Taking A Tour Through American History At The NRA National Firearms Museum

History can hold a certain love-hate relationship. However, it’s part of who we are and where we came from. It’s important to learn, to understand and appreciate it. 

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, public school students are required to take the Standards of Learning test, more commonly known as the SOL. This standardized test is administered to grades K-12 to address the core subject areas: English, Math, Science and History/Social Science, setting forth expectations of learning. 

Well luckily for Virginians, there is a free resource available that offers the necessary information to cover the history/social science section of this test. 

This resource is the NRA’s National Firearms Museums located in Fairfax, Virginia. 

A free museum located outside the bustling city, offering a free guided tour, free parking and classroom space – making it a one-stop shop for educational adventures. 

Firearms have played a large role in history. From the settlement of the thirteen colonies to World War II, there’s a story to be told. The NRA National Firearms Museum lays out Virginia, and U.S. history in a way that is visual and comprehensible to even the youngest of students, making it an extremely attractive place of learning. 

“The history of Virginia is inexorably linked to the history and development of firearms,” Senior Curator of NRA Museums Phil Schreier explains.

With the goal of ensuring students and teachers could take advantage of this history in a comprehensive way, NRA’s National Firearms Museum covers 65% of the K-12 public school curriculum.

“In 1993 when we started designing the museum we wanted to incorporate as much of the history and social studies offered in the Virginia SOL’s into the text of the museum,” says Schreier. “We thought this would make the museum a field trip attraction to the school systems, allowing exposure to the curriculum.”

A trip to the museum can be easily coordinated. Educators can coordinate with the museum to determine the best exhibits to cover their areas of study or whether a private tour is necessary. All which is free to schools.

“If they would like a guided tour from one of the curators it would be easily done for free,” Schreier explains. “Generally if a group is bringing over 30 people we only ask that you let us know so we can get a second curator involved.”

So where should the next school field trip be? We know! The NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia! 

If this is something you or your school would be interested in, contact Katie Hoppe at (703) 267-1620 and let your journey through firearms history begin. 

(Photo courtesy/NRA National Firearms Museum)