Saturday, March 23, 2024

Latest Posts

Uss Ship Museum San Diego

Waterfront Summer Shuttle $3

Expert Tips on Visiting the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA

The Port of San Diego is pleased to kick off another season of its Waterfront Summer Shuttle, which provides low-cost transportation along the San Diego Bay waterfront with a $3 daily rate. Now in its eighth season, the Waterfront Summer Shuttle will run from Friday, May 24, 2019 through Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Click for more info.

Uss Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

Year in and year out, the USS Midway Museum is one of San Diegos most popular attractions. This unique destination is actually a United States naval aircraft carrier that has been decommissioned and turned into a museum. Visitors to the USS Midway Museum can peruse a series of exhibits that demonstrate what life was like for the crew in every aspect of their time in service, as well as explore the over 30 historic aircrafts that remain onboard the vessel.

Save on your visit to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum!USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum is included on the Go San Diego Pass. Save an additional 10% on the Go City Pass with Coupon Code: CMGOCITY10 The discount stacks on top the current sale prices! Promo expires on May 31st.

San Diego Uss Midway Discount Tickets + Activity Review

Navy Pier in San Diego is a hot destination for military buffs because of the museum that is the USS Midway. But anyone curious about our nautical and aviation history will enjoy a visit. Most notable is the USS Midway, a working Navy ship turned museum.

You can go inside the historic aircraft carrier or just take a look around while you stroll along the waterfront. Want to take the full tour narrated by Midway sailors ?

Savvy tip: Skip down this page for a review of USS Midway discount offers.

From USS Midway, I like to walk south to enjoy the green areas and to grab a bite at the Fish Market Restaurant along the water. Keep walking and youll see the Seaport Village shops and more restaurants, and eventually you see an amazing view of the Coronado Peninsula over the water.

The activities along the San Diego waterfront is what attracts me most, but once there, you cant help but admire the well-presented USS Midway Museum and related attractions, including more than 20 restored aircraft where you can climb into some of the cockpits, and more than 60 exhibits.

You can go aboard the the Midways deck for free. Working Navy ships also come and go at Navy Pier and sometime offer free, guided tours.

Also Check: Museum Quality Mineral Specimens Sale

Uss Midway Volunteers And Docents Add Incredible Value

Hands down, the museum would not be what it is without the tireless dedication of its volunteers and docents. Youll find the latter particularly insightful as many were Midway sailors on the ship when it was still in service. Oh, the stories they can tell that will enhance your experience. Its worth keeping an eye out for them when youre visiting the USS Midway Museum.

See also: Best Things to Do in San Diego with Kids

Uss Midway And Maritime Museum San Diego Overview

CAMP HOST Jobs: USS Midway Museum

The USS Midway and Maritime Museum San Diego are two of the citys most fantastic attractions! Visit both museums for one low price! Redeem your Smartsave coupon at The Maritime Museum of San Diego. There you can visit the worlds finest collections of historic ships before experiencing life on board the longest-serving American aircraft carrier of the 20th century, The USS Midway!

Also Check: Museum Association Of New York Jobs

You May Like: Do I Need Tickets For African American Museum In Dc

Veterans Column: Midway Museum In San Diego A Floating Ship Museum With A Storied History

USS Midway Museum, berthed in San Diego Bay, is an aircraft carrier museum. Midway was named for the Battle of Midway June 1942 of World War II that turned the tide of war between the United States and the Empire of Japan.

I prepared this Midway column as a volunteer on behalf of Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, although my effort was facilitated with great interest and substantial help by my brother, retired Navy Capt. Dennis W. Irelan, whose career spanned 29 years in the U.S. Navy.

Denny was deployed as a Navy pilot on board Midway from 1981 to 1984, during which he logged 360 catapult launches or takeoffs and return carrier-arrested landings. He presently volunteers to share information with visitors as a docent aboard Midway.

Commissioned in September 1945, just days after WWII, Midway was the largest ship in the world for 10 years. She served the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea until its transfer to the Pacific Ocean in the early 1950s.

For local stories that matter, subscribe today. Fourth of July sale: $1 for 6 months.

In 1973, after duty during the Vietnam War, she was assigned a new homeport at Yokosuka, Japan, to become the forward deployed naval force aircraft carrier for the United States.

You May Like: Lone Star Flight Museum Houston

Go Below Deck To Learn About Life At Sea

Descending stairs from the Hangar Deck, you will come to the world of those who lived on the Midway. Imagine 4,500 men running through the narrow hallways, working in the mess hall and laundry, and sleeping in the narrow bunks. You may wonder if women lived on the Midway. Women were not allowed to serve on combat ships until 1993, so no women were on the ship during the years the Midway was active. You first come to the chow line and galley. About 14,000 meals a day were served round the clock. Officers had separate mess halls available. If you are taking the complimentary audio tour, you follow the yellow signs, like this one you see at the chow line. The green signs are for the Junior Pilots. Kids have their own signs and answer questions along the way. Then they take their flyer back to the information desk and if they have answered correctly, they earn their wings. Photographs from the days of active service tell more about what life aboard the Midway was like.Everything needed for daily life was here in this city. The Midway had a post office, a chapel, a sick bay, and a brig. The laundry washed, dried, and ironed 43,000 pounds of clothes a week. The barbershop provided 80,000 haircuts a year.

