On October 10, 1923, hundreds gathered to mark a very special occasion for the United States and the US Navy: the official start of the Era of the Rigid Airship.

On that date, the airship ZR-1 was officially christened the USS Shenandoah, a name that was thought to translate to “daughter of the stars.” To mark the 100th anniversary since the Christening of the USS Shenandoah, the Museum has put together an interactive history of the United States Navy's very first rigid airship.

An image of a military ship at sea with a mooring mast. An airship is docked at the mast.

Take me to the interactive

Three-quarter right front view from below of US Navy airship ZR-1 Shenandoah tethered to mooring mast.

Take me to the accessible experience

This experience is interactive and may not work with assistive technologies. While we work to make the interactive experience more accessible, you can find an accessible version of this experience here.