National Civil War Naval Museum

Wonderful museum and excellent pieces of history on display. I went around lunch time and was not crowded. Staff were friendly and museum was clean well taken care of. Seeing the CSS Jackson and other artifacts was so nice. If you get a chance swing by and support the museum and see history.

One of the neatest historical museums we have ever visited. Never realized the shear size of the old ironclads until getting up close to the one on they have on display. They have put a ton of effort into making the walkthrough educational and helping you feel like you're actually in the boats and immersed in the time period. Definitely a great stop on our trip that I'm thankful we made it to.

Very cool. Actually seeing a ironclad mock up with what has been restored for view was amazing. To much history to mention here . There's lots to see. Well worth our time .

Very cool being able to see the recovered remains of some of the ironclad warships and see some of the restoration process/progress. The curators are very knowledgeable in their fields of expertise.

Was in the area and happened to see this on suggested places. Very friendly staff, well cleaned and taken care of. The amount of exhibits and quality of what they have is worth way more than the 12$ entry fee for adults. Will be back with my family and maybe participate in the live cannon firing event!

Excellent museum. Very well curated; lots of detail on artifacts. Love life size exhibits to give you the true feel of objects. Highly recommend 2-3 hrs to read all the information and review exhibits.

Very cool place. Very impressed by the historical information and artifacts.

Wonderful hidden gem!! The exhibits are well done and the mock ups of ships to explore are fun.

A very nice little part of history. Lots of Naval stuff from the civil war era. They have a ship that was pulled from the river that they are restoring. Amazing to see the size of this war ship from back then. Various other items steam engine parts, flags, swords, uniforms, tools, and so much more. Highly recommended that you stop by see a part of history.

Attended a guest lecture here and was positively impressed by the quality of the exhibits, the knowledge of the staff, and the content of the lecture. Be sure to check out the reconstructed USS Jackson, the scale of which is stunning, and take in views from the RiverWalk Trail that runs through museum property. The museum isn't large, and so can be seen in a few hours. A great way to spend an afternoon.

THE NATIONAL CIVIL WAR NAVAL MUSEUM IS INTERESTING ================================================ My husband and I had some time while waiting for our son to get off work at Fort Benning, so we decided to visit this museum. This museum houses the CSS Jackson which is the largest surviving Confederate Warship. It also has the wreckage of the CSS Chattahoochee along with a replica of the USS Hartford. They also have a full scale replica of the USS Monitor's turret. These were ironclads that were steam-propelled warships protected by iron or steel armor plates. During the Civil War the Union commissioned 42 ironclads before May 1, 1985. The Confederates completed 24 ironclads. After the Civil War there was no need for ironclad vessels any longer.

Really neat museum for history buffs. Tickets are a little pricey, but they do offer military discounts. It was not crowded, so it was nice to move around at your own pace with tons of information around the museum. The museum isn't very interactive, but it has great artifacts, including the wreckage of an ironclad. Good place to stop at on a free weekend. There is a small gift shop and plenty of parking.

This is a wonderfully detailed museum of artifacts from the River Navies of the North and South with incredible exhibits that make it a really exceptional visit. This is recommended for everyone, and it is not what you might expect because it is so elaborate. Worth several hours on site.

Ironclad: a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates; predominantly constructed from 1859-1890s. Previous warships had been built out of wood & could be easily sunk by cannonballs; however ironclads were more difficult to damage. Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack, aka Battle of Hampton Roads, (March 9, 1862) was history's 1st duel between ironclad warships and the beginning of a new era of naval warfare. The USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (previously the USS Merrimack) battled for hours however neither carried the kind of armor-piercing shells necessary to pierce an iron hull. The design of the USS Monitor was so innovative that when it launched it featured more than 40 different newly patented inventions. The H.L. Hunley, named for its inventor, Horace Hunley, was the 1st successful submarine attack ever and took place during the American Civil War. It was an eight-man submarine armed with a bomb mounted on a 22-foot pole, known as a "spar torpedo." It sank 2x during early tests, claiming the lives of 13 crewmen including Hunley himself.

I am not a museum person, but I throughly enjoyed this one! Instead of looking through glass at trinkets and doing a ton of reading (they still have that stuff if you are into that) they had exhibits that "made it real". They had a few walk through ship exhibits, but the most impressive was the ship they are rebuilding in the museum. I would go back later just to see the progress they have made or take others to show them.

I came here today while on work travel. This museum is dedicate to the Civil War and both sides Navies. It is fairly easy to find from Ft. Benning. The staff was incredibly nice and unobtrusive. I came here partly because my Dad loves to read about the Civil War and partly for myself. Within the first room, you see the hull of the CSS Jackson. It is mind boggling to see the size if what remains and the part of it that does not exist anymore as the museum shows above the hull what the rest of the ship would have looked like. The next interesting thing to me was seeing the composite armor. It is mind boggling to know that composite armor has existed for as long as it has. There a lot of signs and artifacts showing what both sides sailors had on them. It was really interesting to see an example of Columbus confederate money. There also is a huge collection of flags from various ships. All of them are preserved so that they will last for a long time. The size of these flags all vary in size and orientation. There are also some torpedoes (mines in today's sense) and a couple of reproduction ships you can walk through. Definitely a place to visit.

