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Founded in 1845 in an old Army fort, the United States Naval Academy has grown to fill a 238-acre campus located just north of downtown Annapolis, at the mouth of the Severn River.

More than 10,000 students and enlisted personnel apply to the academy each year to fill about 1,200 openings in the freshman, or plebe, class. The student body, or Brigade of Midshipmen, numbers about 4,000. The mids are instructed by a faculty whose 600-plus members are roughly split between civilians and military officers. After completing a four-year course of study, midshipmen must serve five years as a Navy or Marine Corps officer.

Over a million visitors a year
Over a million visitors a year come to the academy, which is a National Historic Site. Popular spots include the Naval Academy Museum, packed with academy lore, exquisite model ships and mementos of American naval history. Located in Preble Hall on Maryland Avenue, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors can call 410-293-2108 for more information.

With its soaring copper dome, the grand Navy Chapel is the architectural centerpiece of The Yard, as the academy is called. John Paul Jones, the United States' first naval hero, is buried in a vault beneath the sanctuary.

Several parts of sprawling Bancroft Hall, one of the world's largest dormitories, are open to the public. Memorial Hall contains several rolls of honor, including lists of academy grads who were killed in action or who won the Medal of Honor. Visitors can call (410) 293-5001 for more information.

Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center
The academy's Visitor Center is located on King George Street inside Gate 1. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March through December, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. January and February. The center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Guided walking tours of the grounds leave the center are offered from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $6.00 with discounts for seniors and students. Preschoolers get in free. Large groups must call the Visitor Center a month in advance to make reservations at (410) 263-6933.

Visiting hours for the academy are daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or sunset, whichever is later. Visitors in cars must enter via Gate 1 at the corner of Randall Street and King George Street. Drivers will be briefly halted by a Marine guard, then allowed to park in one of the nearby lots inside the academy. Pedestrians may also enter through Gate 3, at King Street and Maryland Avenue.

The brigade holds a lunchtime formation about 12:10 p.m. weekdays, weather permitting, in Tecumseh Court in front of Bancroft Hall.

Visitors may watch the brigade's formal dress parades on Worden Field, held on various occasions in the spring, summer and fall.

Most athletic events are open to the public free of charge. For information and tickets, call the Naval Academy Athletic Association at (410) 268-6060 or (800) US-4-NAVY.

The academy also hosts concerts and plays, some free; visit our Lively Events calendar for listings.

For more information, call the academy's public affairs office at (410) 291-2291, read an overview of the Naval Academy, or visit our list of helpful Naval Academy links.

Copyright 1999 - The Capital, Annapolis, Maryland

Banneker-Douglass Museum The Barracks Charles Carroll House Circuit Court for A.A. Co. The City Dock City Hall Hammond-Harwood House Maryland Government House Maynard-Burgess House Middleton Tavern The Naval Academy

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