On a recent March Sunday while that cloudy, cold wind coming off the Rappahannock River was casting a chill over the town of Urbanna, we decided it was a perfect day to visit a museum. We had not been to the Mariners Museum in Newport News in more than 40 years and decided it was time for the native, Chip Buxton, and me to return.
The changes we saw were amazing and we were happy we had planned such an interesting visit. The best part of the museum was the new “Monitor” wing, which presented a display and explanation of the “Battle of the Ironclads,” the “Monitor” and “Merrimac,” which took place during the Civil War in Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862.
The Battle Theater at the museum has an ongoing movie every 30 minutes that explains the event in living color. All those who attend — expect lots of cannon booms as the sea battle rages on between the two iron ships for four hours finally ending in a draw…