navy ship tour seattle

The 3 Best Naval Museums around Seattle

Are you looking for some great places to explore the history of the U.S. Navy? Check out this 3 amazing sites around Seattle. I believe we all have seen ships of the U.S. Navy in movies and TV shows, like the currently running show “The Last Ship”. If you are into this kind of stuff check out the three places listed below.

Naval Undersea Museum

The Naval Undersea Museum is an official U.S. Navy museum which concentrates around the history and technology of submarines. You can see what role the U.S. Navy plays in exploring the last frontier on our planet. The deep oceans!

• Ocean Environment: Tell you all about life in- and under the sea. Hear the sounds of whales, earthquakes and other undersea phenomena.
• Undersea Weapons Technology:  Learn about torpedos and mines and the history of naval warfare. You even get to see a Mark 48 ADCAP Torpedo, the current standard torpedo carried by the U.S. Navy submarines. See the portion of two starboard torpedo tubes of the USS Tecumseh located inside the torpedo room.
• Submarine Technology:  The highlight in this area of the museum is the control room of the USS Greenling (SSN-614), a Permit-class nuclear fast attack submarine.
• Diving & Salvage:  In this area of the museum you get to see remotely operated vehicles like the CURV III, diving suits, a swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV), used by SEAL teams and a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV)

Outside, at the parking lot, you will see a couple of this DSRV’s and small rescue submarines. In front of the museum is the sail of the USS Sturgeon (SSN-637), a Sturgeon-class nuclear fast attack submarine. The museum is located right next to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport. Getting here is a bit tricky if you are visiting Seattle and don’t have a car. However, it is worth the drive if you are interested in that kind of things. Admission and parking are free and the museum is open from 10 AM to 4 PM every day, except October through April, where Tuesdays are closed. More info on the website of the museum .

Puget Sound Navy Museum

This museum is located near the Bremerton ferry terminal next to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. It’s easily reachable by the Seattle-Bremerton ferry and just a short walk from the ferry terminal. Building 50, in which the museum is located, was built in 1896 and served as the first Administrative Headquarters for Shipyard commanders. It was moved three times: first in 1910 when Dry Dock 2 was built, second in the 1930s to Farragut Ave where it served as apprentice classrooms and administrative offices, and third in 2006 to its present location where it serves as a museum. You can’t miss the building neither the sail of the USS Parche ( SSN-683) a Balao-class diesel-electric submarine.

This is an official U.S. Navy museum. You will learn about the history of the nearby shipyard, Special Operations Submarines and about the life aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). This was my personal highlight – I love aircraft carriers.

Admission here is free as well. Parking is available for free on some of the streets or paid parking near the waterfront. The museum is open from 10 AM to 4 PM every day, except October through April, where Tuesdays are closed.

www.pugetsoundnavymuseum.org

Behind the Museum is the Harborside Fountain Park. A great place for kids to cool down in the summer and to watch the bay.

Not far from here you can see two decommissioned aircraft carriers docked at the shipyard.

Always wanted to explore a destroyer? Head over to the…

USS Turner Joy a U.S. Navy Destroyer

This is by far the greatest museum, because the museum itself is a real war ship, which you can tour on your own and go pretty much everywhere in the ship. All the way down to the engine room and up to the bridge. Pretty much every area of the ship is accessible and you will have to climb some steep ladders up and down to get there. This gives you a real feeling of what life was aboard this ship. You will see the bunk beds of the crew and the captains quarters. You can even climb into one of the gun turrets. This is truly an unforgettable experience. The ship was commissioned on 3. August 1959 and donated as a museum and memorial to the Bremerton Historic Ships Association and berthed at Bremerton, Washington on 10 April 1991. You can find the complete history of the ship on the official website of the museum .

Make sure you bring your camera for an unforgettable experience.

The museum ship is located on the Bremerton waterfront and easily reached by ferry from Seattle. From there it is just a very short walk along the Bremerton waterfront to the ship. Same as for the Puget Sound Navy Museum, parking can be found along the streets or at one of the parking lots near the waterfront.

