Sea-bee - Museums

Museums

See also: Naval Base Ventura County#U.S. Navy Seabee Museum and U.S. Navy Museum#Other Navy museums

The U. S. Navy Seabee Museum is located at Naval Base Ventura County, California. The new museum – built by Carlsbad-based RQ Construction – opened on 22 July 2011, located outside the base itself, near the entrance to the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme, California. Due to the location, visitors are able to visit the museum without having to enter the base itself.

The design of the single-story, 38,833 square foot structure was inspired by the Seabee Quonset Hut. Inside are galleries for exhibition space, a grand hall, a theater for 45 people, collections storage, and research areas.

On February 7, 2011, the Museum was certified as LEED Silver for utilizing a number of sustainable design and construction strategies. Features include the use of low-maintenance landscaping; a “cool” roofing system with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance; use of photocell controlled light fixtures and energy-efficient lighting fixtures; 30% use of regional materials and 80% construction debris was recycled and diverted from landfills; low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); and, use of dual-flush toilets and low-flow aerator faucets.

The Seabee Museum and Memorial Park, in Davisville, Rhode Island, was opened in the late 1990s by a group of former Seabees. The Fighting Seabee Statue is located here.

The Seabee Heritage Center is located in Building 446 at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (Gulfport, Mississippi). The Heritage Center is the Atlantic Coast Annex of the Seabee Museum in Port Hueneme. Opened in 1995, the Museum Annex commemorates the history and achievements of the Atlantic Coast Naval Construction Force (Seabees) and the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps. Exhibits at the Gulfport Annex are provided by the Seabee Museum in Port Hueneme.