If your summer travel plans include a day or weekend touring the nation’s capital, consider breaking away from the crowds on the National Mall and making a short detour to the Washington Navy Yard (WNY)—particularly if you or someone in your family is a history buff.

Rooted in the up-and-coming southeast waterfront area of the city along the Anacostia River, the Navy’s oldest installation offers a number of attractions and plenty of history.

Located at 8th and M Streets SE is the original Latrobe Gate, the oldest continuously guarded Marine sentry post in the nation, and one of the few structures to escape the fire that destroyed much of the Yard during the British invasion in 1814.

Display Ship Barry

One of the key attractions at WNY is the Display Ship Barry, a decommissioned Forrest Sherman class-destroyer now serving as a floating museum. Commissioned in 1956, the ship is the fourth to be named for Commodore John Barry. She saw service around the world and earned two battle stars for action in Vietnam.

Visitors can take free tours of the ship’s bridge and many of the internal crew areas and learn about the history of the ship. The DS Barry is currently closed for cleaning, but will reopen Monday. Visiting hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Arrangements for group tours should be made by calling 202-433-3091.

National Museum of the U.S. Navy

The other mainstay for visitors to WNY is the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, housed in the former Naval Gun Factory next to Admiral Willard Park. Each year, nearly 100,000 people visit the museum, which houses a plethora of historic artifacts and displays from throughout the entire history of the U.S. Navy from 1775 to present.

Some of the museum’s collection includes USS Constitution’s fighting top, the khaki uniform of Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, and the world’s deepest diving submersible, the Trieste; among many other permanent and rotating exhibits. Outside the museum in Willard Park are other historic naval artifacts, including an impressive 14-inch railway gun built at WNY for use in World War I.

Cold War Gallery

While making your tour, be sure to check out the nearby Cold War Gallery, where visitors can learn about post-World War II history and naval activity between the United States and Russia, including the birth of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. More information: 202-433-4882 or www.history.navy.mil/nmusn.

Navy Library

Another hotspot for history fans is the Navy Library, which houses special and rare collections including early military periodicals, manuscript collections, and cruise books, among more than 200,000 other volumes. Other resources include an online catalog, microfilm reader and internet access for research.

The library is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. More information: 202-433-4132.

Since WNY is a secure military installation, base access may change without notice. All non-military and non-DOD visitors must check in at the Visitor’s Center at the 11th and O Street SE gate on weekdays or use the 6th and M Street SE gate on weekends. The Visitor’s Center is open 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. More information: 202-433-3738.

WNY is accessible by traveling to the Navy Yard/Ballpark stop on the metro’s green line, or the Eastern Market stop on the blue and orange lines. Personal vehicles are not permitted on WNY during the week. Fee-based parking is available at 6th and M Street SE.

For more information on WNY, visit http://cnic.navy.mil/regions/ndw/installations/nsa_washington.html.