Jutting into the water on the Virginia Peninsula, the city of Newport News has played an important part in the maritime history of the United States. A leader in shipbuilding since 1886, the booming shipyard is still producing nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. Learn about naval history and the Golden Age Exploration at The Mariners' Museum, with 60,000 square feet of rare maps, nautical instruments and the USS Monitor Center, preserving the remains of the first ironclad warship.