Maine
Arlington National Cemetery’s new exhibit showcases rare artifact from USS Maine explosion
ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — There’s a new exhibit at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), showcasing a rare artifact from the USS Maine, a U.S. Navy ship that exploded in the Havana Harbor in 1898.
The exhibit’s centerpiece is a wooden fragment of the Maine’s spar mast, which survived the explosion that claimed more than 260 lives and ultimately led to the Spanish-American War. The piece was recovered after the ship sank, ANC said.
The fragment was donated by the Pascack Historical Society in New Jersey in 2023.
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“The Maine was one of the most famous ships in American military history,” Arlington National Military Cemeteries Command Curator Roderick Gainer said, “and its destruction was a critical event in our nation’s history.”
The new exhibit is located in the Memorial Amphitheater Display Room, which is just behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza. It is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.