The Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, Wash. collects, preserves, and interprets the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest from 1840 to the present. The museum was founded in 1954 as the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Museum, showcasing the history of the Shipyard. Over six decades, the artifact collection has been moved four times. The Puget Sound Navy Museum reopened in its present location in 2007.
The museum is housed in historic Building 50, which was one of the first constructed at the Shipyard. It was built by the U.S. Navy in 1896 to serve as the first Administrative Headquarters for Shipyard Commandants. Here, the museum's 8,000 square feet of exhibition space allow visitors to explore the naval history of the region and experience life as a Sailor. The museum offers several permanent exhibits as well as a rotating slate of temporary exhibits. Permanent exhibits include:
- USS John C. Stennis, where visitors can experience life aboard a nuclear aircraft carrier. Explore where Sailors sleep, what they eat, and how they spend their time, and learn about the mission and operations of locally homeported aircraft carriers.
- A Heritage of Excellence: The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, which focuses on the history of the Shipyard. For more than one hundred years Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS&IMF) has provided industrial strength and support to the U.S. Navy. Learn about Lt. Ambrose B. Wyckoff's vision of establishing a naval station in Puget Sound and how his vision became reality.
- Special Operations Submarines, exploring the unique technologies and missions of a special-ops submarine. Learn why special operations are silent, secret, and important, and why U.S. Navy submarines - including submarines homeported here in Washington State - are the perfect machines to carry them out.
- Family Discovery Room, designed especially for children and their families to learn through play.
The museum is handicap accessible and offers a museum store and a reference center for research purposes. Our collection currently numbers more than 30,000 objects. These artifacts include ship models, bells, plaques, uniforms, various Shipyard shop tools and badges as well as photographs and archival materials. PSNM offers a variety of educational programs, including:
Set SAIL Fridays Set SAIL stands for Science, Art, and Interactive Learning. It is a free family program offered every Friday during the summer months in the park outside the museum. Set SAIL features themed, interactive science and art activities.
Last Saturdays During the fall, winter, and spring months, our Last Saturday family program provides fun, free programming for the whole family! Last Saturdays focus on art, science, and other hands-on learning activities related to the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Northwest.
The Puget Sound Navy Museum became an official U.S. Navy museum in 2008, and earned accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums in 2013. This is among the most prestigious awards granted to United States museums. The Puget Sound Navy Museum is located in Bremerton's downtown waterfront area, between the Ferry Terminal and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The museum is located within the scenic Harborside Park.
Admission is free. The museum is open daily from 10:00am-4:00pm. PSNM is closed on Tuesdays from October through April, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and Easter. We hope to see you soon!