Hoping Corps Lore Lures in Tourists

Triangle's $90 Million Museum Expected to Be Area's 3rd-Largest Attraction

With the recent opening of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, county officials are hoping Prince William will now be targeted by a massive invading force -- cash-wielding tourists.

The $90 million museum is expected to draw 300,000 visitors a year, making it the third-largest tourist destination in the county, after Potomac Mills and the Manassas National Battlefield Park.

"It's awesome," said Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan (D-Dumfries), whose district includes the museum. "Can you believe this is Triangle, Virginia? They put us on the map."

Caddigan said the museum will boost economic development along the Route 1 corridor, which will be widened to six lanes between Joplin Road and Brady's Hill Road with funds from the $75 million bond referendum voters approved on Nov 7.

Admission to the museum is free, and its signature feature, a 210-foot steel spire that soars out of a glass-walled atrium called the "Leatherneck Gallery," appears above the treetops like a beacon to lure motorists on Interstate 95. The museum's collection boasts more than 60,000 uniforms, weapons, vehicles, medals, flags, aircraft, artwork and other artifacts -- including the flag planted by soldiers atop Mount Suribachi in the battle of Iwo Jima. The flag was featured in a photograph that became the iconic image of World War II.

Corey A. Stewart, chairman-elect of the Board of County Supervisors, said the county plans to do all it can to capitalize on the association with the museum and the Quantico Base.

"It gives us bragging rights," he said. "Prince William County becomes the home of the Marine Corps. That's something we'll be playing up in business development and putting on our standard press releases."

Another aspect of the museum's impact Stewart likes is that the facility will draw people to Prince William, which is in the opposite direction of commuter traffic.

"One of the problems we've had is that we're a bedroom community," he said. "It's been difficult to attract high-end hotels and restaurants. This helps bring people into the county during weekdays and non-peak hours."

Tabatha Mullins, executive director of the Prince William County-Manassas Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the museum gives the local tourism industry another "anchor." The county has the 10th-ranked tourism economy in the state among cities and counties, she said, as visitors spent $364 million in Prince William in 2005.

"We'll enjoy having a year-round tourism product," Mullins said. "And it also helps out with our military reunion marketing."

Mullins acknowledged that the museum will benefit the county's eastern end disproportionately, but she said all of Prince William County is likely to get a cut.

"Similar to how the [Manassas] battlefield is a must-see for Civil War enthusiasts, this is a must-see for anyone interested in military history and heritage," she said. "There are opportunities for co-marketing among all these properties."