Standing on the USS Yorktown’s flight deck, with a view of Charleston’s church steeples and historic buildings throughout the harbor, I may see why Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum was some of the thrilling navy museums within the nation. However attending to the flight deck to take pleasure in this view was not simple – it was truly a bit overwhelming the primary time – so I made a decision it was time to write down a whole journey information to assist first, second, and third time guests benefit from their go to.
Patriots Level – because the locals merely name it – is situated on the fringe of Charleston Harbor in Mount Nice, South Carolina. You’ll must pay just a few {dollars} to make use of their parking zone, nevertheless it’s completely price it. You’re instantly greeted by the towering view of the USS Yorktown, the premiere attraction on the navy museum. Nevertheless it’s not the one factor to see and do.
40 Patriots Level Highway, Mount Nice, SC | 843-884-2727 | www.patriotspoint.org
How Lengthy Will You Spend at Patriots Level?
Patriots Level options three Navy vessels to discover – and the USS Yorktown has six guided excursions alone – so it would take some time to discover the advanced even if you happen to solely do a cursory walkthrough.
I like to recommend first-time guests plan to spend the “day” – a minimum of eight hours. There’s a café on the USS Yorktown serving café-style meals, and there are many locations to take a break from strolling and standing.
In the event you solely have just a few hours, I like to recommend doing one or two of the self-guided strolling excursions on the USS Yorktown, the Medal of Honor Museum on the plane provider, and a walkthrough of the Vietnam Conflict Expertise.
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Admission Prices to Patriots Level
In the event you’re a solo traveler like me, admission to Patriots Level shouldn’t be unhealthy in any respect. Nevertheless, when you’ve got a small household of 4 or 5, admission can begin to value a bit.
Single-day admission to Patriots Level begins at $24 for adults, $16 for youngsters ages 6-11, and $19 for seniors over 62. There are different packages and choices for admission, however that is the bottom worth. I believe the admission worth is properly price it, contemplating the sheer quantity of superior issues to see and do when you enter the gate.
Is Patriots Level Accessible?
Maintaining in thoughts the principle attraction at Patriots Level is three navy vessels that have been by no means constructed for accessibility, there are issues to do on the museum advanced for these with strolling handicaps.
Within the USS Yorktown, the hangar deck and flight deck are accessible by elevator. This contains the Medal of Honor Museum, a number of plane shows, and the snack store. Sadly, many of the remainder of the ship shouldn’t be accessible.
The USS Laffey and USS Clamagore usually are not accessible in any respect.
The Vietnam Conflict Expertise is an outside exhibit that’s reasonably accessible. A picket boardwalk winds by the recreation of a camp, and a number of other of the buildings are accessible.
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USS Yorktown WWII-Period Plane Provider
The massive attraction – and I do imply huge – at Patriots Level is the WWII-era USS Yorktown plane provider. There are only some plane carriers within the nation open as a ship museum – and that is the one one in South Carolina – so it was an actual deal with to spend a day exploring the ship.
The USS Yorktown CV-10 was commissioned on April 15, 1943, and named in honor of the USS Yorktown CV-5 that was sunk on the Battle of Halfway. Nicknamed the “Combating Woman,” the USS Yorktown noticed fight throughout World Conflict II within the Pacific theater from 1943-1945. After conversion into an anti-submarine plane provider, the USS Yorktown served within the Vietnam Conflict.
In 1970, the USS Yorktown was decommissioned and 5 years later, sailed to Charleston to turn out to be the principle attraction of the newly created Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum.
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Hangar Bay #3
The principle entrance to the USS Yorktown is in Hangar Bay #3. Guests climb a protracted sequence of steps to one of many plane lifting decks to enter the hangar bay, and an elevator helps with accessibility.
The Medal of Honor Museum is situated throughout from the principle entrance. It’s considered one of my favourite locations to go to at Patriots Level. The museum is devoted to telling the tales of Medal of Honor recipients. Interactive shows clarify the historical past of the medal given out because the Civil Conflict, the primary recipient, and tales of fight and braveness which have led to the award going to a whole bunch of veterans.
On the rear of the USS Yorktown, close to the fantail, is the small snack bar. You’ll discover typical meals like rooster tenders, fries, and sandwiches, all constructed from frozen items, which can be about nearly as good as you’ll discover at a drive-in movie show. It’s not unhealthy meals and retains guests fed whereas spending a whole day exploring the gargantuan plane provider.
