Featuring naval uniforms and accessories from the early 1900s to the present, and the country's largest archive of boot camp-related photographs, the collection tells the story of the American Sailor in the United States Navy.

The National Museum of the American Sailor is located at Naval Station Great Lakes, the home of the Navy's only "Boot Camp."

In 2008, the museum moved into its current location in Building 42, the Hostess House, which was designed in 1942 by prominent architect Gordon Bunshaft of the prestigious architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM).

During World War II, the facility served as a welcome center for almost one million Sailors who entered boot camp before joining the fleet.

The museum also offers guided tours, a lecture series, military band concerts, and STEM-based educational programing.