Ranking: 49 (49th most expensive in the US and Washington, DC)

Annual cost of raising a child: $17,870

Annual day care costs: $8,771

Food costs: $1,897

In Alabama, parents spend an average of 17.1% of their income to raise a child, which is the seventh lowest percentage among all states.

The state also ranked third in the lowest day care expenses.

Ranking: 18

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,921

Annual day care costs: $11,760

Food costs: $2,342

Alaska parents face some of the highest added costs in the country when factoring a child into their expenses. The state ranks third for extra rent and food costs each year at $4,620 and $2,342, respectively, and second for transportation costs at $3,462.

However, health insurance premiums are lower than in other states; Alaska ranks the sixth-lowest in that category, with parents spending an additional $2,486 on average each year.

Ranking: 20

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,354

Annual day care costs: $14,040

Food costs: $1,807

Parents in Arizona might see smaller additional rent and food costs when factoring in a child, with the state ranking seventh lowest in both. Still, added costs for health insurance premiums are among the highest in the nation, ranking third, with parents spending an annual average of $4,929.

Ranking: 48

Annual cost of raising a child: $18,642

Annual day care costs: $8,869

Food costs: $1,735

Arkansas ranked lowest for the added cost of children's apparel to parents' expenses. The state also ranked among the lowest five for food and childcare costs.

Ranking: 5

Annual cost of raising a child: $30,059

Annual day care costs: $19,547

Food costs: $2,023

While parenting in California comes with a high price tag in some areas, parents also experience some areas of relief compared to other states. Per the LendingTree report, there are relatively low additional rent costs when raising a child compared to other states, and higher tax credits.

But parents in California face the highest apparel costs in the country, as well as the second-highest health insurance premiums.

The state also has the 10-highest average day care costs, according to the report.

Ranking: 10

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,922

Annual day care costs: $19,573

Food costs: $2,035

Colorado is ranked among the top 10 most expensive states to raise a child. Parents may face higher day care costs than in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest in the country.

However, added transportation costs are more affordable in the state, with Colorado ranking sixth-lowest.

Ranking: 11

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,899

Annual day care costs: $17,888

Food costs: $2,111

Connecticut parents face higher costs in several areas, with the state ranking 10th highest for additional rent when factoring in a child, and eighth highest for food.

However, parents also spend a lower portion of their income on raising a child each year: 17.6% on average, the eighth-lowest in the country.

Ranking: 23

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,804

Annual day care costs: $14,995

Food costs: $1,951

Delaware falls near the middle of the pack for the overall costs of raising a child in the US. Additional rent costs are among the lowest compared to other states, but additional expenses for food, transportation, and day care fall in the middle of all states.

Ranking: 9

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,186

Annual day care costs: $25,480

Food costs: $2,378

Parents in the District of Columbia saw the biggest decrease in child-rearing costs since the 2023 study.

DC has the lowest added rent cost, at a negative difference of $4,284, where parents on average pay less than their childless peers. DC parents also face the lowest added transportation costs in the country at $1,919, and spend the lowest portion of income on raising a child at 14%.

However, DC also has the highest day care and added health insurance premiums costs in the country, and faces the second-highest added food costs, per LendingTree.

Ranking: 26

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,241

Annual day care costs: $12,639

Food costs: $2,054

While Florida parents might save on transportation, as the state ranks third-lowest with parents spending an added $2,754, they also face higher health insurance premiums, ranking seventh highest in that category.

Ranking: 45

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,162

Annual day care costs: $11,066

Food costs: $1,921

The study found that Georgia parents spend the second-lowest portion of their income on raising a child. Some factors that contribute to this are the comparatively low added costs for rent and health insurance premiums — the state ranked within the 10 lowest in both categories.

Ranking: 1

Annual cost of raising a child: $36,472

Annual day care costs: $22,585

Food costs: $2,481

Hawaii is the most expensive state for raising a child in 2025, leading the list by over $3,000 in total annual costs.

Parents in the state face the highest added food costs in the country, the second-highest added rent costs, and the third-highest transportation and day care costs.

On average, parents in the state spend 25.4% of their income on the costs of raising a child, the highest share out of all states.

