Marine Corps Recruit Depot Museum, San Diego

The MCRD Museum opened in 1987, thanks to the dedication of Marine veterans, their families, and friends of the Marine Corps. Since then, it has continually expanded its galleries and exhibits.

The Museum highlights the history of the Marine Corps in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a special emphasis on the Marines' presence in Southern California. In addition to its numerous galleries, the Museum features a Reference Center that includes an Archives and Research Library, a theater, a Visitor Reception Center, and a gift shop.

As a Federal Museum operated by the United States Marine Corps, the MCRD San Diego Museum is supported by the MCRD Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. This foundation plays a vital role in promoting and preserving Marine Corps history, educating youth, and fostering community connections among active duty members, veterans, and their families.

Scroll down to discover more about MCRD San Diego, our Museum staff, the Foundation Board of Directors, and Foundation staff.

ABOUT MCRD SAN DIEGO

MCRD features distinctive Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, master planned by renowned architect Bertram Goodhue, who also designed several buildings in Balboa Park and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.

The significance of MCRD goes beyond its architecture; it has a rich history and deep connections to San Diego. Established in 1921 as Marine Base San Diego, it has been a Marine Corps hub for nearly a century.

Today, MCRD San Diego recruits and trains male enlistees from districts west of the Mississippi River, as well as women from across the United States, to become Marines. It is also home to the Drill Instructor School, Recruiters School, and the 12th Marine Corps District.