A complete guide on how to visit and why you should visit Alabama's USS Battleship! It is not a boring museum.
USS Battleship Alabama is located near the city of Mobil surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico. If you ever plan to visit Gulf Shore, this should be on your MUST-SEE list!
Even though, I am not a fan of war history, I loved the museum!
How much does it cost?
Tickets per person is 18$, but they have a AAA discount, so if you have a AAA membership you can get it from 16$. They have a Parking fee of 5$.
Plan for the Day!
There are three color-coded tour routes—yellow, red, or green to explore everything on the ship. Every tour is self-directed. You will get a printed tour map when you check in to assist you navigate through the ship. Along with the ship, your ticket allow you to explore the gallery and the submarine named "The Drum."
I would recommend starting from the third deck. Mentionable points of interest in the front side are Sick Bay, Radio Control Room, and Engine Room. Back of the ship has Tailor shop, Barber Shop, Laundry etc. Spend at least an hour exploring the third deck.
On the Second Deck front side you will find Office supplies, Captain's Office, Officer's Galley, Post Office and Gunnery. Back side has Butchery Shop, Bakery Shop, Engineer's Office (Loved as an Engineer, lol), Crew Galley, etc. It can take up to 2 to 3 hours to explore the whole area.
On the deck you can see several gun mounts and tubs, spend at least half an hour here and get the feeling of walking in the shoe of a solder for a day!
Last but not the list Do Not forget The DRUM. Allow yourself an hour to explore the area.
3rd Deck
Sick Bay
A sick bay is a medically-focused area of a ship where sailors get treatment. Mild illness was not sufficient to exempt a soldier from duty, but severe illness, disease, and wounds required him to spend time in the ship's "Sick Bay".
Engine Room
With a 1.3 million HP, each of the four engine rooms contains two boilers and two turbines.
Two five-bladed and two four-bladed propellers totaling four total tons apiece were used.
Tailor shop
The Marine Tailor was responsible for making all clothing repairs and fittings for Marine's and Officers. The tailor was both worked and slept in this space!
Crew's Berthing
Not a very comfy place to take a nap!
2nd Deck
A Sneak Peak to Captain's Office!
Looks like he just left his room and headed to the top deck!
On August 20, 1943, the USS Alabama was commissioned to serve in World War II. An original piece of 1944's Calendar!
Officer's Galley
Can you hear the clanging of dishes, pots, and pans and smell the wonderful aromas of bacon and eggs, fresh brewed coffee, green beans, fresh baked bread, fried chicken and hot apple pies?
Post Office
The process of posting letters followed strict scrutiny aboard USS Alabama. Each and every letter was examined before posting and censored blacked out if it contained the ship location or battle details!
Ship's Store
Take a look into the convenience store of the ship. The packaging of Camel, Chesterfield will take you to the past!
Crew Mess Area
Massive display of the day to day life of a sailor will take you to another era. All the exhibitions are so much alive!
Hey, want a cold Dr. Pepper?
Chief Petty Officer Area
The most senior enlisted commander working side by side with the sailors while coaching and instructing them were the Chief Petty Officers. Lots of responsibilities....uff!
Butcher Shop
The crews prepared food for 2300 crew and sailors during WWII. Now you know, Where all the Bacons went?
Bakery Shop
Freshly baked breads are coming!
Top Deck
At the top deck, you will see 20mm Machine Guns, Multiple Gun Turrets, Gun barbette, and of course the crows nest!
Exhibitions
The South Dakota class of American battleships that fought Japan in World War II is USS Alabama. This powerful warship earned nine battle stars! It has a vast collection of war history exhibitions. Take a deep dive into the history and experience the precious collections on board! You will love it!
An original Walther P38 on display!
First 35mm Camera, which was only usable by the US Armed Forces!
More than 25 historic aircraft and military vehicles, including the Mach 3 A-12 Blackbird top secret spy jet, can be seen in the aircraft pavilion.
Haque's EYE
This location is a wonderful memorial to american heroes as well as an engaging and intuitive method to learn about history! Lots of standing, walking up and down stairs, and squeezing through small, cramped entrances. is required for this tour. So be mentally prepared for that. They have a to go snack bar. So you you grow an apatite during the tour, you can grab a bite from there!
Also, an amazing addition from 2023 would be the Overnight Excursions! You can explore the USS Alabama's decks to take a step back in time while learning about the men who served on board this powerful battleship. Sleep on the same bunks that actual sailors did during World War II. During your overnight stay you can experience what one peaceful night aboard the ship would have been like for these sailors. And it is as low as 20$ per person! So what are you waiting for?
See you at some other point in the world, till then keep exploring with Haque's EYE!
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