The ship is open daily from March to October from 10 AM to 5 PM. From November to February the ship is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Check the homepage for special events and for the different admissions they offer . Regular admission is $14 for an adult and as a AAA member, you get $1 off.

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• Family Fun , Outdoor Activities in Seattle , Sightseeing & Tours

USS Turner Joy (DD-951)

Nw's only naval destroyer.

Maritime history and family fun adventure!   Welcome aboard the USS Turner Joy DD-951.

The USS Turner Joy DD-951 is a 418 foot historic U.S. Navy destroyer. She is located just an hour outside of Seattle in Bremerton, Washington. She is one of the most complete naval museum ships in the US offering a unique historical naval adventure taking visitors back to the Vietnam war.

The destroyer ship is most remembered for her participation with USS Maddox (DD-731) in the in the Gulf of Tonkin incident which occurred August 2, 1964, an action that led to the United States’ increased involvement in the Vietnam War.

The Gulf of Tonkin incident was the “match that lit the fire,” and remained a major turning point for the United States in terms of its involvement in the Vietnam War. The incident mobilized public opinion to the point that the Congress of the United States approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, thereby opening the door to and dramatically escalating the American combat presence in Vietnam.

The Turner Joy, named after Admiral Charles Turner Joy, had her keel laid in the fall of 1957 in Seattle, Washington, by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company. She was subsequently launched in the spring of 1958 and commissioned in mid-summer, 1959. Commander Ralph S. Wentworth was the first to command her bridge. The ship was the last of the Forrest Sherman Class destroyers built.

This fully restored U.S. Navy destroyer ship offers visitors a self guided tour including a Prisoner of War (POW) room in remembrance of the US military men held in captivity during the Vietnam War. She is moored in the Bremerton Marina offering amazing views for photos.

If you are taking the Seattle/Bremerton ferry we suggest that you leave your car in Seattle and enjoy the most scenic ride aboard a Washington State Ferry. Spend your day visiting the ship, local shops, museums, parks and restaurants all within walking distance.

We look forward to seeing you!

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Phone / bookings, a big cta about argosy cruises, more about uss turner joy (dd-951).

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Exploring Seattle’s Cultural Tapestry: Embracing Diversity and Equity through Museum Visits

Introduction Seattle, a city known for its vibrant cultural scene, offers an array of museums that showcase the diverse heritage and history of the region.

Exploring Seattle’s Marvels with Conservation and Sustainability in Mind

Introduction Seattle, the Emerald City, is not only renowned for its stunning natural beauty and vibrant urban culture but also for its commitment to conservation

A FEW GOOD THINGS TO KNOW

  ACCESSIBILITY As the USS TURNER JOY has been restored to her Vietnam War configuration, she is handicapped accessible on and in part of her main deck. The museum also keeps several wheelchairs on hand for the convenience of our guests while on the premises and these are available upon request.

TOUR LENGTH Do allow approximately an hour to two hours for a tour of the USS TURNER JOY (DD-951). We stop selling tour tickets 30 minutes prior to closing time. When planning a trip aboard our ship, there are several things you should anticipate.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY Please wear flat-soled or rubberized-soled shoes. While the outdoor tour route is covered with a non-skid material, some parts can still be slippery, so be careful. Recomended dress is shorts, loose slacks or pants for everyone – and LAYERS – our ship can be cold! Do keep both hands free for 70º ladder climbing.

WALK-WAY & LADDER SAFETY When going through a hatch, watch your head and feet! Door coamings and overheads are well marked, but remain somewhat different than shoreside entryways. Ladders can be steep. Those with fear of heights should consider before ascending/descending.

CHILDREN & STROLLERS Please supervise your children. USS Turner Joy is safe and fun as long as young children are supervised. Strollers are impossible to use aboard ship.  They may be left outside the back door of the gift shop prior to boarding.

SMOKING No smoking or vaping is allowed aboard ship.

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"As I've grown - dare I say it - older, I had hopes of indulging my dreams of being a sailor."