Ranking: 37

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,797

Annual day care costs: $10,108

Food costs: $2,040

Parents in Idaho might face some higher costs despite having the ninth-lowest childcare costs in the country. The state ranked seventh highest for both added rent and transportation costs each year, coming in at $2,364 and $3,260, respectively.

Ranking: 21

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,343

Annual day care costs: $16,373

Food costs: $1,965

Illinois' added rent costs for parents are relatively low; parents spend $276 more on average each year compared to their childless peers, which is the fifth lowest amount among all states.

Added transportation costs are also among the lowest in the country, ranking fourth lowest as parents spend an added $2,826 annually. Parents also spend a smaller portion of their income on raising a child than in other states, ranking ninth lowest at 17.9%.

Ranking: 24

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,786

Annual day care costs: $13,736

Food costs: $1,731

Although parents in Indiana spend less on food — the state ranks fourth lowest at an average added cost of $1,731 each year — they also spend a larger share of their income on raising a child, coming in at 21.4%, the fifth-highest rate in the country.

Ranking: 36

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,811

Annual day care costs: $12,168

Food costs: $1,873

Iowa parents have some of the lowest health insurance premium added costs, with the state ranking ninth lowest in the country at an average of $2,568 annually.

Ranking: 19

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,528

Annual day care costs: $15,071

Food costs: $1,900

Kansas parents spend a higher portion of their income on raising a child than peers in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest nationwide. Parents spend an average of 20.8% on the added costs of raising a child.

Ranking: 46

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,149

Annual day care costs: $9,685

Food costs: $1,704

Kentucky has the lowest added cost for a child's food when compared to every other state. Parents in Kentucky also have the sixth-lowest day care expenses in the country, per LendingTree's report.

Ranking: 39

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,206

Annual day care costs: $10,101

Food costs: $1,855

While Louisiana parents have some of the lowest day care costs in the country, coming in at eighth-lowest, they also spend some of the highest percentages of their income on costs associated with raising children. They spend 20.6% of their paychecks on added costs.

Ranking: 32

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,061

Annual day care costs: $11,960

Food costs: $2,043

Families in Maine might see one of the bigger boosts from tax credits. The credits help parents in the state save an average of $300 each year, ranking fifth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 4

Annual cost of raising a child: $31,601

Annual day care costs: $19,906

Food costs: $2,078

Ranked the fourth most expensive state to raise a child in, Maryland parents face higher costs across several categories, with the state ranking sixth highest for both day care costs and the added costs in rent, and 10th-highest for added food and health insurance premiums costs.

Ranking: 2

Annual cost of raising a child: $33,004

Annual day care costs: $24,005

Food costs: $2,193

Ranked the most expensive state for raising a child in the continental US, Massachusetts parents face some of the highest food and childcare costs, with the state ranking fourth-highest for added food costs and second-highest for day care costs.

Even with the high price tag, parents in the state don't see a big difference in their added rent prices compared to childless peers, only paying $84 more on average, according to the report.

Ranking: 34

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,881

Annual day care costs: $12,667

Food costs: $1,833

When compared to other states, Michigan has the eighth-lowest added food costs associated with raising a child.

Ranking: 6

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,891

Annual day care costs: $20,129

Food costs: $2,075

Minnesota parents face some of the highest day care costs, ranking fifth highest in the country.

They also spend a large portion of their income on raising children, spending an average of 21.3% of their income on the added costs of childrearing, the sixth highest share in the country.

However, they also benefit from tax credits, which on average save them $343 annually, the third-highest in the country.

Ranking: 51

Annual average cost of raising a child: $16,490

Annual average day care costs: $8,186

Average food costs: $1,783

Mississippi is the cheapest state to raise a child in 2025, having the second-lowest average day care costs and falling in the top 10 for cheapest health insurance premiums, rent, transportation, and food costs.

On average, Mississippi parents spend 17.9% of their income on raising a child each year.

Ranking: 27

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,201

Annual day care costs: $12,907

Food costs: $1,883

Parents in Missouri have lower added health insurance premiums than parents in other states. The state ranks 10th-lowest, with parents spending an annual average of $2,649.