Also Check: Medieval Torture Museum Chicago Tickets

San Diegos Proud Naval Tradition On Display

While Midway is by far the largest thing to see in San Diego harbor, a number of other museums and monuments are well within walking distance and worth spending the effort to visit. Immediately south of Midways dock is a row of veterans memorials dedicated to San Diegos proud naval tradition. There are sculptures dedicated to sailors homecomings and the USS San Diego, a World War II antiaircraft cruiser that earned 18 battle stars during the war. A nine-foot-tall black obelisk commemorates all of Americas aircraft carriers by name.

Perhaps the most moving tribute is dedicated to Taffy 3, the task force of U.S. Navy vessels that fought in the battle off Samar, part of the larger and better-known Battle of Leyte Gulf. When a large Japanese force attacked the American invasion fleet, all that stood in its way were the destroyers and destroyer escorts of Task Force 77.4.3, known as Taffy 3. Joined by planes from some nearby escort carriers , the tiny, outmatched force attacked the Japanese, putting up stiff resistance and causing so much damage and confusion to the Japanese that they retired without achieving their goal of attacking the vulnerable transports of the American invasion force.

Best Tips For Your Visit

USS Midway, the most visited naval ship museum
  • Go in the off-season, during the week, early in the morning to avoid the crowds
  • When you get on the ship, they will steer you towards the right. We recommend turning left and heading straight to the Ships Island/Bridge. Take the guided Bridge Tour as early as possible. On busy days, last admittance might be as early as 3:30 PM.
  • Talk to the volunteers. Many of them are veterans and they have incredible stories to share about their time in service. This was by far my favorite about this museum. It was fascinating to hear their personal stories and anecdotes about life as a sailor.

You May Like: Wwi Museum Kansas City Hours

Uss Midways City At Sea

This is one of the chow lines on the USS Midway Museum that sailors went through to get their meals. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

This is one of the galleys that prepared the 13,500 daily meals aboard the USS Midway. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

The barber shop of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

This room is the machine and metal workshop. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

The USS Midway Chapel was used to hold multi-denominational religious services. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

This is the USS Midways Radio Messaging Processing Center room. | photo by FamilyVacationHub

Here are the swanky living quarters for executive officers. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

This smaller kitchen is used to prepare meals for the ship captains. | Photo by FamilyVacationHub

Skip The Line: Uss Midway Museum Admission Ticket In San Diego Provided By Uss Midway Museum

  • Learn more
  • Instant confirmation
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
  • Skip the line with a pre-booked ticket
  • Take in an important piece of San Diegos military history
  • See the longest-serving U.S. aircraft carrier of the 20th century
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
  • Skip the line with a pre-booked ticket
  • Take in an important piece of San Diegos military history
  • See the longest-serving U.S. aircraft carrier of the 20th century
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Embarcadero Adventure Offers including discounts for other nearby attractions
  • World famous Midway volunteers will bring the flight deck alive
  • Ability to skip the ticketing line – does not apply to lines within the attraction.
  • Entry/Admission – USS Midway Museum
  • Guaranteed to skip the lines
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Embarcadero Adventure Offers including discounts for other nearby attractions
  • World famous Midway volunteers will bring the flight deck alive
  • Ability to skip the ticketing line – does not apply to lines within the attraction.
  • Entry/Admission – USS Midway Museum
  • Guaranteed to skip the lines
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Returns to original departure point
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff

Don’t Miss: Children’s Museum Houston Free Days

A Maritime Museum In A World War Ii Aircraft Carrier

  • Enter a unique museum that was once an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy in World War II!
  • Explore this floating city at sea and understand how the US navy lives with over 60 exhibits in different areas
  • Learn about the history of the longest-serving navy craft carrier of the 20th century
  • Self-guided audio narration is available in the museum, narrated by actual former sailors of the Midway
  • This is an attraction to enjoy with your whole family and great for kids of all ages

Also Check: Western Spirit Scottsdaleâs Museum Of The West

Uss Midway Museum Parking And Directions

USS Midway Museum in San Diego

The USS Midway Museum is located at 910 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101.

The USS Midway is docked right at the end of Broadway, alongside Navy Pier, and is therefore very walkable to and from most downtown San Diego hotels. Many San Diego harbor cruises depart from near the ship.

It is also steps from the so its very common for people to visit both on the same day.

If you plan to take the trolley or a train, the MTS station and Santa Fe Depot station are just a few blocks from the USS Midway . You can also get there via the free Circuit shuttle called FRED that operates in Downtown.

There are about 300 parking spaces located on Navy Pier immediately adjacent to the ship, but youll pay for it and it tends to fill up quickly during the summer and on holidays. Metered parking is available on the streets near the USS Midway Museum with a two-hour time limit. Walking will give you maximum flexibility and eliminates the need to find parking. If you have to drive, plan to arrive early in the day when parking is easier to secure.

