Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

The Vietnam Experience Exhibit

A Walk Through Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Become part of the crew, as Patriots Point brings the history of the Vietnam War to life in this fully immersive 2 ½ acre exhibit that brings Marine officers to life through holograms in an exciting 3-D production.Set in a “Brown Water Navy” support base and a U.S. Marine Corps artillery fire base during the Tet Offensive and the Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968.Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum provides free tickets to the Ralph A. Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Charleston, SC for PTSD treatment for combat veterans in the Vietnam Experience.

The Fighting Lady Caf

The Fighting Lady Café serves lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. seasonally. Menu options include appetizers, sandwiches, salads, barbecue platters and desserts. Located in the original CPO Galley, the cafe is climate controlled and offers table-side service. * Hours of operation modified seasonally.

More History To Take In

Engage further with Charlestons military history by exploring PPNMMs four other components, without having to get in your car and drive to them.

Medal of Honor Museum: Here, interactive exhibits pay tribute to American heroes whove received the Medal of Honor, from the Civil War through the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its home to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, as well the countrys highest award for military valor. Read stories surrounding the history of the Medal of Honor, and see lists of all the recipients in our nations history. Youll find the museum just inside the entrance to Yorktown, to the left of the front desk.

USS Laffey: See the most decorated World War II-era U.S. destroyer still in existence, berthed in front of the Yorktown. The 376-foot-long ship supported the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and served throughout World War II and the Korean War before being retired in 1975.

USS Clamagore: Step down into the only preserved GUPPY III submarine in the country, which served for 30 years during the Cold War. Measuring 322 feet long, it came to rest just south of the Yorktown in 1981 after its decommissioning. It has been closed to the public since Spring 2020 but will reopen to visitors in June. Not for the claustrophobic or mobility impaired.

Plan Your Trip

Location: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Visit: Daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Ship Store: Open From : 00 Am

Located landside of the YORKTOWN, the Ship Store offers a wide variety of military memorabilia, shirts, caps, unique gifts and souvenirs. Check out the extensive collection of military books, unique Charleston mementos, fine jewelry, and more.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is not affiliated with Spiritline Cruises or Fort Sumter. Both Fort Sumter tours and Spiritline Cruises depart from Patriots Point. You can find information about Spiritline Cruises here.

Patriots Point Career Fair

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum Pictures: View ...

« Yorktown Halloween

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, home of the historic USS Yorktown, will host a career fair on Thursday, November 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The museum is currently hiring for at least seven positions.

Available full-time positions include carpenter, electrician, administrative assistant to the executive director, registrar, and security specialist. The museum is also hiring part-time cashiers. The USS Yorktown Foundation is searching for a part-time development manager.

The career fair will take place in the Patriots Point parking lot, near ticket sales. Job seekers are encouraged to submit applications in advance by visiting www.patriotspoint.org/careers. Applicants can also use the link to find more information about the open positions, including the available salary ranges for full-time positions. Participants should come with resumes in hand and be prepared for immediate interviews on-site.

Job applicants who attend the career fair will have an opportunity to enter a raffle to win a Friends of the Fleet pass. Friends of the Fleet pass holders are entitled to unlimited admission for themselves and a guest for an entire year.

Patriots Point staff have the unmatched experience of working aboard a historic World War II aircraft carrier. All positions are vital to supporting the museum and its mission of preserving and educating the public about some of South Carolinas greatest assets.

To RSVP to the event, click here.

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Patriots Point Hiring For Multiple Positions During On

Patriots Point is such a unique and rewarding place to work, said Director of Human Resources Sylvia Wasden. Our team has the opportunity to meet people from across the world while preserving stories of valor and historic Navy vessels. Working aboard and alongside the USS Yorktown is something to be proud of.

Patriots Point Naval And Maritime Museum

When you arrive at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, one of the first things youll notice is the aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown. Its pretty hard to miss. Youll also get to see the destroyer, USS Laffey, and the submarine, USS Clamagore. The museum and exhibits are set up inside the aircraft carrier. Before you embark on the long path to the aircraft carrier, you can visit a gift shop. We saved it for last because it was raining off and on, and we happened to catch a moment of dryness.

Its also interesting to note that ferries to Fort Sumter leave from Patriots Point, as well. These are not affiliated with the museum, but taking the ferry to Fort Sumter is an option from this side of the harbor.