Rain in Florida and Georgia changed our plans. Husband suggested these 2 museums in Columbus then Providence Canyon on Friday. The front desk lady seemed excited to actually get customers. There is remnants of a confederate ship that was recovered so that was kinda cool and displays about the recovery. There were other artifacts also. Confederate flags and replica uniforms for sale in the gift shop. A hard no for this Yankee.

Plenty of parking. Museum is nice and quiet. Lots of interesting exhibits and artifacts on display

Excellent little museum dedicated to Civil War era Naval history. In retrospect, in wasn't so much "national" as it was a blend, with a fair amount of local history. Great displays...recovered wrecks, artifacts and original flags. Low cost and worth a stop if you have ANY interest Civil War history.

Saturday 2pm Boyfriend and I were in random adventure mode while waiting to check in to our B&B. We decided to check out the Civil War Naval Museum. + Military discount $6.50; regular admission $7 + No food or drinks allowed past the first 10 feet of the museum, but the admission person was nice and let me leave my just-bought coffee at the front desk - Water Witch was closed by the time we went outside and we could only look from afar (instead of climbing on board the vessel). We read the history and description, which I found confusing, but boyfriend kind of explained. + The game of errors was engaging. The museum explained that they were aware of the grammar errors and etc on their walls and asked patrons to point them out. We were already short on time (2 hours to closing) so did not participate. + The POW exhibit was depressing. It was enlightening and my favorite part was the videos of the POWs telling their stories. + The Civil War timeline needed some dedicated time, which we unfortunately did not have, and we ended up skimming through a lot of the history (and paragraphs). My favorite piece and story in the whole museum was the CSS Albemarle. We had a moment damning Union Army for not acting on critical information the Navy was passing to them. Overall a neat little museum.

The Port Collumbus Civil War naval Center is on Victory Drive in downtown Columbus, Ga. there are replicas of all kinds of ships and so forth here. Admission was like 6.50 per person, but when we told them we drove from all the way up North to visit they gave us the childs admission. It was pretty much a self-guided tour of the museum. they had real-life replicas of ships and iron clads. there was a movie of what it was like to work, sleep and live on an ironclad. it also highlighted the roll that Georgia played in the War. There were all sorts of flags and battle standards of the Navies involved in the war. It featured the salvaged wreck of the CCS Jackson as well as a part of the turret from the USS Monitor. Plus they're building their own full size replica of a blockade runner USS / CSS Water Witch.

This museum is fantastic. Admission is cheap and the staff is very friendly. The artifacts and exhibits on display are absolutely amazing, and the museum is just long enough to give a full picture without overwhelming you. You should absolutely stop by this museum if you are nearby. Only complaint is the quality of the gift store, but that's such a meager issue with an overall fantastic museum.

Excellent exhibits and fascinating, detailed history for 2 senior citizens. Plenty of benches and places to rest, with clear instructions about photography. Actual recovered boats and the flag display was excellently preserved. Explanation of flag preservation was fascinating and made the flag display more meaningful. 4 stars? I think a short (15 minute) introduction...video perhaps...would help with the understanding of a history many of us do not know. Well worth the nominal entrance fee ($6) and i would recommend to everyone.

I really loved this museum. It has a lot of information about the little known Confederate Navy. My reason for 4 stars is because I didn't see much Marine Corps information including the CSMC. They are part of the Navy. I highly recommend stopping in to see this and especially pay attention to their special events. They have an amazing group of volunteers and staff. The gift shop is a must for history buffs. You can actually buy almost complete Civil War Naval uniforms. Thank you for the good time

Review #1: You, like me, are interested in old paraphernalia and abandoned objects. You have a 5-star time gallivanting around entire old shipwreck frames and checking out a plethora of original battleship flags. You become immersed in the stories of each ship and learn more than you ever thought possible about there being naval battles in the Civil War. Skip the replicas, you're in and out in an hour, but you've seen some unforgettable things. Review #2: You use museums as learning tools. You have a 2-star time trying to piece together the disjointed narratives. Many exhibits have no text at all. Explanations are sometimes far from the objects they go with. The path through the museum is not at all clear. Not being interested in giant wooden carcasses, you go out to the replica Water Witch and find nothing there, just an empty replica ship. You come back inside, walk past the big old hunk o' junk, and try to find enough narrative to explain what's going on. You end up spending an hour and a half reading board after board of dry historical narrative punctuated by a few, mostly genuine, artifacts. I had a whale of a time here, but I had to abandon all hope of pursuing a comprehensive learning experience. Just taking it for being a few Confederate ships, naval items, and giant flags, I loved it and feel like I got my money's worth (barely, with AAA discount). If I wanted this to feel like a museum, I would have been sorely disappointed. Caveat emptor.

