NOAA and the U.S. Navy successfully recovered the Monitor’s revolving gun turret-the world’s first-on August 5, 2002. Photo: NOAA Monitor Collection

Saving History: The USS Monitor

NOAA protects the wreck of one of the most famous vessels in U.S. history: the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.

Best known for its battle with the Confederate ironclad Virginia in Hampton Roads, Virginia, on March 9, 1862, the Monitor was a technological marvel that revolutionized naval warfare.

Since 1975, when the Monitor was designated the first national marine sanctuary, NOAA and its partners have worked to recover and conserve artifacts from the vessel, including the propeller, steam engine, and revolving gun turret. Through underwater archaeology and state-of-the-art marine technology, NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary strives to preserve this significant part of our maritime heritage for future generations.

Artifacts recovered from the Monitor are on display at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia. The Monitor has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.