Ranking: 35

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,864

Annual day care costs: $11,700

Food costs: $1,918

Lacking sufficient childcare options for the number of children, the state of Montana is considered a "childcare desert," according to a January 2024 report by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. On average, Montana parents spend $11,700 on childcare each year, according to the LendingTree study.

Ranking: 28

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,154

Annual day care costs: $13,000

Food costs: $1,883

Out of all metrics, rent can be the biggest expense for parents in Nebraska when compared to other states. Parents spend an extra $2,340, on average, annually on their rent when raising a child.

Ranking: 29

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,063

Annual day care costs: $13,024

Food costs: $1,894

Nevada, one of the most urban states in the country, is also considered a childcare desert, according to a 2023 report by the Nevada Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation, due to the lack of options and the high demand for available centers. Parents in the state pay an average of $13,024 on daycare annually, according to the LendingTree study.

Ranking: 12

Annual cost of raising a child: $28,338

Annual day care costs: $17,250

Food costs: $2,031

New Hampshire parents face higher housing and transportation costs than in other states, ranking fifth highest for both rent and transportation.

Still, the added costs of health insurance premiums are more affordable than in other states, ranking third lowest.

Ranking: 7

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,728

Annual day care costs: $19,634

Food costs: $2,068

Parents in New Jersey may also encounter higher childcare costs, with the state ranking seventh highest among all states, but transportation costs are also more affordable, ranking 10th lowest.

Ranking: 30

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,792

Annual day care costs: $13,521

Food costs: $1,834

While New Mexico offers some of the lowest average added costs for transportation and food, parents in the state still spend a large portion of their income on raising children, with 22.8% of their paychecks going toward the added costs of raising a child, the second highest in the country.

Ranking: 8

Annual cost of raising a child: $29,327

Annual day care costs: $19,584

Food costs: $2,141

While parents in New York face some of the highest child-rearing costs, ranking sixth and eighth highest for food and childcare, respectively, they also have the second-lowest transportation added costs, falling only behind Washington, DC.

Ranking: 42

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,818

Annual day care costs: $12,251

Food costs: $1,908

Parents in North Carolina have the most stable prices for their child-rearing expenses, the study found. Between the 2023 and 2025 studies, the cost of raising a child over the course of 18 years in the state changed the least, going from $217,182 in 2023 to $215,461 in 2025.

Ranking: 17

Annual cost of raising a child: $25,834

Annual day care costs: $10,758

Food costs: $1,875

North Dakota had the second-biggest jump in total added costs from the 2023 study, up 44%. The state also has the highest added rent costs, at $5,496, and ranks ninth for transportation, as parents spend an additional $3,237.

Ranking: 40

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,186

Annual day care costs: $12,351

Food costs: $1,867

Ohio's low total costs for raising a child each year are, in part, due to the low added costs of health insurance premiums, which rank eighth lowest in the country.

Ranking: 43

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,673

Annual day care costs: $10,065

Food costs: $1,836

Oklahoma parents enjoy the 10th and seventh lowest food and day care costs, respectively, but they also spend the 10th highest added costs on transportation, with children adding an average of $3,228 to their annual transportation expenses.

Ranking: 16

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,107

Annual day care costs: $17,680

Food costs: $2,048

Oregon saw one of the biggest total cost decreases since the 2023 study. Transportation added costs are also more affordable in Oregon than in other states, with the state ranking eighth lowest at $2,915. The state also has the lowest health insurance premiums out of all states in the country, with parents spending an additional $1,978.

Ranking: 25

Annual cost of raising a child: $23,270

Annual day care costs: $14,483

Food costs: $1,991

Parents in Pennsylvania might spend less on additional transportation costs than in other states — the state ranks ninth-lowest in the country, as parents spend an average of $2,918.

Ranking: 15

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,141

Annual day care costs: $16,899

Food costs: $2,127

Added food costs for parents in Rhode Island are higher than in other states — seventh highest in the country — while the added costs of transportation are more affordable than in other states, ranking fifth lowest.

