Display Ship Barry
The DS (Display Ship) BARRY is one of only three remaining Forrest Sherman-class destroyers. Commissioned September 7, 1956, she is the third ship to bear the name of the illustrious Revolutionary War naval hero, Commodore John Barry. The USS BARRY supported the 1958 Marine and Army airborne unit landing in Beirut, Lebanon, and in 1962 she was a member of the task force that quarantined Cuba in response to evidence that Soviet missiles had been installed on the island.

Barry earned two battle stars for her service during the Vietnam conflict, credited with destroying over 1,000 enemy structures. In the early 1970s she was homeported in Athens, Greece, as part of the Navy's forward deployment program. USS BARRY was decommissioned in 1982 and began her new career as a permanent public display ship in 1984. Used for training and shipboard familiarization, and as a ceremonial platform, the Barry is one of the most popular visitor destinations on the Washington Navy Yard.

The Barry is open for self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour guides are available upon request. The Barry is closed only on the days the Navy Museum is closed.

For more information, please call (202) 433-3377.

Latrobe Gate
What was once the main entrance to the Washington Navy Yard is now restricted to entry by residents of flag officers quarters and their authorized guests. Latrobe Gate also garners historical distinction as the oldest, continuously manned Marine sentry post in the nation.

The Latrobe Gate is one of the few structures on the Navy Yard to escape the fire in 1814 when the British invaded Washington. Prior to the invasion, Commandant of the Navy Yard, Captain Tingey, was ordered by the Secretary of the Navy to burn the Washington Navy Yard lest it be captured by the enemy. Enemy troops briefly entered the Yard and burned the buildings that had not been set on fire by the Americans. As soon as the British departed, the local populace began plundering not only the untouched stores but also the two residences on the Yard. Soon afterward, Tingey strongly recommended erecting a 10-foot-high brick wall around the Yard to prevent a recurrence of this activity.

The Joint Committee on Landmarks has designated the Latrobe Gate of the Washington Navy Yard a Category II Landmark, which contributes significantly to the cultural heritage and visual beauty of the District of Columbia.

Navy Art Gallery
Spend an intriguing afternoon at the Navy Art Gallery and view many of its paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture, numbered in excess of 10,000.

Located in Building 67 on the Washington Navy Yard, the Navy Art Collection contains depictions of naval ships, personnel, and action from all eras of U.S. naval history, but due to the operation of the Combat Art Program, the eras of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Shield⁄Storm are particularly well represented.

The Branch manages the collection, produces exhibits, loans artwork to museums and institutions, and provides research assistance.

The Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Art Gallery is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and federal holidays.

Navy Library
Located in Building 44 on the Washington Navy Yard, the Navy Library traces its roots to a March 31, 1800, letter from President John Adams to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert directing him to establish a library that would contain “the best writing...on the theory and practice of naval architecture, navigation, gunnery...“ From that beginning, the Library's collections have grown to over 200,000 volumes with an emphasis on naval, military and nautical history including holdings on foreign navies.

Open to the public, the Library serves an international audience. As a branch of the Naval Historical Center, it provides resources vital to the writing and publishing of naval history, as well as information relating to the needs of today's Navy.

Personnel stationed or employed on the Washington Navy Yard may check out materials for one month. The library participates in interlibrary loan.

Rare, special collections and reference books, as well as bound periodicals do not circulate. The library reserves the right to refuse to circulate or permit the reproduction of any items considered unique or fragile. Items over 100 years old are not available for interlibrary loan.

The Library is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Library is closed on weekends and federal holidays. Reference assistance is not available on Wednesdays. For more information, please call (202) 433-4132.

Navy Museum
The Navy Museum is housed in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Gun Factory (building 76) on the Washington Navy Yard. Built between 1887 and 1899, the 600-foot-long building was one of several shops in the Yard that produced ordnance, missile components and electronic equipment until 1962.

In 1961 Admiral Arleigh Burke, Chief of Naval Operations, recognizing that the Washington Navy Yard was the Navy's oldest and one of its most historic sites, persuaded Secretary of the Navy John B. Connally to establish the U.S. Naval Historical Display Center, forerunner of the Navy Museum.

The Museum opened in 1963 to collect, preserve and display naval artifacts, models, documents and fine art. Through its exhibits, the Museum chronicles the history of the United States Navy from the Revolution to the present. The exhibits commemorate the Navy's wartime heroes and battles, as well as its peacetime contributions in such fields as exploration, diplomacy, space flight, navigation and humanitarian service. Tools, equipment and personal materials offer the visitor a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of naval customs, way of life and contributions to society. The Navy Museum presents over 225 years of naval and maritime history, tracing wars, battles and crises from the American Revolution through the Vietnam War.

The Navy Museum exhibits an extraordinary collection of ship models, uniforms, medals, ordnance, photographs and fine art. The museum collection also includes an F4U Consair, nicknamed “Big Hog;“ a twin mount 5-inch .38 caliber anti-aircraft gun; the foremast Fighting Top from frigate Constitution; and the bathyscaphe Triests that descended nearly seven miles to the deepest location in the Pacific Ocean.

One of the most comprehensive exhibits, “In Harm's Way,“ examines the Navy's role in World War II from the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to Japan's surrender in 1945. Divided into three sections, the exhibit examines the Pacific and Atlantic campaigns and the home front effort. Thematic exhibits, such as “Underwater Exploration,“ “Polar Exploration,“ and “Commodore Matthew Perry and the Opening of Japan,“ feature the Navy's diplomatic and peacetime contributions. World War II submarine periscopes, gun mounts and other hands-on objects provide visitors with an interactive museum experience.

The Navy Museum sponsors evening events throughout the year including lectures, slide presentations, book-signings and concerts performed by the United States Navy Band and traditional maritime musicians. Each fall the museum hosts the Seafaring Celebration, a family festival highlighting naval and maritime traditions. Activity workshops, demonstrations, storytelling and musical performances provide thousands of visitors with exciting educational experiences throughout the day. All the museum's programs are open to the public and free of charge.

The Navy Museum is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call (202) 433-6897 if you would like a group tour.

For more information on the Navy Museum, please call (202) 433-4882.

Naval Observatory
Public tours of the United States Naval Observatory are now offered on alternating Monday evenings from 8:30 until 10:00 p.m. Tours will include a presentation of the Mission and History of the Observatory, a view of the development of USNO's timekeeping responsibilities with a member of the Observatory's Time Service Department staff, and (weather permitting) viewing of celestial objects with the 12-inch Alvan Clark refractor with an Astronomer.

Individual tour passes must be reserved in advance for every Monday night tour. You may call the Public Affairs Office at (202) 762-1438 to secure a reservation. Requests for reservations should be submitted at least 4 - 6 weeks before a scheduled tour. You must provide the names and dates-of-birth of all individuals in your party. As a Requestor, you must also provide a daytime telephone number and⁄or an e-mail address so that you can be contacted with the status of your request.

Your request will be processed in the order in which it was received. You will receive an e-mail or telephone confirmation when your order has been processed, no later than the Friday before your First Choice tour date. If you have not received a confirmation notice by this time, you may assume that you are not on the name list(s) for your requested date(s). We will make every effort to try to contact you to schedule a subsequent date.

All adult visitors will be required to present a photo ID that matches their name and date-of birth before they are admitted to the grounds. Visitors who do not have a reservation will not be admitted under any circumstances.