USS Turner Joy Museum Ship

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USS Turner Joy Museum Ship - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Seafair Fleet Week brings military ships to Seattle waterfront

SEATTLE — Since 1950, Seafair has hosted Fleet Week on the Seattle waterfront, where the public can tour impressive military ships.

The festivities started on Tuesday when Navy Destroyer USS Barry and ships from the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy arrived in Elliott Bay for the majestic Parade of Ships.

Free ship tours are available at Pier 46 South now through Sunday, Aug. 6. There will also be Navy and Coast Guard search and rescue helicopters, exhibits, food trucks and more.

KIRO 7′s Briseida Holguin went onboard USS Barry Thursday morning.

Seafair is in full swing! Till Sunday you can tour U.S. & Canadian military ships like the one below. They also have Navy Search & Rescue helicopters on display. Tour details are online at @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/IuyahTj64T — Briseida Holguin (@BriseidaHolguin) August 3, 2023

“We’re 500 feet long, 66 feet wide… We use it for a number of things, regional stability, building international partnerships with other nations, also maintaining sealine of communications,” said Commander Roger Young, Executive Officer, USS Barry.

People will be able to take a look inside the ship’s pilot house.

“Right here is where we actually steer the ship,” said Petty Officer First Class Jared Deviller.

Deviller says when the seas are rough they see between 10 to 20 foot waves.

“You’ll have that little zero-G feeling as you come back down… Our watch team will grab onto this cable right here,” said Deviller.

The massive Navy ship will be open for tours Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Coast Guard ship tours are available Thursday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tour times for the Royal Canadian Navy ships are Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

The tours give the public a chance to meet crews as they showcase what their ships can do.

If you’d like to tour a ship, be sure to bring photo identification, be prepared to pass through an airport-style security screening checkpoint before boarding, and wear flat-heeled, closed-toe shoes.

For information about what’s not allowed on board, visit https://cnrnw.cnic.navy.mil/Operations-and-Management/Fleet-Weeks/ . Get more information about Fleet Week here .

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Fleet Week 2023 @ Seattle Waterfront

By Patheresa Wells | Published July 31, 2023

📸: Courtesy Seafair

Updated on July 31st to reflect new Fleet Week tour times

📍 Along the waterfront: Pier 46, Pier 62, Pier 66 ⏰  See event schedule  here  

There’s a scene in the “Anchors Away” episode of  Sex in the City  where Carrie Bradshaw has an existential crisis—about her relationship with men, but also her relationship with the city. And then her besties remind her of  the joy of city life . There’s always something to do, they say. And as they look around, one shouts: “Ladies, seamen, 12 o’clock!” while pointing at passing sailors.  

Luckily for us Emerald City citizens, we can enjoy  the splendor of sailors  invading the city yearly during Fleet Week. A part of  Seafair , the  Seattle Fleet Week Boeing Maritime Celebration  has been held at the waterfront since 1950. What is Fleet Week? Well, it’s when US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard ships that have been deployed return to dock in major cities for one week. Meanwhile, the sailors get a chance to  enjoy the sites and sounds of the city  after being confined for far too long. They also offer us an opportunity to tour their fleet—which technically is our fleet. Taxpayer dollars, y’know. 

@theticketsea Ahoy sailors and Seattleites, it’s Fleet Week ⚓️ A part of Seafair (@seafairfestival), the Seattle Fleet Week Boeing Maritime Celebration has been held at the waterfront since 1950. What is Fleet Week? It’s when US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard ships that have been deployed return to dock in major cities for one week. The sailors get a chance to enjoy the city, and they also offer us an opportunity to tour their fleet. Below is a list of some tour dates and times. See a full list by clicking our link in bio 🫡 ⚓️ PIER 46 ⚓️ 🚢 US Navy Ship Tours 🚢
August 3rd, 4th, and 6th: Tours 9:30 am – 3 pm August 5th: Tours 9:30 am – 11 am 🚢 US Coast Guard Ship Tours 🚢
August 4th – 6th: Tours 9:30 am – 3 pm  ⚓️ PIER 62 ⚓️ 🚢 US Coast Guard Ship Tours 🚢
August 1st: Tours in the afternoon ⚓️ PIER 66 ⚓️ 🚢 US Coast Guard Ship Tours 🚢
August 2nd: Tours 9:30 am – 3 pm August 3rd: Tours 9:30 am – 11 am Tours are free and open to the public. On Tuesday, Pier 62 was the place to be for the Parade of Ships and performances by US Navy Band Northwest! Ships featured were the USS Barry, HMCS Yellowknife, and HMCS Edmonton. 🖊️ @patheresa_ #theticket #fleetweekseattle #seafair ♬ original sound – TheTicketSeattle

