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    United States Naval Academy

    4.6 (110 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Prasanya M.

    This place has a lot of History . We did the walking tour it was good without the tour we would not have known the history. Our guide was very knowledgeable and she has been working here since 2011. She did explain in detail and patiently answered all our questions.. the place itself is Huge and has lot of History... The chapel was was very good. The gift shop had very good Merch and souvenirs. Their Museum was very good with lots to learn.

    Janice T.

    Wow. I will admit when I'm wrong. I had little to no interest to tour the Naval Academy. I am truly sorry that I felt this way originally, especially since my father was a Navy veteran & my husband is a Navy veteran. My original opinion about military history is not reflective of my gratitude for those who served our country & those who continue to fight for our freedom. I am truly forever grateful for their service. For those who don't have much interest in military history, the Naval Academy Tour will change your mind. You're in for a real treat if you have Ken as a tour guide/docent! He is a Naval veteran & alumnus & provides insight into the admission process & life of a plebe & how The Naval Academy has evolved. Ken is charismatic, & well spoken which made the tour fantastic & enjoyable! It's an hour & a half guided tour which you can pay ahead online. (8/2024; $15 adult online per person including processing fee). It is well worth the price! Proceeds go towards the midshipmen. They do offer military & other discounts, call or refer to their website. If the Naval Academy is top priority on your list of things to see, I strongly recommend booking your tickets online in advance as certain times tend to sell out fast. You can purchase tickets onsite as well. Since we went in the summer we opted for the first morning tour @ 9:30am (tends to get hotter as the day progresses). Early morning tours are probably best if you want to avoid the crowds or a large group. We had a small tour group around 9 people, which was nice. We were invited to ask as many questions as we liked. Ken was also patient with my sister and me. We are some picture taking fools. (I do listen when I am taking photos at the same time.) When we returned from the tour, other tour groups had about 20+ people in it. I would recommend allowing 3+ hours if you want to check the other accessible areas of the campus. If you have mobility issues or poor standing tolerance, they do offer GEM tours in a small electric car for a higher price and at limited times. But the guided walking tour costs a lot less and is a wonderful way to explore if you are physically capable. Going on a paid tour not only presents the opportunity to learn more information that you wouldn't have otherwise received on a self guided one, but also access inside a few other buildings not open to the general public without a tour. Areas on the tour include the history of the mascot, Bill the goat & views of the swimming pool, Dahlgren Hall, the outside of the 4,000 square feet homes in which faculty reside, Bancroft Hall, John Paul Jones crypt & the Navy Chapel. However, we were informed by our tour guide prior to the start of the tour that it was highly likely we would not be able to go inside the chapel that day due to a funeral starting soon. We were able to see plebes marching & chanting around the grounds. There was so much other things we didn't fully explore. Bathrooms: Are available in the visitor center when you first walk in and another one close to the ticket counters. Also in the coffee shop. They do have a large gift shop. The prices are high and range from magnets, stickers, decals, apparel, hats, toys etc. Staff at the visitor center were pleasant & more than happy to answer questions. Parking: If you have military access, parking onsite is challenging. Parking is available for a fee in historic downtown Annapolis parking garages payable by app, text or scanning. Street parking is also available. I learned a lot and it was one of my favorite highlights visiting Annapolis! **A driver's license or government ID is required for entrance. Bags larger than a purse are not permitted. Refer to any updates on website or call.

    Chapel
    Stephanie G.

    Going on a tour here was really interesting, and I didn't even leave enough time to see all the things I wanted to see. This is easily a 4+ hour day. There is an exhibit at the visitor center that I didn't have time to look through. There is also a museum I didn't see. But I did take a tour, and that was about an hour and a half and quite a nice walk around campus. Our tour guide was a former director and was very informative and fun to listen to. We learned a lot about the student life, the expectations, and the history of the university and about the buildings. We went from the indoor sporting field, the pool, the student center, a dormitory example, and finishing off in the chapel and with John Paul Jones's burial site which was also a really interesting story. I got in a lot of steps, got a lot of information on life at the Naval Academy, and got to see some great architecture/statues. The price was reasonable, and I would be back just to see more of the exhibits.

