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<\/a>Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego is celebrating its first year anniversary this month. (Navy SEAL Museum)<\/p>\nQ: How many exhibits do you currently have, and which parts have been most popular with the public?<\/p>\n
A: Rather than a collection of separate exhibits, the \u201cShowcase\u201d is designed as a connected journey through nearly 80 years of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) history \u2014 from its origins in World War II through the modern SEAL and Special Warfare Combat Crewmen (SWCC) community.<\/p>\n
Visitors consistently gravitate toward experiences that put them closer to the people behind that history. Our immersive theater presents a film on a 270-degree wraparound screen that places guests inside the world of Naval Special Warfare. Built from rare NSW footage, including declassified information from missions, never-before-seen training video and interviews with SEALs and SWCC personnel, the film conveys the intensity, teamwork and sacrifice this profession demands, centered on the values of discipline, commitment, responsibility and service.<\/p>\n
Our virtual-reality experience is one of our most popular, putting guests in the middle of a hostage rescue mission alongside a SEAL team. Visitors are also drawn to artifacts such as our suspended SEAL Delivery Vehicle, a mini-submarine used to carry SEALs underwater to their missions undetected.<\/p>\n
But some of our most powerful experiences are surprisingly simple. Our docents, many of whom are SEAL veterans, bring the history to life in a way technology simply cannot. The artifact may begin the conversation, but the human story is what people remember.<\/p>\n
Q: Have you received any memorable feedback or interaction from visitors this past year?<\/p>\n A: We receive extraordinary feedback, but one observation captured exactly what we hoped to accomplish.<\/p>\n KPBS journalist John Carroll visited as part of his\u202fMuseum A Month series and described what he found as an unexpected message from a museum:\u202f\u201cCome to learn about Navy SEALs. Leave with a desire to make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n That meant a great deal to us because it gets to our \u201cso what?\u201d We certainly want people to leave knowing more about Naval Special Warfare, but if all we do is teach people about SEALs, we haven\u2019t fully realized the opportunity. We want visitors, particularly young people, to ask themselves:\u202fWhat can I take from this? How can I be a better teammate? Where can I serve? How can I contribute to something greater than myself?<\/p>\n That service might be in uniform, but it could just as easily be in a classroom, a neighborhood, a nonprofit, a business or a family.<\/p>\n Q: Have you introduced anything new since you first opened a year ago?<\/p>\n A: Absolutely. One of the reasons we built the \u201cShowcase\u201d was to learn and evolve.<\/p>\n We continue refining the visitor experience, but perhaps the most important growth has been in programming beyond traditional museum visitation. We are expanding educational experiences for school groups around leadership, character, teamwork and service; engaging with San Diego law enforcement on youth and leadership programs; and developing relationships with other organizations that can help us broaden our community impact.<\/p>\n We are also working collaboratively with the USS Midway Museum and Maritime Museum of San Diego. Collectively, there is a tremendous opportunity to make San Diego\u2019s waterfront an even stronger maritime, historical and cultural destination.<\/p>\n<\/a>Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego is celebrating its first year anniversary this month. (Navy SEAL Museum)<\/p>\n