USS Midway Museum hours are daily from 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Last admission is at 4 p.m.

Have you been to this San Diego attraction yet? What tips for visiting the USS Midway Museum can you share?

*Photos with the exception of the top are used courtesy of the USS Midway Museum.

Dont miss any of my posts! for expert travel tips, insider information about San Diego and my favorite destinations, discounts on attractions, and hotel discounts and tips.

Don’t Miss: 21c Museum Hotel Promo Code

Uss Midway & The Waterfront

Most kids love boats, so you can imagine how excited they get about a really, really big boat. Downtown San Diegoâs USS Midway Museum is just that: a retired aircraft carrier that is now permanently docked and open to visitors along the cityâs Embarcadero. The deck of the enormous ship is covered with naval aircraft from World War II through Operation Desert Stormânot just for looking at but for climbing inside and exploring, too. Other interactive exhibits include you-are-there-style recordings of real conversations between military pilots and a chance to ride in a flight simulator.

Also on the downtown waterfront, the is fittingly housed within one of the finest collections of historic ships in the world, including the awe-inspiring sailing ships Star of India, HMS Surprise , and the Californian, a replica of a Gold Rush-era revenue cutter and the Official Tall Ship of the State of California. Coolest of all, some of the ships go sailing and whale watching, with you aboard including a 75-minute tour of San Diego Bay aboard an aptly named, Vietnam War-era Swift Boat.

Learn The Basics About The Midway

The Midway was commissioned in September 1945 and was active until 1991, making it the longest-serving carrier in US Navy history. When commissioned, it was the largest ship in the world at 1,000 feet long. Today, it appears as it did on its last journey.I recently toured with an excellent docent, Ron, who filled us in on the history and workings of the Midway. He is the perfect guide because he was in a Navy Air Wing on a carrier so he knows a lot about flight operations and life on a ship. Here are highlights from our tour that will help you plan your visit.

You May Like: The Intrepid Sea Air And Space Museum

Missions In The 1980s

Following a period in Yokosuka, Midway relieved Coral Sea 30 May 1980 on standby south of Jeju-Do Island in the Sea of Japan following the potential of civil unrest in the Republic of Korea.

While transiting the passage between Palawan Island of the Philippines and the coast of Northern Borneo on 29 July, the Panamanian merchant ship Cactus collided with Midway. Cactus was 450 nautical miles southwest of Subic Bay and heading to Singapore when she struck near the carrierâs liquid oxygen plant two sailors working in the plant were killed and three were injured. Midway sustained light damage and three F-4 Phantom aircraft parked on the flight deck also were damaged.

On 17 August, Midway relieved Constellation to begin another Indian Ocean deployment and to complement the Dwight D. Eisenhower task group still on contingency duty in the Arabian Sea. Midway spent a total of 118 consecutive days in the Indian Ocean during 1980.

On 16 March 1981, an A-6 Intruder from VA-115 aboard Midway sighted a downed civilian helicopter in the South China Sea. Midway immediately dispatched HC-1 Det 2 helicopters to the scene. All 17 people aboard the downed helicopter were rescued and brought aboard the carrier. The chartered civilian helicopter was also retrieved from the water and lifted to Midwayâs flight deck.

Midway

Explore The Uss Midway Museum From Home

San Diego prepares for day of honoring veterans at USS Midway

Enjoy a unique and exclusive virtual opportunity to explore Americas favorite aircraft carrier museums most popular spaces and exhibits. Listen to the award-winning audio tour, view a naval aircraft gallery and read amazing historical accounts of the USS Midway.

Scroll down to start your adventure !

You May Like: Intrepid Air And Space Museum Tickets

Exhibits On The Hangar Deck

The exhibits run the gamut of the ships service, from the post-World War II period through Desert Storm and the early 1990s. Immediately to the right of the hangar deck entrance sits a restored Vought F4U Corsair fighter, perhaps the most recognizable carrier aircraft of World War II due to its distinctive gull wing design. Beyond is a display dedicated to American carrier aviation. Paintings of various carriers and plaques listing the classes and names of all of Americas flattops surround a large-scale model of the USS Gambier Bay , an escort carrier sunk during the battle off Samar by a Japanese task force led by the battleship Yamato on October 25, 1944.

The rest of the hangar deck contains not only historic military aircraft but a number of attractions designed for tourists of all ages. Two more of World War IIs famous naval aircraft are on display, a Douglas SBD Dauntless and Grumman TBM Avenger. The Dauntless was Americas prime dive-bomber during the first half of the war, destroying the Japanese carrier fleet at Midway and turning the tide in the Pacific War. The Avenger torpedo bomber made its first appearance at the Battle of Midway, when six of them took part in the attack on the Japanese Navy. Although five were lost in their first engagement, the aircraft went on to do good service throughout the war.

Read Also: How Long To Spend At Field Museum

Latest Posts

Popular Articles