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Hangar Bay #2
The hangar deck’s center part will probably be the primary plane you’ll encounter at Patriots Level. A number of plane are on everlasting show together with interpretive panels to elucidate their identify and statistics.
The flight simulator is an pleasant expertise, though it’s not interactive. It’s not the sort of simulator the place you possibly can take the stick and pilot the simulator your self – just like the one the place I turned the other way up on the Nationwide Museum of america Air Drive – however reasonably it’s like watching a film in a chair that bobs up and down.
Hangar Bay #1
The hangar deck’s entrance has just a few older plane on show and a big theater for historic films. At the very least, I believe that’s what it’s for as a result of I’ve by no means truly seen a film on the big display throughout all my visits.
Tucked right into a nook is a recreation of the Apollo 8 capsule. On Christmas Day in 1968, the Apollo 8 returned after spending 20 hours orbiting the Moon. The USS Yorktown was assigned to retrieve the capsule and astronaut pilots upon their return. Sit contained in the recreated capsule and hearken to the precise radio transmissions through the mission!
Self-Guided Strolling Excursions
The USS Yorktown options six self-guided strolling excursions starting on the Hangar Deck:
- Dwelling and Working Areas
- Fireplace Room and Engine Room
- Flight Deck and Bridge
- Ship’s Memorials and Fashions
- Wardroom and Brig
- Charleston Naval Shipyard Museum
It is going to take round 4-6 hours to discover the reveals, plane and stroll the corridors and stairs of all six excursions. You probably have restricted time to discover Patriots Level, I like to recommend taking Tour #1 and Tour #3. Every will take about an hour to discover and embody the ship’s areas just like the galley, enlisted quarters, machine store, flight deck, and command bridge.
Tour #1 – Dwelling and Working Areas
That is considered one of my favourite self-guided excursions on the USS Yorktown. The tour descends into the decrease decks and passes by the galley, cafeteria, crew quarters, and machine outlets. It was my first introduction to slender, steep staircases on a Navy vessel – and the low clearance bulkheads that somebody of my top ought to keep away from.
I like this tour as a result of it exhibits the areas of the ship the place the crew would have lived whereas not on obligation; tables with board video games, bunks stacked one atop of the opposite, and slender passageways provide you with a terrific appreciation for anybody who served on a provider.
Tour #2 – Fireplace Room and Engine Room
Happily for guests to the USS Yorktown, the engines are quiet lately. However because of the downright attractive shows within the Engine Room Expertise Exhibit, guests can a minimum of get an concept of what that roar appeared like.
The interactive exhibit is likely one of the finest at Patriots Level. It brings to life what in any other case was nothing greater than room after room of non-functional gauges and dials, making this one other of my favourite excursions on the USS Yorktown.
Tour #3 – Flight Deck and Bridge
That is the most well-liked self-guided tour on the USS Yorktown. The tour begins with passage by the pilot briefing room on the best way to the flight deck.
You acquire an appreciation for the sheer measurement of an plane provider when you possibly can freely stroll throughout the 50,000 square-foot flight deck. The flight deck is so giant that one time I visited, I discovered a homerun derby carried out on the deck – with baseballs plunging into Charleston Harbor.
Virtually two dozen plane and helicopters are on show on the flight deck. They signify all of the sorts of plane that have been as soon as deployed from the USS Yorktown, starting from WWII props to Vietnam-era jet plane.
A last climb on the self-guided excursions entered the bridge the place the ship was steered. The captain’s chair has the very best view on the ship with the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge stretching throughout the harbor!
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Tour #4 – Ship’s Memorials and Fashions
Simply because this tour contains mannequin ships doesn’t imply it needs to be ignored. Show circumstances maintain large fashions of varied Navy ships. It’s an effective way to take a look at these ships’ design and performance as a result of many usually are not on show at any ship museum.
Tour #5 – Wardroom and Brig
Shiny pink bars locked throughout a black metallic grid. That’s what I bear in mind most in regards to the self-guided tour by the brig. “Everybody misbehaves in some unspecified time in the future,” an older man in a veteran’s hat as soon as informed me on tour.
This tour included the barbershop, one thing I believe may need been a tailor’s store, and a soda fountain. Sure, a soda fountain on an plane provider.
