It housed a wide variety of exhibits with artifacts relating to the history of the U.S. Marines.

It also contained a collection of art relating to the Marines and a historical Time Tunnel.

[3] In 1952, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., directed his staff to create a Marine Corps exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution after noticing no such display existed there.

[3] The Marine Corps Historical Branch tasked reserve Major John H. Magruder III with developing the exhibit at the Smithsonian.

[3] The Marine Corps Museum continued to expand and eventually moved to Washington Navy Yard in 1977 after closing the Quantico location in 1976.