was dedicated in 1994 by the survivors of that tragic event and their families, Naval personnel, and National Park Service. The explosion and its aftermath was a catalyst, one of many, that helped persuade the U.S. Navy and the military establishment to begin the long journey on the road to racial justice and equality following WWII.

Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, CA: The major components of the park include the Kaiser Shipyards of Richmond, California. These shipyards produced more ships than any other shipyards in the nation during WWII. Over 90,000 men and women worked in the shipyards, producing 747 ships in three and a half years. In partnership with the City of Richmond, California, Contra Costa County and numerous others, we share these stories of the American Maritime WWII Home Front. The structures and sites that make up the National Historical Park are important touchstones for these stories. In addition to the stories of incredible industrial success, stories of women and minorities in the work force, the advent of day care and pre-paid medical care, changes in national demographics and impacts on America ’s urban and rural environments are all stories to be heard in the buildings and sites of this park.

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, MA: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Saugus, Massachusetts: Hammersmith, as it was called, represents North America’s Seventeenth-Century transformation from stone to iron tool manufacturing technology. In a venture intended to make the Massachusetts Bay Colony more self reliant, English investors financed the creation of the Company of Undertakers for the Iron Works in New England. A skilled iron making workforce was recruited and transplanted to Massachusetts. These workmen would help Massachusetts achieve its goals. The iron works dock at the head of the Saugus River tide waters was a vital connection to the developing colonial economy. Work boats from the iron works brought ore, goods from Europe and Barbados, and even Scottish prisoners of war to work as laborers. Products shipped out from the iron works included bar iron, cast iron pots and kettles and even cast iron salt pans (for evaporating sea water to make salt for support of the local fishing industry).

Salem Maritime National Historic Site, MA: Salem Maritime, the first National Historic Site in the National Park System, was established to preserve and interpret the maritime history of New England and the United States. The Site consists of about nine acres of land and twelve historic structures along the waterfront in Salem, Massachusetts, as well as a Visitor Center in downtown Salem. The Site documents the development of the Atlantic triangular trade during the colonial period, the role of privateering during the Revolutionary War, and the international maritime trade, especially with the Far East, which established American economic independence after the Revolution. The Site is also the focal point of the Essex National Heritage Area, designated in 1996, which links thousands of historic places in Essex County around three primary historic themes: colonial settlement, maritime trade, and early industrialization in the textile and shoe industries. Salem Maritime NHS also includes the Friendship of Salem, a full-scale 171’ replica of the kind of tall ship that Salem merchants sent around the world in the years between the Revolution and the War of 1812.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, CA: Located at the west end of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, this park includes the fleet of national historic landmark vessels at Hyde Street Pier, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility. Visitors can board turn-of-the-century ships, tour the museum and learn traditional arts -- like boatbuilding and woodworking. The Park offers educational, music and craft programs for all ages, and provides unique opportunities for docents, interns and volunteers to learn more about the nation's maritime heritage.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI: 35 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, on the mainland of Michigan, as well as around North and South Manitou Islands, are protected at this site. The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. However, cultural features and landscapes abound in the Lakeshore including an 1858 lighthouse, three Life-Saving Service/Coast Guard stations, eight historic rescue boats, a group of farms, and a company "port" town. The human history is as rich as the sand dunes themselves and as equally fascinating. Port Oneida is an extensive rural historic district overlooking Lake Michigan. The farmers who once lived there also worked as boat builders, sailors or fishermen. Glen Haven, a historic Great Lakes village, boasts a working blacksmith shop and general store. The old fruit cannery is now a boat museum with more than a dozen historic, small craft on display that once contributed to the traffic on Lake Michigan. Just down the beach, the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station has been restored as a maritime museum focusing on shipwrecks, rescues, and the men whose motto was "You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back." The boat house is fully equipped with two surfboats and all the rescue equipment they would have used in 1901. Daily, during the summer, visitors can participate in a re-enactment of a shipwreck rescue and once a week, witness the firing of the Lyle gun rescue cannon. In the fall, when the weather turns stormy, brave hikers are invited to join a historic lantern lit "beach patrol" to search for shipwrecks and other adventures. The Manitou Passage State Underwater Preserve is adjacent to the Lakeshore. The Preserve protects more than 80 shipwrecks, many in shallow water. Beachcombers often discover shipwreck timbers that they then report to park officials as historic artifacts.

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, HI: On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona. Behind the shadows of destroyed airfields, aircraft, and ships, America fought fear, and a determined enemy responding with an unrivaled war effort. An epic battle for democratic ideals and world freedom would bloody the fields of Europe and the islands of the Pacific over the next four years. The USS Arizona Memorial as a national shrine symbolizes American sacrifice and resolve. Through national tragedy, a "sleeping giant awoke" and the United States moved towards its destiny as a global power.

Vicksburg National Military Park, MS: Vicksburg National Military Park was established by Congress on February 21, 1899, to commemorate the largest and most complex combined land and naval operation of the American Civil War, the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg. The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It included battles in west-central Mississippi at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River and 47 days of Union siege operations against Confederate forces defending the city of Vicksburg. Located high on the bluffs, Vicksburg was a fortress guarding the Mississippi River. It was known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy." Its surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana, divided the South, and gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River. Today, the battlefield at Vicksburg is in an excellent state of preservation. It includes 1,330 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of reconstructed trenches and earthworks, a 16 mile tour road, antebellum home, 144 emplaced cannon, restored Union gunboat-USS Cairo and Cairo Museum, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

War in the Pacific National Historical Park, GUAM: This unique National Park is the only site in the National Park System (comprised of 388 parks) that honors the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This includes the United States, Japan, and the Allied nations; Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands,and the Soviet Union. Park visitors have the opportunity to learn about the events that lead to the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Battle of Guam and the role the Mariana Islands played in helping to end World War II (1941-1945). At War in the Pacific National Historical Park (NHP), the former battlefields, gun emplacements, trenches, and historic structures all serve as silent reminders of the bloody battles that ensued on the Island of Guam, over 60 years ago. Please log on to www.nps.gov/wapa for information on the park and the new Pacific War website.