Heres a couple of other things about the museumyou can sleep on the aircraft carrier, and they also offer ghost tours . We love a good ghost tour, so when we make it back, we may have to give this a try.

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How Long Will You Spend At Patriots Point

Patriots Point features three Navy vessels to explore and the USS Yorktown has six guided tours alone so it will take a while to explore the complex even if you only do a cursory walkthrough.

I recommend first-time visitors plan to spend the day at least eight hours. There is a café on the USS Yorktown serving café-style food, and there are plenty of places to take a break from walking and standing.

If you only have a few hours, I recommend doing one or two of the self-guided walking tours on the USS Yorktown, the Medal of Honor Museum on the aircraft carrier, and a walkthrough of the Vietnam War Experience.

An American Heroine From Wwii To Vietnam

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum Celebrates 40 Years

The USS YORKTOWN was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy. Under construction as BON HOMME RICHARD, this new Essex-class carrier was renamed in honor of YORKTOWN sunk at the epic Battle of Midway . Built in an amazing 16 ½ months at Newport News, Virginia, YORKTOWN was commissioned on April 15, 1943. World War IIs famous Fighting Lady would participate significantly in the Pacific offensive that began in late 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. YORKTOWN received the Presidential Unit Citation and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II.

In the 1950s, YORKTOWN was modernized to operate jet aircraft as an attack carrier . In 1957, she was re-designated an anti-submarine aircraft carrier , and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam . The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule . YORKTOWN was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve.

In 1975, this historic ship was towed from Bayonne, NJ to Charleston to become the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

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Medal Of Honor Museum

The Medal of Honor Museum features interactive exhibits that tell the stories of the brave Americans who have served and protected the U.S. with remarkable courage.

The Medal of Honor Museum pays special tribute to American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, ranging from the very first Medal of Honor recipients during the Civil War all the way to the War On Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also home to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Society members share the distinct honor of wearing our nations highest award for military valor.

Text provided from the official Patriots Point Website | Video Created in Partnership with our friends Charleston Locals

Visiting Patriots Point Naval And Maritime Museum In Charleston Harbor

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When we began planning a stop in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the places Jeff was really looking forward to was the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. He is really into military planes and ships, so this was the perfect place for him to explore. I love history, so I was all-in, too. And Kristin, well, she likes exploring just about anything.

Contents

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Patriots Point Naval And Maritime Museum Virtual Tour

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is home to three museum ships, the Patriots Point Museum, the Cold War Memorial, and a Vietnam Experience Exhibit.

Located in Charleston Harbor, across from Charleston, the Museum Ships include:

USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier
USS Laffey, a destroyer

USS Clamagore, a submarine

Patriots Point serves as an embarkation point for Fort Sumter tour boats and is home to several other vessels including the submarine USS Clamagore.

The site also is home to the Cold War Submarine Memorial, a replica of a Vietnam Support Base, and the Museum of the Medal of Honor.

Uss Clamagore Cold War Submarine

The USS Clamagore has a long very long history. Commissioned in 1945, the submarine served during the Cold War era when American and Soviet submarines patrolled the worlds oceans.

In 1975, the submarine was retired without ever serving in combat. Six years later, it sailed to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

The self-guided tour on the USS Clamagore is the shortest and most difficult at Patriots Point. The passages are extremely narrow and hatches quite small. Standing at 61, I actually found it difficult ducking through the hatches between each compartment throughout the submarine. Difficult, but not impossible.

The two largest compartments I found on the submarine were the mess hall four tables with swivel chairs attached and the torpedo room. Space was at a premium, and it was fascinating to see just how they utilized every cubic inch for storage, machinery, and living space.

Current And Upcoming Events At Patriots Point

What: Yorktown HalloweenTime: 5 pm – 7 pm Where: Patriots PointAdmission: Free

Theres nothing to fear at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum this Halloween. Families are invited to celebrate aboard the historic USS Yorktown on Saturday, October 23, from 5 pm – 7 pm. This event is free to attend.

Patriots Point encourages children to don their Halloween costumes and visit the Yorktowns Hangar Deck. Instead of going door to door, kids will trick-or-treat from plane to plane and collect candy beneath historic World War II aircraft. Families can also choose to participate in a guided Halloween-themed tour through the museum. During the event, visitors can enjoy a photo station, craft, and a cartoon playing every 30 minutes in the Smokey Stover Theater.

Giveaways include one Friends of the Fleet membership pass, which grants the pass holder and a guest unlimited visits to the museum for a year. Dinner options will be available during the event from local food trucks.

