Extremely reasonable prices. So happy to see this.Parking: Tons of parkingKid-friendliness: Great place to take the kids for a day.Wheelchair accessibility: Fully accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Abrams Mushroom Swiss Burger
James M.
I am so impressed, having served 29 years in the Army was not sure what to expect -LOL Visited with two other Retired Soldiers, both of which I served with around the world. We were all impressed with the museum as a whole. Well done displays showing the Army throughout history, past to present, with as much info you could ask for. We met "Steve" a guide who really knew his stuff & had interesting facts/stories about the displays in his area. Museum is a must see for everyone, but especially Veterans as you will leave feeling connected & proud of your Service. Families will leave with a better understanding of military life.
Karen P.
This pristine museum has great displays and so much information explained so well. We started with the 9 minute movie which has some neat sensory effects. Then entered each room to learn about the origins of the nations first armed services. There is one computer display that walks through Army and American history in parallel. Really helps you understand the bigger picture. Would be great for kids learning American History. Definitely makes you appreciate the hardships our military endures to protect our freedom. I was surprised the Museum store does not give a military discount and not even if you served in the Army.
Sue H.
It's great for people that love military history etc. If you don't love military, appreciate it I guess you won't have anything good to say about any military museum. I'm former military but never served in war time and went my husband a 21 year veteran. Our families are steeped in military history. I've been to a ton of American Revolution, Civil Wars places/museums and other military museums (not a hobby I just do everything I can no matter the subject). I'm super impressed with this museum. It's too much to read though so you are going to pick and choose otherwise you'll be there a full day. We were there three hours. The stories of random people (even some of not the greatest awards), medal of honor winners etc. GIves you a great idea of the people that serve. The races, sexes, the socio economic backgrounds (educated vs lesser so) and the things they did/do and how they are trained... gives you a perspective through the time that people need to know. Aside from that, there is a chronological telling of war from the American Revolution through the years till now. What also impressed me was the set up. The way they had projections, sound, lighting and how clean and pristine the place was. You start at the beginning for a greater overview and they even went year by year. I saw things I've not seen before which is pretty amazing. I've seen what I think it quite a LOT of stuff in my life. Also, I was taken with the quality of it all and the provenance of many of the items. Maps, actual objects from like D Day (storming the beaches) gives you a better look into how it must have been. They have a larger gift shop (typically expensive but had a larger array of Army related items) and a cafeteria (average food typical of this sort of place). The building itself is good and it's handicap accessible naturally. It's FREE so donate a couple dollars on the way out; I'm sure it it needed. The bathrooms were clean, there was a special exhibit (art) of service dogs which was AMAZING. Worth it and very impressive. There is a rooftop garden but was so cold today I can't comment as I didn't do it. Plus my feet were tired! There is also a VR place you can do (costs $). Could be fun. Maybe next time!
Sophie E.
Fantastic museum. Extremely high quality, immersive, special artifacts. And, admission is free! Similar museums in dc easily charge $35. Wonderful grounds, cafe, gift shop, too. We did the free tour and do recommend as a great way to get oriented in the museum and see some great things. Will definitely be back!
Train K.
This is a good timeline war museum for history nerds like me it tell you in deep what happened during each area of American war history here are some photos I got most of them are tank's because I really like tanks I would recommend this museum to people in the Virginia area and DC area
Jack S.
