United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy occupies a 338-acre campus along the Severn River in Annapolis, Maryland, and has trained naval officers continuously since 1845. Civilian visitors enter through the Armel-Roberts Visitor Center, where guided walking tours depart hourly and run approximately ninety minutes. The tour route passes through Tecumseh Court, the open plaza anchored by a bronze figurehead of the Delaware chief Tecumseh, and continues to Bancroft Hall — the world's largest dormitory, housing all 4,400 midshipmen under a single roof. The building's vast marble rotunda and the Memorial Hall honoring academy graduates killed in action are accessible only on the guided tour. The Chapel, a Beaux-Arts landmark completed in 1908, features stained-glass windows designed by Tiffany Studios and contains the crypt of Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones beneath the main nave — the hero's black marble sarcophagus is lit from below and surrounded by French flags donated after his service in the Continental Navy. The Naval Academy Museum in Preble Hall houses a world-class collection of ship models dating to the 17th century, navigational instruments, and memorabilia from notable graduates including President Jimmy Carter and astronaut Alan Shepard. During the academic year, the Brigade of Midshipmen holds formal noon meal formations in Tecumseh Court, visible to visitors from the courtyard perimeter — the simultaneous assembly of thousands of uniformed midshipmen marching in formation is among the most dramatic public spectacles in American military tradition. A full visit including the guided tour, museum, and chapel takes two to three hours. The academy grounds sit directly adjacent to downtown Annapolis, with the Maryland State House and City Dock each less than a ten-minute walk.