VISITOR INFORMATION

Group Visit Information
Reservations are requested for all groups wishing to visit the Museum to help ensure the highest quality experience for everyone. You will need a reservation if your group:

• is larger than 25 people
• will be arriving by motorcoach
• will be arriving by other large vehicles such as a school bus or 15-passenger van

If the above does not apply to you, please go to Individual and Family Visit options.

To request a visit date and time for students in groups of more than 12 (including home schoolers, church groups, Scouts, Young Marines, and other youth groups): Download the Youth Group Visit Reservation Form and fax it to 703-432-0029, or fill in the form online and email to education@usmcmuseum.org . The Museum‘s Education Department will email pre- and post-visit materials for your use in preparing your visit or for fun on the bus ride home. We do not schedule ‘guided tours’ for youth groups. For additional assistance, call 703-784-6121.

To schedule lunch for your group in the Mess Hall or pre-order box lunches for the bus ride back to school, call Pam Dodson at the number below.

To request a reservation for adult groups (including reunions, military ceremonies, diplomatic VIPs, church and senior groups), or for information regarding receptions, luncheons at the Museum please contact Pam Dodson at 703-649-2350 or via email at dodson@marineheritage.org. If you are interested in scheduling an after-hours function at the Museum, please call Rebecca Young at 703-649-2352 or email young@marineheritage.org for personal assistance.

Important to Know:

• Bus drivers may discharge their passengers at the entrance to the Museum and then proceed to the designated bus parking area. Bus drivers are welcome to visit the Museum, there is no entry fee.
• Our ability to welcome groups is controlled by the limited number of designated bus/coach parking spaces. If we don’t know you are coming, those few spaces may be occupied when you arrive.
• There may be special events, ceremonies, or other activities in the Museum that can affect our ability to accommodate groups as planned. We appreciate your allowing us to offer alternate activities and venues if, for example, the Classroom is unavailable for your field trip group.
• We do not schedule docent-led “guided tours” of the Museum for groups in advance. The exhibits have been designed as immersive experiences involving sights and sounds and motion and temperature changes and other interactive surprises that are revealed as the visitor proceeds on their own self-paced discovery.
• There are trained Volunteers and Docents stationed at posts throughout the Museum to answer questions and provide additional information about their area.

Individual and Family Visits

• Free docent-led tours of the Museum for individuals and families leave from the Leatherneck Gallery at 10:00 AM, 12:00 and 2:00 PM. No advance reservation is required.
• Complimentary wheelchairs are available upon request at the Visitors Information Desk in limited numbers, on a “first come” basis.
• Educational activities and handouts relating to the month’s theme are available at the Front Desk.
• The Museum fully complies with the regulations of the American With Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Facilities for recharging Electric Mobility Scooters are available.

Lost and Found
If after your visit to the Museum, you determine that you have lost a personal item while here, please send an e-mail to james.l.ryan@usmc.mil with a description of the item. Items found at the Museum and its grounds are catalogued by the security team and placed in secure storage for 30 days. If unclaimed, the items are disposed of appropriately.

Photography Policy:
The National Museum of the Marine Corps encourages you to take photographs and video during your visit. Flash photography is NOT allowed in the vicinity of the Iwo Jima flag, and the area is posted accordingly. The Museum reserves the right to post other areas as needed to ensure that fragile objects are protected.

Photographers using tri-pods or similar devices should be respectful of others. On especially busy days, the Museum may restrict use of such devices to ensure visitor safety and the flow of foot traffic throughout the galleries.