It was a scorching day, the kind where you could fry an egg in your mailbox and post the video on Youtube. I found myself reluctantly steering the family Conestoga towards middle-of-nowhere Fort Belvoir, VA. The mind-numbing journey along much maligned I-95 proved tedious as always (don't ask how God-awful the return trip proved to be).Anyway, here we were, meandering past an unoccupied guardhouse, presumably reserved for esteemed Senators, Generals, and Raytheon executives. Ascending a serpentine driveway bereft of any M-1 Abrams, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, or 155mm Howitzer, we eventually reached a parking lot that seemed miles distant from NMUSA, an immense, monstrous metallic cube, resembling an AT&T switching station. Thankfully, the architect was not involved in the conception of majestic West Point or charming Squid U. in Annapolis. Even the Russkies manage to imbue their military exhibits with far more grandeur (check out Moscow's Victory Museum).Nevertheless, we couldn't complain much, for there was no charge to enter (unlike NASA's unconscionable admission fees). After dealing with the most amicable security personnel I have ever encountered, we entered the tranquil and refreshingly cool interior.Immediately, a colossal wall adorned with campaign ribbons, stretching from the Revolution to the "War against Terrorism," confronted us--an overt depiction of the US HISTORY OF NEVER ENDING WAR. Opposite it, an equally imposing wall of sponsors celebrated giant defense contractors, (who benevolently bestowed a few shekels upon the museum from their obscene war profits).Clearly aiming to appeal to the younger generation, accustomed to video games and computer screens, the dimly lit exhibits predominantly featured interactive screens and audio presentations, which, truth be told, proved arduous to read and hear with this Old White Guy's antiquated eyes and ears.Though the exhibits dedicated to the Revolutionary War and Civil War piqued our interest, the rest of the US Army's history seemed to have been reduced to a Reader's Digest Condensed Version in my humble estimation (it takes longer to view the movie PATTON than it does to wander through the exhibits). Curiously enough, a substantial amount of space was devoted to the Cold War or the "One That Got Away" (US vs. RUSSIA). Go figure!Most disappointing was the egregious absence of space devoted to the Army Air Corps (the USAF wasn't established till 1947 kids). Not a single B-17, P-38, P-51 or even a Warthog for goodness sake, in sight, except for some miniature bomber models overhead in one section. What an embarassing oversight!Hate to say it, but this Ground Pounder Museum struck me as being a rather UNIMPRESSIVE B-SIDE COLLECTION OF THE US ARMY'S GREATEST HITS, with design elements clearly borrowed from the Marine Corps museum (note the presence of female MP mannequins in both establishments).That being said...Do yourself a favor and visit the USMC Museum in Quantico before visiting the NMUSA. It's bigger, better and will make you wish you'd become a Leatherneck instead of a a Grunt, Squid, Puddle Jumper, Bubblehead or God Forbid, a Zoomie!
Mike Thurman
Army festival was amazing. Attend next year for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Suzanne P.
This was a great experience for my husband, a Viet Nam Vet. The museum is wonderful. He was really moved and got to talk to other vets there.
I finally got a chance to visit!!No entry fee but you must go to the website to get your timed-entry tickets. Plenty of parking but it is a brief walk to the building from the parking lot for those that need assistance. There is a roundabout to drop off people and then go park. We had one member of our group who can't walk very far.You go through a security check before entering, as most museums nowadays. The security guards are friendly and polite but the guy looked like he could take out a bear so don't mess with them LOLThe museum was absolutely amazing - even for a non-history person like me! The exhibits were thoughtfully done and there is so much to read and learn about each conflict throughout history. I must admit the more recent conflicts/wars were hard for me since I have close family and friends who served in the army during these times. I even saw one of my friend's picture on the pylons at the front of the museum (it rotates through pictures and their stories).Plenty of seating in the hallways for those who need a rest or time to reflect.There were virtual games/rides at one end of the museum - for an additional fee. One you can pretend to ride in a tank, others are team games where you defend a base. Kids (& adults) enjoyed it.Good gift shop and there was a cafe but we didn't eat there. The cafe kitchen closes at 2pm, but you can still purchase drinks and snacks at the self kiosks. There is also a kids experience on the main level that is interactive for them to find and locate objects in the room, and build a virtual bridge. For younger kids but our teenager had fun in there as well.I expect to come back and bring out of town guests as its a hidden gem from going into DC.
Teresa L.
If you are into military history, this museum certainly does not disappoint. We spent the entire day exploring and watching the many videos available throughout the museum. Thousands of artifacts displayed. You will learn about how the Army was initially formed by Abraham Lincoln and the wars fought by many since then. There was an art gallery on the second floor which includes 50 water colored portraits of veterans, each represents a state. There is a cafe on the ground floor that offered quite a lot of options at very reasonable prices. The museum itself is impressive and impeccable with modern design. Highly recommend this museum. Free admission. Timed entry required (July 2023). Huge parking lot outside. Not crowded during our visit. Shoutout to the volunteer, a navy veteran, who provided a very informative tour to just three of us for about 90 mins!
Elizabeth M.
Incredible Army museum at Fort Belvoir - it has a dedicated entrance so you don't have to go through base security. It's free to enter and park. It has great artifacts to help tell the Army story from the Revolutionary War to the present day. It also has a cafe, museum store, and dedicated space for children.
Gordana Richardson
Great Cafe with reasonable prices and nice options for kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Thurman
Army festival was amazing. Attend next year for sure!
