Good Submarine Museums

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by ShadowOps

@TLAM Strike Do you know if you can enter the museums in Buffalo? So far that sounds the most interesting to me. I will look that up.

99% sure you can go aboard the three large ships there. I don't know if you can go aboard the Nasty they got parked on blocks there. There are also some funky aircraft at the museum, and a couple of tanks too.

http://www.buffalonavalpark.org/index.html

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

99% sure you can go aboard the three large ships there. I don't know if you can go aboard the Nasty they got parked on blocks there. There are also some funky aircraft at the museum, and a couple of tanks too.

http://www.buffalonavalpark.org/index.html

Back in my Boy scout days, I actually spent a few nights on the ship.


USS COD in Cleveland:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=178059

[ShadowOps]

@TLAM Strike
I am beginning to lean towards that idea, sounds pretty interesting.

@Gargamel
I have looked into the USS Cod as well, I am still iffy on that.

@Bubblehead Nuke
I have heard alot of good things about the U-505 exhibit in Chicago. I am tempted by that one because it is the only (to my knowledge) U-Boat in America, but from what I hear its a rather short guided tour, I prefer to go at it at my own pace, but then again if it was up to me I would spend all day in there!

[Takao]

I don't know why I forgot to mention this site:
Historic Naval Ships Association. http://www.hnsa.org/index.htm
It has a listing of pretty much, if not all, US museum ships.
Map locater is here: http://www.hnsa.org/hnsamap.htm

Well, if you looking for a short hop from Texas, why not the USS Alabama & USS Drum in Mobile, Alabama? http://www.ussalabama.com/ Looks like you could easily spend the day there. If it is not that long a drive from where you are in Texas(BIG state, yeah I know), road trip and stop at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and visit the USS Kidd. http://www.usskidd.com/

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

[ShadowOps]

Originally Posted by Takao

I don't know why I forgot to mention this site:
Historic Naval Ships Association. http://www.hnsa.org/index.htm
It has a listing of pretty much, if not all, US museum ships.
Map locater is here: http://www.hnsa.org/hnsamap.htm

Well, if you looking for a short hop from Texas, why not the USS Alabama & USS Drum in Mobile, Alabama? http://www.ussalabama.com/ Looks like you could easily spend the day there. If it is not that long a drive from where you are in Texas(BIG state, yeah I know), road trip and stop at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and visit the USS Kidd. http://www.usskidd.com/

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

Takao you have been (not to put down anyone else, all of the answers I looked over and did a quick google search on if a link was not provided. I found all of them helpful) the hands down most useful person to reply. Like I said I'm not trying to be rude to the others who took the time to respond but you nailed it spot on. I actually live closer to Mexico than I do the east border of Texas, which isn't saying much considering I live practically in the dead center of the state, so I should be able to take that detour to see the Kidd. Thank you very much, you have just made my vacation. I also have never been to Alabama or any other southern state really, so I look forward to that. Have a Merry Christmas.

[Tessa]

Originally Posted by ShadowOps

I have heard alot of good things about the U-505 exhibit in Chicago. I am tempted by that one because it is the only (to my knowledge) U-Boat in America, but from what I hear its a rather short guided tour, I prefer to go at it at my own pace, but then again if it was up to me I would spend all day in there!

The museum/exhibits are quite spartan like there. You would be hard pressed to occupy yourself for a whole day there, or the staff would start asking you to leave as they would start seeing you as a nuisance and clogging up the exhibit. It's really very simple, the u-boat itself is sitting on the dock and you walk through the entire length of the interior compartment.

From the nature itself of the boat being small it can be difficult at times to stay in one place for a prolonged period if you want to carefully inspect/photograph something. You'll get the full u-boat experience of constantly having to move/contort yourself so others can pass through. While that's cool in its own way as that's how life was like, it can start to become a major irritation getting asked to move aside every 5 minutes (or less) as visitors go through while you try to photograph something or make a close inspection of a certain section.

Don't remember when you said you might be going, if its anytime in the next 3 months you won't have that problem at all. Since the musuem is right on the docks of the lake it will be severly cold (Chicago is always known to be cold, but anyplace close to or adjacent to the lake is significantly colder) in which case as long as it isn't closed (in the case of a major snowstorm or monsoon rainfall) you'll probably have full roam of the boat. Went there myself while I was there once at the beginning of April and it was very cold there (Scottland in winter type cold if you've ever been there) and was one of maybe half a dozen people that went through it while we were there that day.

Plus there's a lot of cool stuff to do in Chicago anyways, the pizza there among many other things is legendary and a lot of cool places to see.

If by chance your retired Navy/Marines there are some other museums on North Island and Point Loma here in San Diego, but you need to have access to the base in order to see them - i.e. retired/reserve/active duty. They are open to the public in respect to anyone that has access to the base can see them, but the general public is not allowed to go see them (only way around it is to go with something that is retired and be "their brother for the day" which would get you inside)

[ShadowOps]

Originally Posted by Tessa

The museum/exhibits are quite spartan like there. You would be hard pressed to occupy yourself for a whole day there, or the staff would start asking you to leave as they would start seeing you as a nuisance and clogging up the exhibit. It's really very simple, the u-boat itself is sitting on the dock and you walk through the entire length of the interior compartment.

From the nature itself of the boat being small it can be difficult at times to stay in one place for a prolonged period if you want to carefully inspect/photograph something. You'll get the full u-boat experience of constantly having to move/contort yourself so others can pass through. While that's cool in its own way as that's how life was like, it can start to become a major irritation getting asked to move aside every 5 minutes (or less) as visitors go through while you try to photograph something or make a close inspection of a certain section.

Don't remember when you said you might be going, if its anytime in the next 3 months you won't have that problem at all. Since the musuem is right on the docks of the lake it will be severly cold (Chicago is always known to be cold, but anyplace close to or adjacent to the lake is significantly colder) in which case as long as it isn't closed (in the case of a major snowstorm or monsoon rainfall) you'll probably have full roam of the boat. Went there myself while I was there once at the beginning of April and it was very cold there (Scottland in winter type cold if you've ever been there) and was one of maybe half a dozen people that went through it while we were there that day.

Plus there's a lot of cool stuff to do in Chicago anyways, the pizza there among many other things is legendary and a lot of cool places to see.

If by chance your retired Navy/Marines there are some other museums on North Island and Point Loma here in San Diego, but you need to have access to the base in order to see them - i.e. retired/reserve/active duty. They are open to the public in respect to anyone that has access to the base can see them, but the general public is not allowed to go see them (only way around it is to go with something that is retired and be "their brother for the day" which would get you inside)

Yeah thats what I had thought about the U-505. I do want to see it but it would be difficult to stay in there for a long period of time. Plus I have checked the Chicago Museum of Science's website and it says that the U-505 exhibit costs an additional fee to go inside. Even though I REALLY want to see it, I am going to have to pass on that idea for now. I do want to visit Chicago too but I am afraid I will pass on that this year.