USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
I was really surprised at how much my 8 & 10 year-olds enjoyed the Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. They had the best time exploring the USS Alabama, getting a real look at how the soldiers worked and lived onboard. Not only did we venture out to the top of the battleship, but we also saw the interior rooms and workings inside the ship. We saw where they ate, slept, and worked.
Above:Â Tanks and Artillery
The “Mighty A”
The walking tour is self-guided. Simply follow the brightly colored/numbered arrows. You and your family can take as little or as much time as you would like on the tour.
We really got to imagine what life and work were like in such close quarters aboard this ship. It was fascinating.
Above: An example of sleeping quarters on the USS Alabama.
P.S. Those (Kindergarten sleeping mat) mattresses were NOT comfortable!
We sat in a small theatre and watched a short 15-minute video about the history of the USS Alabama. We all enjoyed this video with first-hand accounts of life on the ship. I recommend taking the time to watch it. It is played on a loop, every 15 minutes.
**There are a few sets of steep stairs, but there are handrails to hold on to. There are also low doorways and high door sills (my kids called the oval-shaped doorways “magic portals”) – so please be careful.
USS Drum Submarine
WWII submarine USS DRUM (SS-228) is located in the Mobile Bay. It is the oldest American submarine on public display.
I have to admit that the submarine was tight quarters and I had a hard time in there because I’m a little claustrophobic. I’m glad I toured it and it was very interesting, but I thought IÂ should let you know in case you’re the same way about tight spaces.
MEDAL OF HONOR AIRCRAFT PAVILION
Above photo via
The Aircraft Collection includes:
- Pre- World War II
- World War II
- Korean War Era
- Vietnam War Era
- Cold War Era
- Coast Guard
Park Memorials
Above: The Recruit. Photo via
As you explore the park, you will see several memorials dedicated to veterans of all wars.
The Galley
Stop by The Galley for lunch or snack. They offer:
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Personal Pizzas
- Sourdough Bread Sandwiches
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Grilled Chicken
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Drinks
- Cookies
Admission
- Kids 5 years and younger FREE
- Children 6-11 years old $6.00
- General Admission ages 12+ $15.00
- Senior Citizens 55+ $13.00
- AAA and Active Duty ages 12+ $13.00
This tour is so interesting, the time will fly by. I think you need at least two hours (or more) to really see and enjoy everything.
Mobile, AL 36602
I can see why your kids love this place. Heck I would love that! There is so much to learn and get an idea of what these were used for. I love it!
It was pretty cool, Amanda! They loved exploring but they also learned a lot too!
The kids are going to love this! Being on the battleship must be so neat. It’s a great way to get them excited about history too.
It was neat to see the inside of the battleship and how everything operated! It was a great history lesson for all of us.
I adore places like this!! It’s so interesting to see how things work and to learn the history of it all. <3
We do too! We watched some interesting videos while we were there and we could see the battleship in action in the videos.
Our nephew would love this. We will have to tell our sister to take him to Alabama Battleship Park.
They will love it!
Memorial looks super interesting! I would really love to walk there. Battle Ships are so amazing!
It was very interesting to see the day-to-day life of a battleship, Lyosha!
Its a great trip for the family and specially for kids. I had been on a ship once in Gdansk, Poland and it was amazing.
That sounds like an amazing experience, Doreen! My mom has been to Poland and she loved it. I love touring places that are educational for me and my kiddos.
That looks like the battleship that I went to when I was younger. It was a really great experience.
My kids thought it was awesome!
It’s amazing how huge those ships are. Cool attraction.
It was massive!
This looks super cool! I may need to try it out next time I’m in Alabama.
I hope you do, Camryn! This Memorial Park is only about an hour from the beaches (Alabama beaches are awesome!)
Thanks for letting me know about this fantastic place to visit. I know my kids would love it and my husband would be ecstatic! Such a wonderful place to learn more about history. OMG, those bunk beds are tiny!
Thanks, Anne Marie! The kids got a great history lesson this day! And the bunk bed were tiny and so uncomfortable.
Whoa! That looks so awesome, I can’t believe how tiny and squished those bunk beds are.
I know, right? I feel sorry for those men who had to sleep on those. The “mattress” was like a kindergarten mat!
I have a lot of family in Mobile Alabama so I will have to check this out next time I visit! It looks like a fun filled day with lots and lots of good history. Thanks for sharing this place 🙂 xx
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Thanks, Cassie! I hope you do get to visit this Memorial Park the next time you visit your family. It’s a fascinating place!
This looks like an awesome adventure to experience. It looks like you learned so much.
We really did learn a lot, Elizabeth! We watched a video with actual black-and-white footage of the ship and we got to tour most of the inside and top of the ship. The kids learned so much (and so did I).
Looks like a very interesting place! I would love to go there for a day!
I hope you get to, Corina! It’s a fascinating and educational place.
This looks really cool place to have fun and enjoy. The aircraft and the park both must be an amazing experience for you.
Yes, we loved it! It was a great history lesson for the kids.
This is interesting. I would love to visit this park in case we get to visit Alabama. Thank you for sharing. Very educational.
I hope you get to visit us here in Alabama soon, Clarice!
That looks like a cool place to visit. It’s so much better to learn “history” through hands on and physical, visual things that you can touch and feel! The aircraft look cool too.
I think that’s what I liked best about this outing – the kids learned so much. From the aircraft, the battleship, and the submarine the kids got in a good history lesson.
My husband would love this! He’s a helicopter pilot so I’ll have to make a plan this spring to visit. what a great late birthday gift!
Oh yeah! This would be a great trip for you guys. And Mobile is really close to some nice beaches too. I hope you get to go, Barrie!
Looks like a fun but educational day out 🙂
Yes, Shan! My kids loved exploring this boat and submarine. And they talked about all the things they observed and learned (a lot from the video) all the way home.
My sons would totally love this park.
They would, Veronica! There is so much to see and explore.
Looks like great weather too!
It was cold, but we did end up with some nice weather. I can only imagine how hot it gets in that ship in the summertime.