    Former president Jimmy Carter was a graduate
    John M.

    Everything went well! The walking tour is only $18. Informative guide. Beautiful campus. And lots of fun stories about midshipmen and graduates. Definitely come. No negatives really. And the academy is downtown so there's a ton of things to do before and after the tour.

    Cindy M.

    We came here for a field trip. This place is beautiful!!! The grounds were taken care of... not a scrap of trash anyway.. So much pride and history here. Our tour guide was a graduate of the academy and retired Navy. He was great explaining everything as he walked us thru the grounds. My only down part is that it felt like he was recruiting the entire time .. "We only take the best.. you need to do X .. you have to do y".. Maybe that is the point of the tour but just a little odd. Other then that the place was perfect! I would definitely go back

    Belle A.

    We did the 9:30am walking tour of the Academy with our guide Ken, who is an alumnus. Ken took us around the campus and explained the history of of the Academy and how it has evolved over the years. He was extremely knowledgeable and very articulate about the history of and the famous alumni, President Carter, Astronaut Chuck Yeager, Roger Staubach, Wes Brown, and numerous others. Clearly, the Academy invests much time and energy in their students, as the illustrious alumni attest to the Academy's commitment and mission. So everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their education and experience. The campus is absolutely beautiful and the Academy steeped in history! We saw Bancroft Hall, which is the largest campus housing all levels of students, from freshman to seniors. The athletic facilities are top-notch, from the swimming pools to Halsey field. While we were unable to enter the chapel as a funeral was underway, we did enter the crypt. It was somber if not impressive! Entombed in the crypt is the remains of John Paul Jones, an American patriot both here and abroad. So if you're interested in history as I am, you will find this tour intriguing, if not engaging and informative! Thoroughly enjoyed this walking tour as we learned about the history, architecture, and evolving culture! Not one to be missed! Highly recommend!! Ask for Ken! He is an amazing guide/docent who truly takes this tour to a whole new level! Very engaging and inspiring!!!

    Kevin B.

    What an amazing campus! We visited here a few years back and it was extra special as my wife's father served in the Navy. We didn't have time to do a formal tour, but we did a self-guided tour and got to spend time at the Naval Academy Museum, which was spectacular and is something you definitely have to do when you visit. It's an honor to tour these grounds and we highly recommend visiting the Naval Academy if you're ever in Annapolis!

    Sweet oysters
    Alexis P.

    Dined at the Buchanan house for commissioning week- Service: Fantastic. The entire staff was kind, attentive, and well prepared for the event. They actively encouraged everyone to try all the food, taking pride in all that they had prepared. They were very friendly and outgoing. The oyster shuckers were my favorite people of the night! Food: Overall great. I was very impressed by the oysters and shrimp. They sweet oysters were so plump and good and the salty oysters were smaller but much tastier in my opinion. Both oysters were great and I appreciated that we could try both. There was cocktail sauce and lemons available to dress them with, but I wish there was old bay. The shrimp were very well seasoned and succulent. I think the seafood really stole the night. The meat and slaw in the slider had good flavor, but the size of the bun overwhelmed the sandwich. The ratio of bread to filling was about 70/30 but I wish it had been closer to 50/50. The chicken and waffles were good, but the piece of chicken I had was mostly breading so I didn't get the savory side I was looking for to balance with the sweet waffle and syrup. The waffle was cooked well, with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. Atmosphere: Superb. The house is beautiful. The garden is gorgeous. Cleanliness is also clearly a priority here. The music was so wonderful and everyone in attendance was so kind. Overall, a fantastic experience. I would love to come back (if invited)

    Visitor Center closed.
    Thomas S.

    I am rating this incomplete since the visitor center and other attractions were still closed due to pandemic. The courtyard was nice with beautiful plants and flowers.

    When you see this N for Navy, you know you have arrived!