This place is great. Who knew there was a National Civil War Naval Museum? Who knew there were navies in the Civil War? As it turns out, there were a wide array of combat vessels in operation during the civil war, on both sides. The museum has one of them, full size, in its entirety in the building. It is amazing. The museum has some really fantastic interactive exhibits including my favorite, an exhibit where you walk "inside" a period naval vessel. It also has the largest functional canon remaining from the civil war, which they do fire! They also have a fascinating array of artifacts and weapons from the war. And like another reviewer said, the staff is very friendly. If you have any interest in history or ships, this one's a no-brainer.

Very impressive little museum! My 13yo is a history buff so this was right up his alley. The displays were very nicely done, nice layout, great details. It was nicer than I expected! I particularly enjoyed the new POW display. The admission prices were very fair for this museum.

What a great little museum. The exhibits are interesting and very engaging. It's more than just words on a wall! Loved getting to walk through the recreations of the old ironclads and especially the full size Water Witch outside. The flag gallery is extensive and the one major art piece is fantastic (see the photos I posted). A must-see if you're in Columbus. Would be really great for kids too!

Well organized! Lots of history in an interesting format. I took my son (coincidentally named Jefferson Davis) & his three children. We had a great time. The personnel were welcoming, helpful & friendly. I hope to make a return visit...or two!

My wife and I really enjoyed this unique museum. The displays are well done and very interesting. It provides an in-depth view of Civil War from a navel perspective. Well worth the very reasonable entrance price and the time to go through it. As an aside Columbus Ga is a lovely city that we had never visited.

For a $5-$7 museum it is alright and has a few great things to see, but not much after that. There are 4 main items that people come here to see. The first is the Water Witch, a reproduced steam/sail gunboat that is outside the building and you can walk on. While it looks cool at first, it was kind of a let down. The second thing to see, and in my opinion the best thing is the giant CSS Jackson piece. It is a 180-foot hull piece that was recovered and is displayed in a huge room. It is amazing how people fought a war on this giant wooden boat. The third thing to see is probably the flag collection. A lot on display with the different star counts and you of course cannot forget all of the confederate flags. Lastly, i enjoyed the main gallery featuring a walkthrough of another ship. It had statues depicting the daily life on boats during the war. The civil war was such an important event in American History I really wished this place was bigger. Overall though it is worth a peak .

As a lover of history this place was fantastic. They truly have a fantastic museum that will be enjoyed by everyone. I still remember my greatest experince at the place is last year me and my group of Columbus State University volunteered at the Pirate Festival and we got to shoot a GIANT CANNON, nuff said!

I just took my 17-year-old nephew to this museum and we really enjoyed it. They have some great exhibits and do a really good job of thoroughly explaining the naval aspects of the Civil War. Also, it's a great value! Admission was $6.50 for me and $5.00 for him (student admission). You get a LOT of museum for a low price. After recently visiting the GA Aquarium and being COMPLETELY ripped off by the high price of admission there, I really appreciated the value of the Naval Museum visit. We were there for about 2 1/2 hours and I could have stayed longer but we had some errands to run so had to wrap it up.

This museum is a hidden diamond and is one of the most interesting sites I have been to. The restoration of the artifacts is remarkable and the exhibits are well presented with excellent photos and written histories. When you add this to an extremely friendly staff you have a very pleasurable experience. If you are in town make it a point to visit this museum.

This museum had a lot to see, but much of it seemed repetitive. We really enjoyed ourselves though. Just the enormity of historic treasures! We brought our sons (7 & 11) and they did fairly well before getting bored. There is even a ship replica outside, so it gives the kids a chance to run around.

The remains of the ironclad are impressive but outside of the one ship the rest of the place is uninspiring. If it were free I would say go but with the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning right down the road I would say pass on this unless you are a civil war buff.

The Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center is amazing! My Grandparents came down from Canada for a visit and wanted to see a civil war museum. And I remembered going to Columbus Civil War Naval Center about 10 years ago so we decided that the Naval Center would be a good place to go since I hadn't been there in a while. There was an admission fee of $6.50 per adult, which is a very good price to see some of the exhibits they had on display. We had an amazing time and I plan to go again with the rest of my family. Very educational, highly recommend.

Its a hidden gem in Columbus. The artifacts and legacy of the Naval history of the Civil War is shown in extensive manner in this museum. It has great artifacts especially the gun boat that was sunk in the river located a few miles from Columbus. Its a trip worth taking for any history buff as well as anyone looking for a very interesting often not told story of history.