August 21st – 27th, the U.S. Navy will be in Lincoln to celebrate Navy Week, with activities scheduled all week. The Nebraska History Museum is excited to host Navy Day at the Museum Wednesday, August 23rd, from 9 am – 8 pm.
Visit the Museum any time during the day and see displays from the Navy, featuring the Navy History and Heritage Command and the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command. You can also learn more about the historic USS Constitution, see photographs of the ship, a sample sleeping hammock used by sailors, “infamous” ship biscuits, and samples of wood used to build the ship! You can also learn how to tie a certain type of knot used by sailors!
The Museum will also be open for special evening hours and welcome the Navy Band Woodwind Quartet and USS Constitution presentations.
Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 5-18.
Don’t miss the chance to learn more about the U.S. Navy and listen to music from the renowned Navy Band! Click here to learn more about Navy Week in Lincoln.
More about the Navy Band Great Lakes
Under the operational control of Naval Service Training Command, Navy Band Great Lakes is the Navy’s musical ambassador across 11 states in the Midwest. The oldest of the Navy’s “fleet” bands and the second oldest official Navy band currently in operation, Navy Band Great Lakes was founded in 1911 as a small drum and bugle corps. It was then taken over during WWI by the inimitable Lieutenant Commander John Philip Sousa, who had previously led the President’s Own Marine Corps Band in Washington, DC. He built the band up to 300 members, touring the entire nation to support the war effort. He also ran a Navy School of Music, training over 1,500 Navy Musicians to serve on ships across the fleet. After seeing a performance of the band at that time, President Woodrow Wilson referred to Navy Band Great Lakes as “America’s Band.” Today, the 45 Navy Band Great Lakes members support 250 public and military events annually, including the weekly Recruit Training graduation ceremonies when the Navy’s newest enlist members officially become Sailors in the world’s finest Naval force.
More about the command of the USS Constitution
The officers and crew of the USS CONSTITUTION, “Old Ironsides”, are charged with promoting, protecting, and preserving the ship. This responsibility brings with it a certain obligation to foster a healthy civil-military relationship through active participation in sailing and public events around America and limited underway demonstrations, so the people of the United States may visit and learn from the historic United States Ship CONSTITUTION.
We achieve this by keeping the ship open for daily tours, community outreach through color guards, funeral services, and parades around the Boston area. Also, upon request, the ship is available to hold retirement, promotion, and commissioning ceremonies, as well as overnight events with groups of boy scouts.
Our most important events are by far our “Turnaround Cruise” on the Fourth of July. We take the ship out on the Boston Harbour for a cruise with guests that had been chosen to be on board through a national lottery.
