Address: 910 N. Harbor Drive
Pricing: Adults, $18; Seniors, $15; Kids 6-17, $10
Phone: 619-544-9600
Hours: 10 am-5 pm daily except Thanksgiving & Christmas
How To Get There:
From San Diego International Airport, head west on Airport Terminal Road. Slight left to stay on Airport Terminal Road. Take a slight left toward North Harbor Drive. Turn left at N Harbor Drive. Destination will be on the right.
Parking:$5 to $12 at nearby lots
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U.S.S. Midway Museum: Visit the USAs longest serving aircraft carrier
Feb 23, 2010
The longest serving aircraft carrier in U.S. history is now an official Southern California museum! The largest ship in the world when commissioned in 1945, the U.S.S. Midway was retired in 1991. The decommissioned aircraft carrier is now serving her final tour of duty in the Port of San Diego.
People of all ages and demographics enjoy visiting the U.S.S. Midway. On board the U.S.S. Midway, sightseers can learn about life on a Navy ship and how aircraft execute precision take offs and landings on an aircraft carrier. Visitors can tour many of the Midway working areas and see more than 25 restored fighter aircraft and helicopters. Volunteer guides, many who either served on the Midway or are retired Navy pilots, lead in-person discussions about the takeoff catapult and bridge and other vital naval operations.
A self-guided audio tour is available of the mess hall (crew dining area), hangar deck, flight deck and crew quarters (available in English, Spanish and Japanese) included in the entrance fee. It incorporates the voices of many of the 225,000 Navy personnel who served on the Midway, who tell the stories of their experiences there. Tours of the bridge, chart room and primary flight control areas is led by a live docent.
Other family-oriented activities include three types of flight simulators, a variety of short films and music videos, climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits, interactive exhibits and an "Ejection Seat" presentation.
The Midway Museum features the Fantail Café - patio dining with a casual and friendly atmosphere. For those who want authentic Navy “grub,” look for menu items made from Midway’s 1945 cook book. The museum’s gift shop is centrally located on the hangar deck where sailors once repaired jet engines.
HelloLosAngeles tip: To save time, take the bridge tour first thing in the morning. Watch for upcoming details about the 35th anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind, the Midway's daring rescue of more than 3,000 refugees during the fall of Saigon. And check the museum web site for events and to purchase tickets in advance.
- by Jim Brown , Los Angeles Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
