By Linda Tancs

Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom’s National Museum of Arms and Armour, including artillery.  The artillery–Big Guns, as they say–range from pre-gunpowder siege machines to modern-day super guns.   They’re located at Fort Nelson, an historic monument strategically positioned atop Portsdown Hill, with panoramic views across the Meon Valley and Portsmouth Harbour.   The Leeds branch has over 8,500 objects on display in five galleries: War; Tournament; Oriental; Self Defense and Hunting.  And at the Tower of London’s White Tower is a dazzling display of 500 years of spectacular royal armour, including the imposing steel skirts and military codpiece of Henry VIII.   The most surprising thing about the museum is its fourth location:  Louisville, Kentucky.  Thanks to a collaboration with The Frazier History Museum, Royal Armouries opened an exhibit on the museum’s third floor in 2004 to present a history of the British Isles, from 1066 to the early 1900s, through the use of multimedia displays and artifacts.   This marks the first time a UK national museum has opened a branch in the United States.