Fleet Week starts with a  Parade of Ships  on August 1st at 1 pm when all the ships make their way to dock. The sailors unload to explore, and we can take a peep at multiple piers. Below is a list of tour dates and times . 

PIER 46 🚢 US Navy Ship Tours 🚢 Thursday, August 3rd – Friday August 4th: 9:30 am – 3 pm Saturday, August 5th: 9:30 am – 11 am Sunday, August 6th: 9:30 am – 3 pm

 🚢 US Coast Guard Ship Tours 🚢 Friday, August 4th – Sunday, August 6th: 9:30 am – 3 pm

 🚢 Royal Canadian Navy 🚢 Thursday, August 3rd: 9:30 am – 3 pm Friday, August 4th: 9:30 am – noon Saturday, August 5th: Noon – 3 pm

PIER 66 🚢 US Coast Guard Ship Tours 🚢 Wednesday, August 2nd: 9:30 am – 3 pm Thursday, August 3rd: 9:30 am – 11 am

Tours are free and open to the public. Note there’s a security checkpoint, and  a government-issued ID is required. Backpacks, strollers, and open-toed shoes are prohibited. 

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Patheresa Wells

Patheresa Wells is a Black/Persian, Pansexual, Polyamorous Poet (so many Ps) and writer living in Seatac. An aspiring comic, you can catch her cracking jokes at open mics around the area. In her free time, she likes to imagine what she’d do with free time and feed her backyard crows cuz they’re silly. Follow her on Twitter @PatheresaWells.

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Navy ships return to Seattle for Seafair Fleet Week 

The  USS Barry (DDG 52) , a guided-missile destroyer based out of Everett, WA was the first ship in the parade to enter Elliott Bay for Seafair Fleet Week.

Photo by David Rosen- www.slickpixphotography.com

Tue, 08/01/2023

By David Rosen

Seattle Fleet Week Boeing Maritime Celebration has returned to Seafair and the shores of Seattle once again. The event kicked off with the Parade of Ships through Elliott Bay on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, followed by events happening throughout the week such as ship tours, meeting sailors, and music.

The parade of Ships went in order starting with  The Seattle Fire Department fireboat Leschi, followed by the US Navy:  USS Barry (DDG 52) , a guided-missile destroyer based out of Everett, WA, then the Royal Canadian Navy:  HMCS Edmonton  (703),  HMCS Yellowknife  (706), and  HMCS Nanaimo  (MM 702). After that the U.S. Coast Guard:  USCGC Henry Blake  (WLM-563), and a coastal patrol boat  USCGC Wahoo  [WPB 87345].

There were  also  two aircraft flying over the bay including a  Sikorsky UH-60  Black Hawk and USCG Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk.

Seafair has hosted Fleet Week along the Seattle Waterfront since the 1950’s. Boeing, The Seattle Navy League, and the Port of Seattle welcomed the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Canadian Navy.

For more info on the tours itself please see the schedule below:

PIER 62 - AUGUST 1ST 

Pier 46 - august 3rd - august 6th, pier 46 south, us navy , us coast guard, canadian navy.

