The NRA museum has a variety of exhibits that give gun aficionados a glimpse into the lengthy history of firearms. New for 2015 is a steampunk exhibit, which the NRA says will give visitors a chance to see both the creative results of artists’ designs along with a few of the more unique real guns out there. Steampunk is a sci-fi subgenre meant to give fans the fun of sci-fi effects and gadgets with a Victorian-era twist. It’s gained in popularity in recent years and the NRA exhibit will probably draw quite a few visitors.

There are three museum locations including Fairfax, VA, Springfield, MO, and Raton, NM. There are currently more than 3,000 firearms on display between the various locations. Admission is free.

Take a look online at www.nramuseums.com.

From NRA:

Beginning June 12, the NRA National Firearms Museum is proud to host Steampunk Guns, a new exhibit that combines a fantastic science fiction world with the modern steel canvas afforded by real firearm designs. The exhibition is made possible by ModVic, LLC and generous artists and will run through the end of 2015. Admission to this museum is free.

“These fun and phantasmaoric firearms will capture the imagination and tickle the funny bone of anyone who enjoys a peek into the alternative, ‘what-if’ sci-fi world of Steampunk,” said Jim Supica, Director of NRA Museums.

Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that embodies Victorian elegance and adventurous, bizarre inventions that could easily have sprung from the mind of Jules Verne. It is a world where gizmos based on 19th century steam power have created a unique culture where a lifestyle of corsets, cravats, ray guns, and rocket ships represent a counter to the sterile technology of modern times. Continuously evolving, steampunk encompasses science fiction and elements of popular culture – including zombies, dirigibles, mad scientists, and Western gunslingers.

Steampunk Guns features dozens of unique firearms, but highlights include The Gamechanger, the World’s First Automatic Handgun, and Commander O.D. Anderson’s Belt-Fed Submachine Gun. All three firearms are innovative in their histories and designs and are on loan to the NRA by artist John Belli.

“Museum visitors will find themselves playing a game of ‘what-is-real’ as they try to guess which objects are the fantasy works of imaginative modern-day artists, and which are actual bizarre firearm inventions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” Supica continued. “It’s a remarkable glimpse into the creative minds of both technological innovators of yesteryear and creative artists of today.”

The National Rifle Association invites gun enthusiasts, artists, and historians alike to visit this new and offbeat exhibit.