Ranking: 50

Annual cost of raising a child: $17,699

Annual day care costs: $9,048

Food costs: $1,842

South Carolina parents spent the third-lowest portion of their income on child-rearing expenses, at 16.1%. They also benefit from some of the lowest childcare costs in the nation; the average cost is the fifth lowest among all the states.

Ranking: 47

Annual cost of raising a child: $18,918

Annual day care costs: $7,862

Food costs: $1,941

Average childcare costs in South Dakota are lower than in every other state, according to the study. This contributes to parents spending 16.3% of their income to raise a child, which is the fourth-lowest in the country.

Still, the added transportation costs of having a child in the state ranked as the sixth highest in the nation.

Ranking: 31

Annual cost of raising a child: $22,693

Annual day care costs: $11,985

Food costs: $1,920

While parents in Tennessee have relatively low costs for most factors contributing to the total cost of raising a child, they face higher health insurance premium added costs, spending an average of $4,478 each year, the fifth highest in the country.

Ranking: 41

Annual cost of raising a child: $20,889

Annual day care costs: $11,024

Food costs: $1,711

Texas parents spend some of the lowest added food costs in the nation — the second lowest among all states. They also spend the sixth-lowest portion of their income on raising a child, with 17% of their paychecks going towards child-rearing costs. However, the added costs for health insurance premiums are the eighth highest in the country.

Ranking: 38

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,784

Annual day care costs: $11,232

Food costs: $1,849

Parents in Utah spend an average of 17% of their income on the added costs of a child, one of the lower percentages in the country. Yet transportation is one area where parents in the state might see a significant increase, with the state having the fourth-highest added costs of transportation expenses, coming in at $3,289 a year.

Ranking: 13

Annual cost of raising a child: $27,690

Annual day care costs: $17,973

Food costs: $2,183

Parents in Vermont, which in 2022 was ranked the most rural state in the country according to census data, spend more on food, and also spend a greater share of their income on raising a child.

The state ranked fifth-highest for added food costs, and parents spend the third-highest percentage of their income on raising their children at an average of 21.8%.

However, Vermont parents also benefit from tax credits, which help them save an average of $320 annually, fourth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 14

Annual cost of raising a child: $26,666

Annual day care costs: $16,397

Food costs: $2,013

Parents in Virginia face higher added costs for health insurance premiums than parents in other states, with the state ranking ninth highest at an average of $4,088.

Ranking: 3

Annual cost of raising a child: $32,418

Annual day care costs: $20,370

Food costs: $2,109

Parents in Washington also face higher costs in multiple areas, with the state ranking ninth-highest for added food costs and fourth-highest for childcare costs.

On average, parents in the state spend 21.5% of their income on raising a child, the fourth-highest in the country.

Ranking: 44

Annual cost of raising a child: $19,957

Annual day care costs: $10,140

Food costs: $1,717

While parents in West Virginia enjoy some of the lowest added food, health insurance premium, and day care costs in the nation, they also have the eighth-highest added cost of rent and spend the eighth-highest portion of their income on raising a child, at 21%.

Ranking: 33

Annual cost of raising a child: $21,930

Annual day care costs: $13,572

Food costs: $1,904

Wisconsin parents benefit from having some of the lowest added health insurance premium costs when raising a child, ranking second-lowest in the category and spending an average of $2,231.

Ranking: 22

Annual cost of raising a child: $24,262

Annual day care costs: $11,075

Food costs: $1,917

Wyoming saw the biggest jump in childrearing costs since LendingTree's 2023 report, with an increase of 47.9%.

Parents in the state face the highest added transportation costs in the country, with an extra $3,502 on average. They also have the fourth-highest added rent costs at $3,660, and spend the seventh-highest share of their income on raising a child: 21%.

Most know Harriet Tubman for her groundbreaking work with the Underground Railroad and, later, as an abolitionist, but as National Geographic reported, Tubman was also an integral part of the Civil War.

In 1863, Tubman and Colonel James Montgomery led a group of soldiers in freeing slaves from plantations in South Carolina, making Tubman the first woman in US history to lead a military expedition, according to National Geographic.

Her work continued as a spy and recruiter for the Union Army. This operation was so covert that only President Lincoln knew about it.

