Gunston Hall

Gunston Hall Review

Gunston Hall. Eighteen miles south on I-95, next to the Marine Corps Base Quantico, the glassy atrium of the National Museum of the Marine Corps soars into the sky. The design for this 118,000-square-foot homage to the military's finest was inspired by the iconic photograph of Marines lifting the American flag on Iwo Jima. Inside the museum, visitors are able to see the flag itself, as well as experience the life of a Marine. The museum is completely interactive, from the entrance where drill instructors yell at new "recruits" in surround-sound, to the Korean War exhibit, where visitors walk through a snowy mountain pass and shiver from the cold while listening to the 2nd Platoon fight on the other side of the mountain. The museum also has a staggering collection of tanks, aircraft, rocket launchers, and other weapons. There is even a rifle range simulator ($5) where guests of all ages can learn how to hold a rifle and practice hitting targets. Ooh-rah!