From the Forties till the Eighties, Charleston Naval Shipyard was the most important employer within the Lowcountry area and an important Navy asset. This self-guided tour explores the shipyard’s historical past with interpretive shows explaining the sorts of ships constructed and transformed on the shipyard.
Captain’s Tour of the USS Yorktown
I’ve all the time loved the self-guided excursions of the USS Yorktown, however I’ve to confess I used to be excited after I realized in regards to the Captain’s Tour by Bulldog Excursions. The native tour firm presents a one-hour guided tour of the historic WWII-era plane provider that features unique entry to areas of the ship and plenty of nice tales of the historical past of the USS Yorktown.
The excursions value $39 per grownup and $29 per youngster, with reductions for seniors and navy, and needs to be booked prematurely to ensure a spot for the day you wish to go to. Since you continue to should pay admission to enter Patriots Level, I believe this guided tour is finest for a second go to when you will have extra time to discover.
USS Laffey Destroyer
If ships may speak, the USS Laffey would have countless tales to inform. Commissioned in 1944, the Navy destroyer was instantly despatched into the Atlantic theater to help in D-Day landings in Normandy.
Later, the USS Laffey served within the Pacific theater till the top of the warfare, served as a help vessel through the atomic bomb exams, and served within the Korean Conflict. The “Ship That Would Not Die” was named after Medal of Honor recipient Seaman Bartlett Laffey, a Civil Conflict veteran.
The ship was retired in 1975 and 6 years later, sailed to Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum.
Touring the USS Laffey solely takes about half an hour, nevertheless it’s nonetheless well worth the effort to see inside this destroyer. The tour begins aft on the ship’s outer decks earlier than heading inside to the Fight Data Middle. An interesting interactive show that includes a hologram takes guests by the seek for enemy submarines.
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USS Clamagore Chilly Conflict Submarine
The USS Clamagore has a protracted – very lengthy – historical past. Commissioned in 1945, the submarine served through the Chilly Conflict period when American and Soviet submarines patrolled the world’s oceans.
In 1975, the submarine was retired with out ever serving in fight. Six years later, it sailed to Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum.
The self-guided tour on the USS Clamagore is the shortest and most tough at Patriots Level. The passages are extraordinarily slender and hatches fairly small. Standing at 6’1”, I truly discovered it tough ducking by the hatches between every compartment all through the submarine. Tough, however not inconceivable.
The 2 largest compartments I discovered on the submarine have been the mess corridor – 4 tables with swivel chairs hooked up – and the torpedo room. House was at a premium, and it was fascinating to see simply how they utilized each cubic inch for storage, equipment, and dwelling area.
Vietnam Conflict Expertise
Again on dry land, the two.5-acre Vietnam Conflict Expertise is a recreation of a “Brown Water Navy” help base used through the warfare. It’s an attention-grabbing facet of the Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum and one I extremely suggest all guests discover, even if you’re restricted on time.
A picket boardwalk winds by the camp previous a number of buildings, autos, and helicopters. Step contained in the Fireplace Management Bunker to see a video, discover the Mess Corridor, or climb to the Remark Tower’s prime to take a look at all the camp. Climb aboard the UH-34 Sea Horse helicopter – you possibly can even sit within the pilot’s seat – or take a stroll by the CH-46 Sea Knight to see how medical sufferers have been transported.
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Ideas for the Greatest Expertise at Patriots Level
There’s a lot to see and do at Patriots Level Naval & Maritime Museum, and it’s nearly inconceivable to do all of it with only one go to. Listed here are just a few tricks to benefit from your go to and provide the finest expertise.
- Arrive early and keep away from holidays as they are usually overwhelmingly busy.
- Put on closed-toed footwear. You’ll be strolling up and down very steep metallic staircases on the ships, and some other sort of footwear may result in harm.
- This isn’t a wet day exercise. Though parts of the excursions are contained in the ships, you’ll spend a terrific deal outdoors getting there, to start with.
- Carry your personal meals and have a picnic! There are a few tables on the fringe of the parking zone.
- Meals shouldn’t be allowed on the ships, however you possibly can deliver your personal water, and I extremely suggest it. Air-con shouldn’t be obtainable on the self-guided excursions, and the ship’s bowels are inclined to get scorching in the summertime months.
- Go to the USS Yorktown first since that’s the place you’ll spend most of your time.