Tubman received compensation for her military contributions decades later, in 1899. Thomas B. Allen, the author of "Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent," called Tubman "one of the great heroines of the Civil War."

Queen Elizabeth was only 18 years old when she begged her father, King George VI, to take part in helping out during World War II. 

She joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service in England that same year and was known as "Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor," according to the National Archives.

While serving, the young queen drove military trucks and trained as a mechanic, making her, to this day, the only female member of the Royal Family to enter the armed forces. 

Eileen Collins broke several barriers during her career: Not only was she NASA's first female shuttle commander, but at 23, she became the Air Force's first female flight instructor, according to the agency.

She joined the Air Force in 1978, becoming one of the first four women to go through pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. 

She wrote in Time, "The Air Force was testing whether women could succeed as military pilots. We obviously were living in a fishbowl — everyone knew who we were, our personal business, our test scores and our flight performance. My philosophy was to be the best pilot I could be."

Her military training directly led her to test-pilot school, where she "knew" she would go on to be the first female space shuttle pilot — and succeeded in doing so.  

Before she was Dorothy Zbornak on "The Golden Girls," Emmy Award-winning actor Bea Arthur was a Marine.

As reported by The Daily Beast, Arthur enlisted in the Women's Reserve when she was 21 years old. She first served as a typist and truck driver. She worked her way up to staff sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945. 

Official documents show that Arthur's supervisors thought she was "argumentative," which is not a far cry from the feisty persona she became known for on both "The Golden Girls" and "Maude."

Before Jennifer Marshall scored the role of Susan Hargrove on Netflix's hit show "Stranger Things," she served in the United States Navy from ages 17 to 22. 

According to Marshall's website, during her service, she was a forklift operator, aircraft handler, and logistics specialist. She also worked for the USS Theodore Roosevelt's Sexual Assault Victim Intervention (SAVI) program. 

Marshall was awarded many honors and medals for her time in the Navy. Now, in addition to acting, she works with Pin-Ups For Vets, a nonprofit organization that aids hospitalized veterans and deployed troops.

Anderson, who hosts "The Kitchen," "Cooking for Real," and "Home Made in America," grew up around the military because of her parents. As an adult, she enlisted in the US Air Force as a radio broadcaster and journalist, working in Seoul, South Korea, and in San Antonio. 

"I knew that there were radio stations, television stations, newspapers, and magazines, for the military, by the military, and I wanted to be a part of that," Anderson told ABC News in 2013.

She also wanted to train in something that would be useful when she left the military.

"My transition from the Air Force started before I even got in the Air Force," she said.

Robin Quivers has co-hosted "The Howard Stern Show" for over 30 years, but before that, she served as a captain in the US Air Force.

Quivers got her degree in nursing from the University of Maryland and put it to use by joining the military as a second lieutenant after college. She quickly climbed the ranks, and when she was discharged in 1978, her official title was captain, according to Biography.com.

She served as a reserve in the Air Force until 1990, per military records, after which she fully pivoted to her career in radio. But Howard Stern hired her for his show in 1981, which means that Quivers — though she was "inactive" — was still technically serving while she was on the air.

Colombian-American actor Zulay Henao has appeared on the show "Army Wives," but few know that she herself served in the US Army before becoming an actor.

Henao enlisted after completing high school and, after three years of serving, went on to enroll at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

She previously spoke to the paparazzi about her time in the military, saying: "I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing, and I wouldn't have the perspective I have of the world, if it weren't for the Army."

Shauna Rohbock is an Olympic bobsledder and won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. But before that, according to Team USA, Rohbock joined the Utah Army National Guard and was part of the National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program.

At her first Olympics, First Lt. Amber English took gold with an Olympic record score of 56, NBC reported. Technically not yet a veteran, she's a logistics officer and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, according to Military.com.

After English's win, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin congratulated her on Twitter, now known as X.

"Your country is extremely proud of you today, and I'm so glad you're representing us," he wrote.

She joins an illustrious list of medal winners, both male and female, with military backgrounds.

After Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 and before she became Wonder Woman in 2017, she served her mandatory two years in the IDF. During her assignment, she worked as a "physical fitness specialist," teaching gymnastics and calisthenics to the soldiers, PopSugar reported.

