Visiting the USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum is a historic aircraft carrier that served in the fleet from 1945 to 1992. Having patrolled both the Atlantic and the Pacific, it carried US armed forces during World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. This floating museum does not just document history, it lived it.
The second life of the Midway
The project to transform this massive warship into a museum began in 2003. It is now moored in the harbor of San Diego, California, not far from the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Once the conversion was complete, the USS Midway Museum opened its doors to the public for the first time on June 7, 2004.
A comprehensive tour
You can explore the aircraft carrier with an audio tour, but many veterans who served on the ship are often on hand to supplement the official history with anecdotes that only those who walked these corridors would know.
The vast majority of the decks are open to the public, which gives you a real sense of the vessel's scale. You can visit everything from the crew quarters, the ship's hospital, and the barbershop to the navigation bridge, the command center, the engine room, and the flight deck. The flight deck itself is packed with a wide array of aircraft and helicopters from various eras.
These aircraft serve as a reminder that you are only about 10 miles from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, the official name of the fighter pilot program that Hollywood made famous as TOP GUN.
The Midway experience
After grabbing a bite at one of the onboard eateries, you can purchase a ticket that allows you to sit on the deck after dark, surrounded by the aircraft, to watch a screening of the movie TOP GUN on a large screen.
The USS Midway Museum is both a museum and a preserved chapter of American military history.
Even though most paid public attractions in the USA are expensive, this museum has very reasonable prices.
You should plan on at least 3 hours to see everything without having to rush.
The guides are often former sailors or officers from the aircraft carrier, which makes their anecdotes incredible and the visit much more lively.
The amount of stuff and fighter jets to see is exceptional. You need to be in good shape to visit the different decks, especially to climb up to the flight deck at the very top.
It is truly a journey through the history of war.
A must-see if you go to San Diego.