Tour Dates : August 3, 4, and 6

Tour Times:

Thursday, Aug. 3rd - Friday, Aug. 4th: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Saturday, Aug. 5th: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Sunday, Aug. 6th: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM

US Coast Guard

Tours Date: August 4 - 6

9:30 AM - 3:00 PM

US Coast Guard Small Boat Tours (PIER 62)

Tuesday, AUG. 1 - Afternoon

Royal Canadian Navy

Tour Dates: August 3 - 6

Thursday, Aug. 3rd: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Friday, Aug. 4th: 9:30 AM-Noon

Satuday, Aug. 5th: Noon - 3:00 PM

Tour Dates: August 2 & 3  

Tour Times:  

Wednesday, Aug. 2nd: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM 

Thursday, Aug. 3rd: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

© 2022 Robinson Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tour Navy and Coast Guard ships in Seattle for Seafair

Seafair Fleet Week brings military ships to the Seattle waterfront for free tours Thursday through Sunday.

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Here’s an interesting, no-cost activity not far from home:

Put the “sea” back in Seafair with a tour of a Navy or Coast Guard ship visiting the Seattle waterfront.

Seafair Fleet Week tours begin today and continue through Sunday at Terminal 30. Ships open for free tours include two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers, the USS Shoup and USS Momsen; the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf; and Canadian Navy ships, the HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Brandon.

Visitors must bring government-issued photo ID and go through security screening. Wear flat-heeled, closed-toe shoes; items prohibited on board ships include weapons, large bags and backpacks (small handbags allowed, subject to search).

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Details: Tours 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. today-Saturday; Noon-3:30 p.m. Sunday. Terminal 30, 2431 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle. More information: www.seafair.com .

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Seafair Fleet Week brings military ships to Seattle waterfront

Since 1950, Seafair has hosted Fleet Week on the Seattle waterfront, where the public can tour impressive military ships.

The festivities started on Tuesday when Navy Destroyer USS Barry and ships from the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy arrived in Elliott Bay for the majestic Parade of Ships.

Free ship tours are available at Pier 46 South now through Sunday, Aug. 6. There will also be Navy and Coast Guard search and rescue helicopters, exhibits, food trucks and more.

KIRO 7′s Briseida Holguin went onboard USS Barry Thursday morning.

Seafair is in full swing! Till Sunday you can tour U.S. & Canadian military ships like the one below. They also have Navy Search & Rescue helicopters on display. Tour details are online at @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/IuyahTj64T — Briseida Holguin (@BriseidaHolguin) August 3, 2023

“We’re 500 feet long, 66 feet wide… We use it for a number of things, regional stability, building international partnerships with other nations, also maintaining sealine of communications,” said Commander Roger Young, Executive Officer, USS Barry.

People will be able to take a look inside the ship’s pilot house.

“Right here is where we actually steer the ship,” said Petty Officer First Class Jared Deviller.

Deviller says when the seas are rough they see between 10 to 20 foot waves.

“You’ll have that little zero-G feeling as you come back down… Our watch team will grab onto this cable right here,” said Deviller.

The massive Navy ship will be open for tours Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Coast Guard ship tours are available Thursday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tour times for the Royal Canadian Navy ships are Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

The tours give the public a chance to meet crews as they showcase what their ships can do.

If you’d like to tour a ship, be sure to bring photo identification, be prepared to pass through an airport-style security screening checkpoint before boarding, and wear flat-heeled, closed-toe shoes.

For information about what’s not allowed on board, visit https://cnrnw.cnic.navy.mil/Operations-and-Management/Fleet-Weeks/ . Get more information about Fleet Week here .

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The Most Decorated Battleship in U.S. History Gets an Overdue Face-Lift

It has been 34 years since the Battleship New Jersey was last pulled out of the water for maintenance.

Roughly 45,000 sailors and Marines served on the U.S.S. New Jersey’s decks in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Lebanese Civil War and the Iran-Iraq Tanker War. Credit... Rachel Wisniewski for The New York Times

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By Tracey Tully ,  Rachel Wisniewski and Erin Schaff

• May 1, 2024

The most decorated battleship in the history of the United States is done with war.

The engines of the vessel, the Battleship New Jersey, are no longer permitted to operate, by order of the U.S. Navy.