Sticky Fingers Snack Shack

There are two Sticky Fingers Snack Shacks at Patriots Point. Located conveniently in Hangar Bay 3 and landside of the YORKTOWN, the snack bars feature a selection of barbecue, wings, and more from the legendary local restaurant. Guests can sit and enjoy their food on the outdoor sponson of the YORKTOWN, with a perfect view of the LAFFEY. * Hours of operation modified seasonally.

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Warplanes And Radar Equipment

Exiting the focsle deck and ascending several levels of the ship through the crews berthing area, the tour takes you up to the flight deck and 10 of the most significant aircraft in U.S. carrier aviation history, including the AD-4N Skyraider, F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat and SBD Dauntless. Depending on how much of an aerophile you are, you can spend a few minutes or a couple hours wandering among them, and even climb inside the SH-3G Sea King, an anti-submarine helicopter.

Once youve had your aviation fix, take in the views of Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point and Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which spans the Cooper River and connects downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant.

Our small group splits here to do more exploring on our own. On my way back down to the main deck, weaving up and down narrow staircases, I come upon the radar room on Level 4 and feel compelled to pause. Here, sailors manned scopes on three types of radar equipment: air traffic control, fire control and surveillance. After checking them out, I look out over the harbor, somehow feeling at peace.

Leaving the ship, I check a text from my dad. Id messaged him before I boarded the Yorktown but didnt have reception on the ship to see his reply. What was Grandpas job on his Navy ship? Id asked. My heart skips when I read his response: Radar man.

Andrew Vodolazhskyi/Alamy Stock Photo

Recreation of a Vietnam War era MASH unit on display in Patriot’s Point.

The Uss Laffey Destroyer

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum Promo Video Fall 2018

You also have the opportunity to see the destroyer, the USS Laffey. This ship aided during D-Day before being sent to the Pacific. There, the ship was the target of a kamikaze attack that the crew defended. Later, the ship was also used in the Cold War.

There are some interesting exhibits inside with holograms to give you a feel for what it was like during the Cold War and in the Pacific.

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Patriots Point Adjusting To Seasonal Hours

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum will operate under an adjusted seasonal schedule starting Monday.

The museum says they will now operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. As of last Tuesday, the museum says the guided Captains Tour will be offered Friday through Sunday.

Museum officials say local food trucks will continue to visit Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum this fall, offering savory and sweet options daily for lunch.

Patriots Point is also preparing to relaunch the overnight program. The museum says groups will learn what it means to live like a sailor and sleep in the same berthing areas as the crews who served onboard the USS Yorktown in 1940s and after. Patriots Point will announce soon when groups can begin booking overnight stays.

Patriots Point partnered with the 9/11 Silent Walk to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The remembrance ceremony took place on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown.

Is Patriots Point Accessible

Keeping in mind the main attraction at Patriots Point is three military vessels that were never built for accessibility, there are things to do at the museum complex for those with walking handicaps.

In the USS Yorktown, the hangar deck and flight deck are accessible by elevator. This includes the Medal of Honor Museum, several aircraft displays, and the snack shop. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the ship is not accessible.

The USS Laffey and USS Clamagore are not accessible at all.

The Vietnam War Experience is an outdoor exhibit that is moderately accessible. A wooden boardwalk winds through the recreation of a camp, and several of the buildings are accessible.

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Our Plan For Charleston

Wed already spent nearly two weeks away from home on this particular trip to Walt Disney World. On the way down, we spent some time in Memphis. After that, we had several days at Disney. Before we headed home, we spent a couple of nights in St. Augustine, Florida. For a final stop on the trip, we decided to spend a night in Charleston for the first time.

We left St. Augustine in good time, and we arrived in Charleston just in time for lunch at Swig and Swine, a BBQ place. After lunch, we drove over the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge to the Mount Pleasant area where Patriots Point is. We also had reservations at a Best Western there, so if downtown Charleston seems a little pricey, Mount Pleasant is a good alternative.

After we visited Patriots Point, we went back over to historic Charleston and the battery. That evening, we had dinner and walked the beach at Sullivans Island. If you are into Edgar Allan Poe, you must try Poes Tavern. Its such a cool place! We took the first ferry over to Fort Sumter National Monument from Liberty Square in downtown Charleston in the morning. That afternoon, we visited Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. For our first taste of Charleston, we hit a lot of places. Im ready to go back!