Pro-Palestine groups have criticized her service, as well as her support of the Israeli military and cause in social media posts.

"I think much of it comes from ignorance and people not understanding what most people do in the army in Israel or what I did in the army during my service in the military," she told The Jakarta Post in May 2021. She added, "Being an Israeli and going to the army is an integral thing. It's something you have to do. It's mandatory."

Dr. Ruth was a Holocaust survivor, and after World War II ended, she moved as a teenager to what would become Israel. During her time there, she trained as a sniper due to her small size.

She told The New Yorker in 2013, "I have no idea what the experience would be if I had to show it. But I was a very good sniper."

Melina Glusac contributed to an earlier version of this story.

The museum offers free tours on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, but you can't just show up. Tours need to be booked through Eventbrite or by emailing the museum at [email protected].

This was my first visit to a military base, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I figured I'd see service members in uniform, but I hadn't anticipated a picnic with a petting zoo for military families or signs advertising karaoke and line dancing.

The National Museum of the United States Navy opened to the public in 1963, but the Washington Navy Yard has had a museum on its campus since 1865.

A sign on the museum floor explained that the train tracks that once led into the building were used to move manufacturing equipment and guns around the base.

The USS Constitution is docked at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston and is open to the public. Completed in 1797, the ship got the nickname "Old Ironsides" for its use during the War of 1812, according to the National Park Service.

Fighting tops were platforms used by Marine sharpshooters to fire at enemy ships during battle, our tour guide said.

This Chinese porcelain punch bowl was made for Commodore Thomas Truxtun, who gifted a nearly identical one to his friend George Washington.

Truxtun served as the first captain of the Constellation, one of the six warships authorized by Congress as part of the Naval Act of 1794 establishing a national Navy.

Washington's bowl is on display at his historic Mount Vernon home.

The figurehead, which would have decorated the bow of a ship, is depicted wearing the Order of St. George and the Star of the Order of the Garter, royal traditions that are still observed today.

The atomic bomb, known as "Fat Man," featured a plutonium core. The casing weighs 10,265 pounds, according to the National Museum of Pacific War.

The Ohka planes were used by Japan to bomb US Navy warships, damaging the vessels and occasionally sinking them entirely, Galloway said.

Armed with bombs and rockets, Corsair fighter planes targeted enemy aircraft during World War II.

Nicknamed "Betty," the Mark 90 was part of a series of smaller nuclear weapons the US designed in the 1950s in order to dissuade the Soviet Union from attacking.

Decommissioned in 1946, the USS Reno earned three battle stars during World War II, according to the Navy.

Many of the items on display didn't have accompanying plaques explaining their historical significance. During my first lap around the museum, I walked right past the nuclear-weapon exhibits without knowing what they were. I found that touring the museum with a knowledgeable guide and asking them questions was essential for getting the most out of my visit.

Baseball has long been beloved by service members. In the 1870s, Navy ships visiting Japanese ports would play against local teams, according to the Department of Defense.

The National Museum of the United States Navy displayed World War II-era baseball paraphernalia, such as a hat and warm-up jacket worn by service members.

The sport remains popular in the US Armed Forces. Former Major League Baseball commissioner and Air Force veteran William Eckert once said, "Wherever soldiers and veterans are, baseball will be," according to a plaque in the exhibit.

On the morning I visited, the museum was hosting a retirement ceremony for a service member. The museum also hosts promotion ceremonies.

Spanning 63 acres along the Anacostia River, the Washington Navy Yard was once used for the construction of ships and artillery. The river also made it a great place to grow hemp, which was used for lines in sails and other Navy equipment, Galloway said.

Today, it's largely an administrative center.

Known as "prize guns" or "trophy guns," artillery pieces captured in battle are engraved with the details of when and where they were taken.

One cannon was captured during a Civil War battle in 1861 when Confederate forces tried to shut down the riverways leading into Washington, DC, by firing cannons from bluffs outside of the capital.

"That's the great thing about guns and cannons," Galloway said. "They can actually tell a human story, as well — it's not just a piece of machinery, and it's not just a dealer of death."