But on a windy afternoon in March, tugboats pushed and pulled the ship away from land for the first time in more than 20 years. It left its berth in Camden, N.J., en route to Philadelphia, where it was guided into dry dock to undergo two months of repairs that can only be completed out of water.

Muriel Smith was there to watch.

“You’ll get me crying,” Ms. Smith, 87, said, describing the emotions she felt as a mammoth American flag was hoisted aloft during the shifting of colors before the Battleship New Jersey left the dock on March 21. Ms. Smith, a writer who lives in New Jersey, was on hand in 1999, too, when the ship made its way through the Panama Canal, headed toward its new career as a museum and memorial .

At each event, she said, she thought about her children, two of whom served in the U.S. Marines and one, Tracie Smith-Yeoman, who retired from the Navy as a commander.

“I feel like my own kids are being honored,” Ms. Smith said about the financial commitment that enabled the monthslong maintenance project.

“All the lives that served on her,” added Ms. Smith-Yeoman, who now teaches naval science at a magnet school on the Jersey Shore. “All that she did to secure the freedoms of so many people.

“It’s important that we never, ever forget that.”

No other U.S. battleship served in more military campaigns. Christened on the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1942, it went on to earn 19 battle stars during 21 years of active service . Roughly 45,000 sailors and Marines served on its decks in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Lebanese Civil War and the Iran-Iraq Tanker War.

The ship arrived at its permanent dock in Camden in October 2001, just after the Sept. 11 attacks. For security reasons, it was a hush-hush affair. “They moved her in the middle of the night without anybody on board,” Ryan Szimanski, the museum’s curator, said.

As a museum, the battleship has become known for its hands-on military history tours and for the Scout sleepovers, retirement parties and high school proms that help to pay its bills.

It was years overdue for the routine maintenance required to keep it safely afloat for the next couple of decades in the Delaware River. And preparations for pulling the 887.7-foot ship about six miles, from Camden to Paulsboro, N.J., and then to Philadelphia, were complete even before the $10 million it will cost to finish the job was secured.

To get to Philadelphia, the battleship had to pass under the Walt Whitman Bridge, which has a low-tide clearance 26 feet shorter than the ship’s tallest point, Mr. Szimanski said.

A mast and antennas had to be removed to make it fit. And as the battleship neared Philadelphia, its onboard tanks were flooded with water to weigh it down enough to shimmy it into Dock No. 3 of the Philly Shipyard .

It took three days to drain the slip, leaving the hull fully visible for the first time in 34 years.

For weeks, workers have been hunched underneath the battleship welding waterproof caps and replacing anodes as others perch on equipment high overhead, pressure-washing and painting the hull.

Before returning to Camden in late May, the ship will have been sprayed with six coats of epoxy in three distinct colors — layering that will help museum officials track the underwater erosion process.

Weekend tours have allowed ticket holders from as far away as China and South America to walk beneath its underbelly. One man flew back and forth from California within 24 hours for the opportunity to climb down five flights of stairs into the cavernous boat basin where the work is being done.

“They don’t do this, anywhere, very often,” said Libby Jones, the museum’s director of education. “If you’re into this kind of stuff, this is it — this is the Super Bowl.”

Along the way, Mr. Szimanski has stumbled into internet fame.

A YouTube channel he and Ms. Jones created at the start of the pandemic to offer programming while the museum was closed now has nearly 240,000 subscribers. Tickets for the dry-dock tours that Mr. Szimanski leads are selling for $1,000. (Tours led by other guides are $225.)

“I think it’s crazy!” said Mr. Szimanski, 34, who grew up in Baltimore and has been working on museum battleships since he was a teenager.

He is driven, he said, by a desire to offer an authentic window into the country’s military history, including the 1,600-room battleship’s capacity for devastation and the sacrifices that have accompanied it home from war.

“Maybe that will be enough,” he said, “to remind us not to do it all over again.”

Tracey Tully is a reporter for The Times who covers New Jersey, where she has lived for more than 20 years. More about Tracey Tully

Erin Schaff is a photojournalist for The Times, covering stories across the country. More about Erin Schaff

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