I love the modern design, Amazing art ?
Atmosphere: 5
Extremely reasonable prices. So happy to see this.Parking: Tons of parkingKid-friendliness: Great place to take the kids for a day.Wheelchair accessibility: Fully accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Abrams Mushroom Swiss Burger
I am so impressed, having served 29 years in the Army was not sure what to expect -LOL Visited with two other Retired Soldiers, both of which I served with around the world. We were all impressed with the museum as a whole. Well done displays showing the Army throughout history, past to present, with as much info you could ask for. We met "Steve" a guide who really knew his stuff & had interesting facts/stories about the displays in his area. Museum is a must see for everyone, but especially Veterans as you will leave feeling connected & proud of your Service. Families will leave with a better understanding of military life.
This pristine museum has great displays and so much information explained so well. We started with the 9 minute movie which has some neat sensory effects. Then entered each room to learn about the origins of the nations first armed services. There is one computer display that walks through Army and American history in parallel. Really helps you understand the bigger picture. Would be great for kids learning American History. Definitely makes you appreciate the hardships our military endures to protect our freedom. I was surprised the Museum store does not give a military discount and not even if you served in the Army.
It's great for people that love military history etc. If you don't love military, appreciate it I guess you won't have anything good to say about any military museum. I'm former military but never served in war time and went my husband a 21 year veteran. Our families are steeped in military history. I've been to a ton of American Revolution, Civil Wars places/museums and other military museums (not a hobby I just do everything I can no matter the subject). I'm super impressed with this museum. It's too much to read though so you are going to pick and choose otherwise you'll be there a full day. We were there three hours. The stories of random people (even some of not the greatest awards), medal of honor winners etc. GIves you a great idea of the people that serve. The races, sexes, the socio economic backgrounds (educated vs lesser so) and the things they did/do and how they are trained... gives you a perspective through the time that people need to know. Aside from that, there is a chronological telling of war from the American Revolution through the years till now. What also impressed me was the set up. The way they had projections, sound, lighting and how clean and pristine the place was. You start at the beginning for a greater overview and they even went year by year. I saw things I've not seen before which is pretty amazing. I've seen what I think it quite a LOT of stuff in my life. Also, I was taken with the quality of it all and the provenance of many of the items. Maps, actual objects from like D Day (storming the beaches) gives you a better look into how it must have been. They have a larger gift shop (typically expensive but had a larger array of Army related items) and a cafeteria (average food typical of this sort of place). The building itself is good and it's handicap accessible naturally. It's FREE so donate a couple dollars on the way out; I'm sure it it needed. The bathrooms were clean, there was a special exhibit (art) of service dogs which was AMAZING. Worth it and very impressive. There is a rooftop garden but was so cold today I can't comment as I didn't do it. Plus my feet were tired! There is also a VR place you can do (costs $). Could be fun. Maybe next time!
Fantastic museum. Extremely high quality, immersive, special artifacts. And, admission is free! Similar museums in dc easily charge $35. Wonderful grounds, cafe, gift shop, too. We did the free tour and do recommend as a great way to get oriented in the museum and see some great things. Will definitely be back!