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    Beautiful campus! Been here a bunch of times with our mids. Love watching the Blue Angels from the yard during commissioning week!

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    7 months ago

    Very clean campus. Beautiful view . Respectful to veterans. Easy to walk around . Near the heart of the city

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    Great tour! We got a good sense of the history and significance, as well as the traditions, in a two hour tour.

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    3 years ago

    There is nowhere else in the world like it! The most beautiful yard, the best food and the greatest gift shops!

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    Review Highlights - United States Naval Academy

    We toured the sports facilities, the chapel and even got the chance to see the crypt of John Paul Jones.

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    Annapolis Ghost Tours & Crawls

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    4.3(47 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    5/5 -- Incredible Halloween Ghost Tour with Kasey!…read more We had an amazing experience on the Annapolis Ghost Tour with Kasey on Halloween night! Her storytelling was absolutely captivating -- she brought every tale to life with incredible detail, fun facts, and just the right touch of spooky flair. You could tell she really loves what she does, and that made the whole evening so engaging. We also loved that our tour included stops at three fantastic bars, each with its own private room where we could relax, enjoy a drink, and listen to more stories -- it made the night feel extra special and intimate. The highlight for us was the basement of the Maryland Inn -- that space was simply picture-perfect and full of atmosphere! If you're looking for a fun, fascinating, and slightly spooky night out in Annapolis, we can't recommend Kasey enough. She made our Halloween unforgettable!

    I've been in the surrounding Annapolis area for nearly 9-years and never done a ghost tour!…read more Surprisingly, tickets were only $20/person, $18 with military identification and it was beyond worth it! There were at least 10 stories told of Annapolis facts and stories from earlier decades and it was informative, spooky, and most of all... interesting. The best night to go would more than likely be Halloween, but I lucked up and got tickets for the night before Halloween and had the best time! Our guide was great and I would love to go again to say hi to Charles! ;)

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    U.S. Naval Academy Museum

    U.S. Naval Academy Museum

    4.5(31 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    I just visited the U.S. Naval Academy Museum for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I was…read morereally impressed. The museum is located in Preble Hall on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy, so you'll need to check in/go through security at the visitor entrance (they check ID and run your bags through a metal detector), but it was very fast. Then it's just a quick walk over to Preble Hall. When we entered, we welcomed to the museum by two docents, who briefly explained what could be found in the museum, including their favorite parts of the collection (which was perfect, because we had less than hour in the museum before they closed). The museum is two floors. The first floor has exhibits on the development of the Navy and the history of the Naval Academy. The second floor houses an incredible collection of models of warships from the 17th-19th centuries (one of the largest collections of ship models). I wasn't sure this would be that interesting to me, but the docents had really highlighted this part of the collection during their introduction. I'm so glad we trusted them, because it was fascinating. One part of this collection really blew me away - the bone model display. It might sound morbid, but these models were carved from the bones of beef rations given to French prisoners of war during their incarceration in England (Anglo-French wars of 1756-1815). I had no idea about any of this history (does anyone?!), and it was really interesting. But the first floor also had amazing artifacts, and I learned a lot. Overall, this museum (also free, by the way) was pretty great. Even if you're not typically interested in naval history, this museum is special. It's well-curated and interesting. And those docents were wonderful! I'm sure I'll be back to take in what I didn't have time to on my first visit!

    Free museum! Tip,…read moreyou can't drive your car to entrance as a visitor. Must park in town and walk over. Volunteers at desk are available to give you tips about the exhibits. Clean bathrooms are available. The ship exhibits are cool!

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    U.S. Naval Academy Museum
    U.S. Naval Academy Museum

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    Watermark - Thomas Point Lighthouse Cruise

    Watermark

    4.2(34 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    It's a short ride around the naval Academy, but it was very informative and really enjoyable. A…read moregreat way to see the Annapolis harbor and learn about the naval Academy and it's history

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    Thomas Point Lighthouse Cruise

    Watermark - Thomas Point Lighthouse Cruise

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    Double rainbow seen

    United States Naval Academy - historicaltours - Updated June 2026

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