It is perhaps unsurprising that the US Naval Academy Museum is a museum about the US Navy. What is surprising is that it’s an excellent museum.
You have to enter the US Naval Academy grounds, which is its own process. Google Maps told me to enter at Gate 3, which is not open to the public. It turns out there’s a visitor’s center with a small parking lot. However, if you’re going to tour Annapolis, you’ll probably park somewhere else and walk here. Just go to the visitor’s center, not Gate 3.
You’ll go through security, then once inside the grounds, you’ll have to walk across much of the length of the Academy to reach the museum, which is housed in an unassuming building in the middle of the quad.
It’s worth it, though. There are exhibits on a number of America’s central conflicts, including not only the big names but also the War of 1812 and the Spanish-American War. You’ll see plenty of model ships and information on the Navy’s role in both wartime and peacetime.
Cost: Free. Closed on Tuesdays, otherwise generally open during regular business hours
Conditions: Cold but clear.