Meet a sailor aboard the USS Monitor, explore piracy during the colonial period, touch and smell the spices that drove the Age of Exploration, or meet a 19th-century lighthouse keeper.
Interpreters vary and can be found in the galleries on most weekend days. Call (757) 591-7745 or email interpreters@mariner.org.

The Mariners’ Museum Backpack Program contains all you need for a self-guided walk of the Noland Trail, from information on the history of the park, plants and animals, and environmental concerns. Families, homeschoolers, and small student groups (such as Girl and Boy Scout troops, and youth groups) can test Lake Maury’s water for pollutants and record their findings, lean about the migratory birds that frequent the lake and about Virginia’s native trees. Information on preventing urban water pollution is available to take home.

Backpacks can be checked out from the Museum’s admissions desk from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily (except on days the Museum is closed), and must be returned by 4:45 p.m. the same day. The responsible party must be 18 years old or older and provide a pictured ID to be held while the backpack is in use. Users must provide their own pencils and any items they require to walk a 5-½ mile hiking trail. For more information call (757) 591-7745.

Use of the backpack is free of charge thanks to the generous support from The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund.

Haversack Program offers a self-guided, hands-on tour of the USS Monitor exhibits. Using the information in the haversack, visitors will be able to explore the “back stories” of the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. They will discover the history of ironclad ships, the biographies of crewman, and greater details on the conservation of the artifacts. Hands-on materials are included in the haversack to bring the exhibitions to life.

Adults and children can check out these age-specific haversacks to use while touring the Museum. The haversack can be checked out at the Museum’s admissions desk between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The haversack is free with Museum admission. The responsible party (18 or older) will be required to leave a driver’s licenses or credit card to check the haversack out. For questions on the haversack program call (757) 591-7745.

Scavenger Hunts in the galleries of The Mariners’ Museum are a fun way for families to explore the Museum while leaning new facts about our maritime past. Scavenger Hunts are available at the front desk and are free with Museum admission.