The West Point Museum, considered the oldest military museum in the United States, originally opened to the sJ public in 1854. It offers a large and diverse collection that represents every American conflict, as well as warfare in general. British artifacts brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga, N. Y., in 1777 were the basis of the collection, and West Point was designated by executive order after the Mexican War (1846-48) as the permanent depository of war trophies.
The museum's collection of weaponry, armor, uniforms and military art is vast, featuring one of the finest military smallarms collections in existence. As one would expect, its collection of items related to West Point as a military facility and later as a military academy is unmatched.
Situated adjacent to the U.S. Military Academy Visitors Center on the grounds of the former Ladycliff College, the museum is housed in Olmsted Hall, named for Maj. Gen. George H. Olmsted, West Point class of 1922. It offers approximately 135 exhibits on four floors of exhibition galleries. The West Point Museum is open daily - with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day - from 10:30 A.M. to 4:15 p.m. Admission is free.
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