The gun, dating back to the late 18th century, was likely used by a merchantman or privateer.

The structure was temporarily moved to a Navy facility in Indian Head, Maryland, and sat abandoned for decades until it was restored and returned to the Washington Navy Yard.

Latrobe Gate was built by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also designed the US Capitol Building. The Greek Revival structure survived the War of 1812 and remains the oldest continuously manned Marine sentry post in the US, according to Naval Support Activity Washington. Today, access to the gate is limited to the flag officers who live on base and their invited guests.

I couldn't take photos of the gate from inside the base for security reasons, so this image from the Library of Congress shows the gate as it looked in the 1980s.

Quarters B housed the second officer of the Washington Navy Yard.

Next to Quarters B, obscured by the trees, was Tingey House, named for the first Commandant of the Washington Navy Yard, Captain Thomas Tingey. Also known as Quarters A or the Commandant's House, it is now the official residence of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Both structures, along with Latrobe Gate, survived the War of 1812, when Tingey commanded US forces to burn the Washington Navy Yard to prevent the British from capturing it.

According to the museum, the USS Enterprise was the first nuclear aircraft carrier in the world and took part in numerous missions and battles from 1961 until 2012.

The Enterprise tracked the first American orbital spaceflight as part of Project Mercury in 1962, helped evacuate Saigon during Operation Frequent Wind in 1975, and struck Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Fox in 1998, among others.

In 1945, a Japanese submarine fired torpedoes at the Indianapolis as it traveled from Guam to Leyte after delivering the atomic bomb that would later be used on Hiroshima. The ship sank 12 minutes later.

Out of 1,195 crew members, 316 survived, according to the US Naval Institute. Around 200 crew members reportedly died from shark attacks.

The ship became more well-known after its mention in the movie "Jaws," in which the character Quint recounts his experience as a survivor of the Indianapolis wreck and the gruesome shark attacks that followed.

McVay was the only Navy commander to be court-martialed for losing a ship during battle in World War II. He was widely viewed as a scapegoat, leading his conviction to be overturned by Navy Secretary James Forrestal, The New York Times reported. Still, his reputation never truly recovered. He died by suicide in 1968, and over 50 years later, Congress passed a resolution fully exonerating him.

Before steam winch engines hauled ships onto land, hundreds of sailors would manually pull them in.

Ships and submarines are now tested in a 12 million-gallon pool at a Navy facility called Carderock in Maryland.

"The Washington Navy Yard is oftentimes an incubator to various ideas and concepts that will become standard for the US Navy as well as some industries over time," Galloway said. "But once it gets too large for what is relatively a small footprint throughout its history, that's when you start seeing it move to places that you might know today that are better for those activities."

Built in 1838 and most recently remodeled in 2006, Building 1 serves as the Commandant's Office.

Willard Park is named for Adm. Arthur Willard, who served as commandant of the Navy Yard during World War I.

The ship's sinking was a catalyst for the Spanish-American War, during which the US obtained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines and annexed Hawaii, according to the US Office of the Historian.

The Titanic was discovered in 1985 — more than 70 years after the sinking — during a secret Navy mission to locate the wrecks of two nuclear submarines. The true nature of the mission only became public in 2008 when oceanographer Robert Ballard published a book about his experience.

Ulric Dahlgren, a Union colonel during the Civil War and the son of Union Navy Rear Adm. John Dahlgren, was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Hagerstown following the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

When amputation became necessary, the leg was interred with full military honors in the cornerstone of a foundry that was under construction in the Washington Navy Yard. The foundry was torn down in 1915 and, several buildings later, a parking garage now occupies the site. Dahlgren's leg was lost somewhere along the way, but a plaque on the parking garage still marks the spot where it would have been.

"The Washington Navy Yard still serves as a very important hub for the United States Navy to this day, we're just much smaller now," Galloway said. "And as you can see, the US Navy Museum is shrinking so that we can grow again so that we can better tell the story of the US Navy and the nation."

I'm looking forward to visiting the National Museum of the United States Navy again when its larger, permanent home is eventually established. In the meantime, it's still a fascinating site that pays tribute to the Navy's nearly 250-year history and provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a military command center.