Medal of Honor Museum Nominated for "Best New Museum" by USA Today’s 10Best Awards
The Medal of Honor Museum at Patriots Point has been nominated by the prestigious USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in the "Best New Museum" category! This national recognition celebrates the Museum’s extraordinary impact, and your vote can help us claim the top spot.
Nestled aboard the historic USS Yorktown, the Medal of Honor Museum reopened in May 2024 after a remarkable $3.5 million renovation to pre-existing 5,000 square feet of space. Funded by the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership, the Museum has been reimagined as a modern, immersive space that inspires and educates visitors of all ages.
Why This Museum Stands Out
The Medal of Honor Museum is more than a military or history museum. It is a tribute to the humanity behind heroism, sharing the life stories and personal details of every Medal of Honor Recipient featured within the exhibits—before, during, and beyond the acts that earned them the nation’s highest military decoration.
Medal of Honor Recipient Leroy Petry has said: "It’s a place where people can not only learn history but find inspiration for their own lives. The stories here show how values like commitment and integrity can lead to remarkable outcomes."
These stories reveal that ordinary people have the capacity to achieve the extraordinary. By exploring Recipients’ challenges and triumphs in earning the Medal, the Museum demonstrates how courage, sacrifice, and integrity are within us all. It challenges visitors to aspire to something greater than themselves and honors the timeless values embodied by the Medal, propelling the best of American ideals.
An Immersive & Inspirational Experience
With Patriots Point drawing in over 400,000 visitors annually, the Museum offers:
- 124 Medal of Honor Recipients highlighted through interactive exhibits that bring Medal of Honor stories to life.
- 23 Medals of Honor on display, all awarded to Recipients, showcasing the physical symbol of valor and sacrifice.
- Personal, oral narratives showcasing the humanity and leadership of Recipients. The Museum owns the largest oral history collection of Medal of Honor Recipients, capturing firsthand accounts of courage and humanity.
- Educational displays that inspire courage, sacrifice, and service to others.
The Museum is a space for reflection, education, and action, encouraging every guest to consider how they can make a difference in their communities and beyond.
“This Museum is filled with the stories of Americans just like you and me—ordinary people who raised their right hand, put on the uniform, and stepped forward to defend our country. These Recipients represent all of us, coming from every walk of life and even from other nations. Some, like Tibor Rubin—a Holocaust survivor who became a U.S. citizen—went on to earn the Medal of Honor for extraordinary acts, such as his service in Korea,” shared Medal of Honor Recipient Ryan Pitts.
“My hope is that when people walk through the Museum, they not only see what we’re capable of when called upon and how individuals can rise to the occasion but also recognize themselves in these stories. I hope they leave inspired to take what they’ve learned back to their communities and find their own ways to serve.”
Be Part of This Historic Recognition
The Medal of Honor Museum’s nomination for Best New Museum highlights its transformative mission. Winning this award would amplify the Museum’s message of ‘honoring the sacrifice and inspiring the future’ while bringing greater awareness to the incredible stories it tells.
How You Can Help
Voting for the USA Today 10Best Awards is open daily until December 23! Your vote will help the Medal of Honor Museum receive the recognition it deserves as a powerful tribute to the heroism, humanity, and hope provided by our nation’s service members, especially through the fewer than 4,000 who have gone “above and beyond the call of duty.”
Cast your vote today and share this inspiring effort with friends and family! Together, we can honor the legacy of the Medal of Honor and inspire future generations to live lives in service to something greater than themselves.
About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is committed to honoring and preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor — the United States’ highest military award for valor in combat — and those who have received it. Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Society’s exclusive membership includes all living Medal of Honor Recipients, who continue to embody the values of courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship.
Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s programs at cmohs.org/.