This is a good timeline war museum for history nerds like me it tell you in deep what happened during each area of American war history here are some photos I got most of them are tank's because I really like tanks I would recommend this museum to people in the Virginia area and DC area
It was a scorching day, the kind where you could fry an egg in your mailbox and post the video on Youtube. I found myself reluctantly steering the family Conestoga towards middle-of-nowhere Fort Belvoir, VA. The mind-numbing journey along much maligned I-95 proved tedious as always (don't ask how God-awful the return trip proved to be).Anyway, here we were, meandering past an unoccupied guardhouse, presumably reserved for esteemed Senators, Generals, and Raytheon executives. Ascending a serpentine driveway bereft of any M-1 Abrams, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, or 155mm Howitzer, we eventually reached a parking lot that seemed miles distant from NMUSA, an immense, monstrous metallic cube, resembling an AT&T switching station. Thankfully, the architect was not involved in the conception of majestic West Point or charming Squid U. in Annapolis. Even the Russkies manage to imbue their military exhibits with far more grandeur (check out Moscow's Victory Museum).Nevertheless, we couldn't complain much, for there was no charge to enter (unlike NASA's unconscionable admission fees). After dealing with the most amicable security personnel I have ever encountered, we entered the tranquil and refreshingly cool interior.Immediately, a colossal wall adorned with campaign ribbons, stretching from the Revolution to the "War against Terrorism," confronted us--an overt depiction of the US HISTORY OF NEVER ENDING WAR. Opposite it, an equally imposing wall of sponsors celebrated giant defense contractors, (who benevolently bestowed a few shekels upon the museum from their obscene war profits).Clearly aiming to appeal to the younger generation, accustomed to video games and computer screens, the dimly lit exhibits predominantly featured interactive screens and audio presentations, which, truth be told, proved arduous to read and hear with this Old White Guy's antiquated eyes and ears.Though the exhibits dedicated to the Revolutionary War and Civil War piqued our interest, the rest of the US Army's history seemed to have been reduced to a Reader's Digest Condensed Version in my humble estimation (it takes longer to view the movie PATTON than it does to wander through the exhibits). Curiously enough, a substantial amount of space was devoted to the Cold War or the "One That Got Away" (US vs. RUSSIA). Go figure!Most disappointing was the egregious absence of space devoted to the Army Air Corps (the USAF wasn't established till 1947 kids). Not a single B-17, P-38, P-51 or even a Warthog for goodness sake, in sight, except for some miniature bomber models overhead in one section. What an embarassing oversight!Hate to say it, but this Ground Pounder Museum struck me as being a rather UNIMPRESSIVE B-SIDE COLLECTION OF THE US ARMY'S GREATEST HITS, with design elements clearly borrowed from the Marine Corps museum (note the presence of female MP mannequins in both establishments).That being said...Do yourself a favor and visit the USMC Museum in Quantico before visiting the NMUSA. It's bigger, better and will make you wish you'd become a Leatherneck instead of a a Grunt, Squid, Puddle Jumper, Bubblehead or God Forbid, a Zoomie!
Army festival was amazing. Attend next year for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was a great experience for my husband, a Viet Nam Vet. The museum is wonderful. He was really moved and got to talk to other vets there.
Restaurantji Recommends
I finally got a chance to visit!!No entry fee but you must go to the website to get your timed-entry tickets. Plenty of parking but it is a brief walk to the building from the parking lot for those that need assistance. There is a roundabout to drop off people and then go park. We had one member of our group who can't walk very far.You go through a security check before entering, as most museums nowadays. The security guards are friendly and polite but the guy looked like he could take out a bear so don't mess with them LOLThe museum was absolutely amazing - even for a non-history person like me! The exhibits were thoughtfully done and there is so much to read and learn about each conflict throughout history. I must admit the more recent conflicts/wars were hard for me since I have close family and friends who served in the army during these times. I even saw one of my friend's picture on the pylons at the front of the museum (it rotates through pictures and their stories).Plenty of seating in the hallways for those who need a rest or time to reflect.There were virtual games/rides at one end of the museum - for an additional fee. One you can pretend to ride in a tank, others are team games where you defend a base. Kids (& adults) enjoyed it.Good gift shop and there was a cafe but we didn't eat there. The cafe kitchen closes at 2pm, but you can still purchase drinks and snacks at the self kiosks. There is also a kids experience on the main level that is interactive for them to find and locate objects in the room, and build a virtual bridge. For younger kids but our teenager had fun in there as well.I expect to come back and bring out of town guests as its a hidden gem from going into DC.
If you are into military history, this museum certainly does not disappoint. We spent the entire day exploring and watching the many videos available throughout the museum. Thousands of artifacts displayed. You will learn about how the Army was initially formed by Abraham Lincoln and the wars fought by many since then. There was an art gallery on the second floor which includes 50 water colored portraits of veterans, each represents a state. There is a cafe on the ground floor that offered quite a lot of options at very reasonable prices. The museum itself is impressive and impeccable with modern design. Highly recommend this museum. Free admission. Timed entry required (July 2023). Huge parking lot outside. Not crowded during our visit. Shoutout to the volunteer, a navy veteran, who provided a very informative tour to just three of us for about 90 mins!
Incredible Army museum at Fort Belvoir - it has a dedicated entrance so you don't have to go through base security. It's free to enter and park. It has great artifacts to help tell the Army story from the Revolutionary War to the present day. It also has a cafe, museum store, and dedicated space for children.
Great Cafe with reasonable prices and nice options for kids.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Army festival was amazing. Attend next year for sure!