USS Providence
A replica of the sloop USS Providence will represent the Navy of the Revolutionary War.
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The Navy 250th Celebration
An unmatchable commemoration of Navy history.
In October 2025, Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Navy’s founding on October 13, 1775, by an unprecedented display of Navy history. We will assemble on the Delaware River historical, replica, and active-duty ships representing every major war which the Navy has fought: the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the subsequent conflicts in the Middle East.
The Delaware is the best and indeed only location for this unequaled exhibition of Navy history, as Philadelphia has preserved the USS Olympia, the sole surviving ship from the Spanish-American War (which also served in World War I), and Camden, its New Jersey neighbor, has preserved the USS New Jersey, the only battleship to fight in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and the Middle East, and the most decorated Navy ship afloat.
The Navy of the Revolutionary War will be represented by a replica of the USS Providence, one of the original Navy ships. The Navy of the War of 1812 will be represented by the USS Niagara, victor of the Battle of Lake Erie and the Pennsylvania State Flagship. The Navy of the Civil War will be represented by a newly-constructed replica of the Union’s most famous vessel, the USS Monitor. In addition to the New Jersey, the Navy of World War II and the Cold War will be represented by the USS Becuna submarine. The Navy of the Gulf War to the present will be represented by active-duty Navy ships and submarines. The Navy’s 250th will also be celebrated with ceremonies, parades, flyovers, reenactments, and exhibits on both sides of the Delaware, including at Independence Hall, The Tun, and other historic Philadelphia sites.
Join us to give the Navy a spectacular and historic 250th celebration!
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Ships That Will Join the Celebration
USS Niagara
The brig USS Niagara will represent the Navy of the War of 1812.
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USS Monitor
The Monitor was the first armored, turreted vessel, setting the pattern that would dominate naval warfare for many decades.
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USS Olympia
The USS Olympia, the only ship remaining from the Spanish-American War and one of two remaining from the First World War, will represent the Navy of those wars in the Navy and…
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USS Becuna
The Independence Seaport Museum also operates the museum submarine USS Becuna, which fought in World War II and in the Cold War.
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USS New Jersey
To assemble ships representing the Navy in all its major conflicts, no site is better than the Delaware River, because it hosts the USS New Jersey, the only battleship to fight in…
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