THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

The Navy SEAL Museum San Diego will inspire visitors with a unique view into the covert world of Navy SEALs. Guests will get an inside look into the rigorous and grueling training SEALs endure, with a new appreciation for what is asked of these warriors.

Interactive galleries will provide guests the opportunity to explore the sacrifice, service, and commitment of Navy SEALs. Through dynamic missions of their own creation using virtual and augmented reality, visitors will experience the exhilaration and intrigue of the Special Operations Forces world, immersed in history, inspired with an authentic understanding of the covert world of Navy SEALs and their predecessors.

Becoming a Navy SEAL takes determination, grit, adaptability, courage, focus, and fortitude. Visitors will be able to dive into the SEAL mindset and motivations, discovering relatable qualities they can apply to their own lives and challenges.

EXHIBITIONS

Each exhibition will inspire visitors with a unique view into the world of the Navy SEALs, individuals who–despite great challenges and adversity–accomplish incredible feats through intensive training, perseverance, teamwork, and adaptability.

OVERALL PLANS

Visitors will be able to touch, feel, and engage with unique merchandise, using a kiosk for special customization and personalization. The store will carry an exclusive selection of inventory to take home, keepsakes following a memorable museum experience.

ETHOS EXHIBIT

“I am that warrior.”
“My word is my bond.”
“I am never out of the fight.”
“My training is never complete.”

These are just a few tenants from the Navy SEAL Ethos that guide the discipline, training ethic, and character of Navy SEALs. Guests will experience up close and personal what these words mean and the weight they carry among the Brotherhood.

HONOR WALL

Honoring fallen Frogmen from World War II to the present day who have sacrificed all for country in training or combat, the Honor Wall will display more than 300 names of these selfless men. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn more about each of these heroes.

IMMERSIVE MEDIA | THE SEAL MINDSET

This immersive experience will introduce visitors to the mental grit and indomitable mindset of the Navy SEAL. Visitors will come face-to-face with the discipline, perseverance, and intensity it takes to become–and succeed–as a Navy SEAL.

Inspiring vignettes with activated media will allow each guest an immersive, personal experience, built on historic facts while encouraging one’s own imagination for the highest level of engagement, enjoyment, and education. The scenes will show SEAL training and teamwork, under intense pressure and unsavory conditions. Through auditory media, the warrior within will come to life, as each vignette will focus on a unique aspect of the Navy SEAL mindset and the devout personal commitment to success.

Training during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S), underwater navigation, reconnaissance, and demolition, jumping out of a plane, or boarding a hijacked vessel, these immersive experiences will be conveyed to the visitor through themes of adaptability, teamability, and perseverance.

Media walls will feature content highlighting the history of SEALs, with unique displays of contemporary artifacts and scaled models. Visitors will understand the development and progress of SEALs through time, a formidable group still writing history today.

TELLING THE STORY OF THE SEAL TEAMS THROUGH TIME

What is it like to be a Navy SEAL? What exactly do SEALs do? What motivates a SEAL? Which qualities are necessary to persevere during the rigors of training? Through first person accounts, immersive media, interactive exhibits, and activated artifacts, the story of the Navy SEALs will come to life throughout the galleries, as told though a chronological collection from World War II to the present day.

Interactive media, activated artifacts, historic maps, and compelling interviews from featured iconic missions of each era will provide the visitor with the most dynamic and authentic experience.

Beginning with their origins in WWII, the predecessors to today SEALs will be brought to the forefront of the fascinating story, unfolding history operation by operation, beginning with the beaches of Normandy.

Korea will be highlighted as the next era, with insights into the continued evolution of the Frogman with special reconnaissance, Hell Boxes, inflatable boats, and dry suits.
The era of the Vietnam War saw SEALs come into their own as the “Men with Green Faces” and their exceptional command of the jungles and deltas.

The Cold War presented unique challenges for SEALs, with countless conflicts. Included in this history lesson will be Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War, and Somalia, to name a few.

The Global War on Terror will feature the role of SEALs in Afghanistan and Iraq, their relentless pursuit of the preservation of freedom through Sea, Air, or Land, and how the warrior has continued to adapt to the challenges of a changing world.

Present Day will feature the role of SEALs today and their relevance into the future safeguarding our freedom.

THEMES WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE GALLERIES

Grit & Never Quit: Visitors will experience an inside look into the rigorous and unbelievably grueling training that SEALs undergo, with a focus on the mindset and mental toughness required to advance through selection.

Teamability: Visitors will gain an abundant appreciation of the commitment of Navy SEALs to the success of the team over the individual, with special emphasis on the power of working together to accomplish the mission.

Adaptability & Creativity: Visitors will be introduced to the adaptability of SEALs and how it is cultivated at all levels of training, from the organization at large to each SEAL Team, beginning with the individual warrior.

Versatility & Lifelong Learning: Visitors will explore the myriad physical and technical skills that SEALs must master and continue to build upon to carry out their assignments. Guests will experience specific examples of those skills in action.