With its soaring copper dome, the grand Navy Chapel is the architectural centerpiece of The Yard, as the academy is called. John Paul Jones, the United States' first naval hero, is buried in a crypt beneath the sanctuary. Several parts of sprawling Bancroft Hall, one of the world's largest dormitories, are open to the public. Memorial Hall contains several rolls of honor, including lists of academy grads who were killed in action or who won the Medal of Honor. The academy's Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center is located on King Street inside Gate 1.
Preschoolers tour free.
Visiting hours for the academy are daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or sunset, whichever is later. Visitors in cars must enter via Gate 1 at the corner of Randall Street and King George Street. Drivers will be briefly halted by a Marine guard, then allowed to park in one of the nearby lots inside the academy. Pedestrians may also enter through Gate 3, at King George Street and Maryland Avenue. Most athletic events are open to the public free of charge.