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Originally Posted by Mad Mardigan
Ahoy, derstosstrupp...
Appreciate that posting of your visit there. Glad your boy, enjoyed the tour.
Know that, last I was there, at Battleship Park in Mobile, Al. ... of the going aboard the Bama (BB-60) & the Drum (SS-228) were self-guided, of course... with the size of the Bama, they had to break it down to mhmm... midpoint fore & aft as the start point, but... was 1 tour route that would take you through the aft end from there & exit near where you started. Same for the tour path, leading forward.
That's not to say... that you couldn't go on a guided tour, as there was that option as well. Again... that was, as last I knew of. No idea of what changes they may or may not have made, since then.
It used to be, that you were able to go into the bridge areas on both the Bama & the Drum, but... (no clue as to why they stymied off those areas, from being able to be visited...  ) last I was there, was NOT able to, as they had those areas blocked off.
Any who... enjoyed the vid of your time there, aboard the USS Cobia (SS-245)
 
M. M. |
They restricted access to the bridge area when Drum was moved onto land due to the height, potential liability, as it was explained by a park official. Pre pandemic I was still permitted up there, I just asked. Long as children and or bunch of people were not around they let me.
I've only been able to visit once since 2020 as I no longer live nearby. In August 2021, it was a "living history drill" day so a lot more people around, so I did not ask to go up there. A kind "crew" member took some photos for me from the bridge , which I believe I shared on here.
One thing that is unacceptable at all sub museums that do so is when not permitted to enter the conning tower, For the first time ever I was unable to go to the conning tower on the Drum(!), I was rather annoyed. Ostensibly it was closed off since the pandemic but lol one of those nonsensical things, we were in tight quarters regardless, going in conning tower was no different.
Really takes away from the experience and does a disservice to the museum limiting access like that. Nothing some simple waivers couldn't handle at point of sale for tickets.