There's a lot that happens on the deck of the USS Lexington Museum. You feel the Gulf breeze, you take in the scale of the ship, and somewhere in the back of your mind you start to grasp the weight of everything this carrier has seen. But step inside the Women of the Navy exhibit, and something shifts. The history stops being distant. It becomes something you can touch, hear, and feel, and by the time you walk out, it's something you carry with you.

What is the Women of the Navy Exhibit?

The Women of the Navy exhibit onboard the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas honors the contributions and achievements of women who have served in the U.S. Navy since the founding of the Navy Nurse Corps in 1908. That's over 115 years of service, courage, and history that hasn't always gotten the spotlight it deserves, and this exhibit is here to change that. The exhibit is designed to celebrate that service, inspire future generations, build pride in our military, and spark genuine interest in American and women's history. From there, the story expands across more than a century, through two World Wars, through decades of shifting roles and expanding opportunities, all the way to the women who serve today as pilots, commanders, and admirals. Seeing it laid out generation by generation has a way of making you feel the full weight of what these women accomplished, and how many of them it took to get here. It's not a quiet walk through glass cases. It's immersive, it's interactive, and it pulls you in from the moment you step inside. These stories deserve to be told, and this exhibit makes sure they are.

What to Expect Inside the Exhibit

This isn't your standard museum display. The Women of the Navy exhibit is built to engage, and every feature inside it earns its place. Here are some things you can expect to see within the exhibit:

Holographic storytelling and talking picture frames
These interactive elements share real accounts from real servicewomen, in their own words, with their own voices. Hearing a woman describe her experience in the Navy makes history feel immediate in a way that reading a plaque never could. These are real people with real stories, and the exhibit makes sure you feel that.
Touch-screen timelines and digital learning stations
These stations let you move through history at your own pace. Want to spend extra time on World War II? Go deep. More curious about women in modern naval aviation? Dive in. The exhibit meets you wherever your curiosity takes you.
A virtual uniform changing station
Digitally try on uniforms worn by women during different eras of naval service. It sounds simple, but it hits differently than you'd expect. Seeing yourself — or your kid — in the uniform of a woman who served decades ago closes a distance that history can sometimes feel like it creates.
A flight simulator
This element rounds out the experience, giving visitors a firsthand taste of naval aviation. It's the kind of hands-on moment that turns a museum visit into a memory.
 

An Growing Exhibit of Stories

Here's what sets this exhibit apart from anything else on the ship: it's not finished. And it's not supposed to be. Visitors are encouraged to share stories of women in their own families who served in the Navy. Those names and histories get added directly to the interactive timeline and map displays, making the exhibit a living, community-driven tribute that grows richer every time someone walks through the door. The full history of women in the Navy isn't only held in archives. It lives in family photo albums, in letters, in the memories of daughters and granddaughters who grew up hearing pieces of a story that was never quite fully told. The USS Lexington Museum is changing that, one submission at a time. You're not just visiting this exhibit. You're part of it.

About the USS Lexington Museum

The USS Lexington has been anchored on Corpus Christi Bay since 1992 and has spent decades being exactly what a museum should be: a keeper of stories. Step aboard and explore the legacy of this historic WWII aircraft carrier, nicknamed the Blue Ghost. The ship is packed with hands-on experiences, from escape rooms and virtual battle stations to a flight simulator and 3D theater. Navigate narrow passageways, climb steep ladders, and get a close look at vintage aircraft, including the original F-14 Tomcat featured in the movie Top Gun. This floating museum is a must for history buffs and adventure seekers alike, and there's no more fitting home for an exhibit that brings one of the Navy's most important untold stories to life.

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