This is one of those places, as I'm sure others have, that I've driven by dozens of times without much of a second thought. But after this winter, I wanted to get out and decided to check them out. First, as a side note, don't use 'Battleship Cove' as your GPS destination; otherwise, the GPS will tell you it's on the Braga Bridge/195. There was some overnight scout pack or something when I went, as a bunch of people/kids were getting out when I got there. There was nobody to show my pre-paid ticket to, so I just went in; it was just chaos. As far as the attraction goes, it's amazing how big and how small it is at the same time. Small in the sense that I clocked my head a couple times, and to contort a little bit to get through doorways and hallways a few times, and I'm only 5'6. I can only imagine how enlisted people did it. Big in the sense that you don't realize how far down it goes and how much they cram into what is a relatively small vessel. It's a lot of interesting information and a fun time exploring the ships. And its relatively cheap too. In the summer, I can imagine it getting really hot in the vessel so I would say that Spring or Fall is probably the best option. read more

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I loved this experience so much. You will not regret this ride to battleship cove. Also there is a gift shop. The best part about it is the fact you can go in the boats. Definitely recommend! read more

Battleship Cove - One of the boats - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

I love walking or running at Battleship Cove. Currently, there is a lot of construction going on down there, but the intentions are to make it more pedestrian friendly and I am excited to see when it's finished. Despite the construction, there's still a ton of safe spaces to walk or run. I usually run at sunrise or sunset, as the sunsets over the bridge and it's beautiful. Lots of people walk their dogs, so it's dog friendly as well. I highly recommend checking out Battleship Cove even for just a peaceful walk on the boardwalk. read more

Battleship Cove - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

My nephew was visiting and loves all things naval and pilot related. He lived visit g Battleship cove. this place has come a long way since I took my dad here a long time ago. The exhibits were laid out nicely. You could find your way around and it was truly enjoyable to see my nephew so excited.Plus I have never been inside a battleship and that was pretty exciting. Highly recommend it. You really do feel a part of history. read more

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This was an amazing your I thoroughly enjoyed. I've never been on a real battleship before and it was an eye opening experience. The gun turrets are several stories deep and shells they fire weigh several thousand pounds. I tried to picture how it must have all smelled and how loud it must have been. Working below the water line must have been stressful. It's takes a few hours to walk this ship and take it all in. Watch your head, low bulkheads and you have to be fairly flexible to step over hatch openings. There are dozens of staircases to climb and they are small. It's amazing people lived on these ships for six months at a time. They are small floating cities. The gift shop and the PT boat and display were also incredible. The only reason I gave this a four was simply too much of it was closed. The Kennedy and the Lionfish could not be viewed as they were closed for restoration as was the upper super structure of the battleship. I was only able to see half of I've ship if three total ships and still paid full price. That seemed wrong to me. read more

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The goal of my Oct '24 visit was the USS Joseph P. Kennedy DD850. This ship is 95%+ identical to the USS Theodore E. Chandler DD717 on which I served 8/'68-8/'70. The Kennedy, thanks to a number of incredibly dedicated volunteers working hard and diligently (to get it right) restore her to her Vietnam era configuration. It had been 54 years since I left the Chandler. As soon as I crossed the brow at her stern I felt as though I had stepped through a time portal. The experience became viscerally emotional for me as the two years I spent embarked on the Chandler are deeply etched into the recesses of my memory. For those who are reading my experience and whose fathers served aboard a Gearing class 'can during Vietnam, no photos or description can provide you with physically immersing into it to grasp what it must have been like. Visit her, by all means. Walk her decks and inner passageway and try to image what it must have been like during rough seas. Try to imagine what it must have been like to sleep in a berthing space with almost 50 other sailors. Imagine what it must have been like sitting and eating on the mess deck in rough seas while trying to hold onto one's tray, coffee mug, and eating utensils. Try to imagine what is was like to be deployed for 6 months to the western Pacific or to the Mediterranean with 275 other sailors on a ship like the "JPK". read more

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The PT boat exhibit is nice and enclosed. You can get really close to the one of display and with the cut out windows even look inside some of the areas where the crew worked, ate and slept. This is very rare. The other nice thing I can say about visiting here is that parking is free in their own lot (if they have room). Everything else is downhill after that. Let me be clear, I am very sorry to write this review. I visited last Saturday. The submarine was closed for repair but I was looking forward to getting on the destroyer Kennedy and battleship Massachusetts. First was the Kennedy. From the outside she looked bad. I saw rust in many places and she was in desperate need of a paint job. Inside the ship going thru the passageways I saw a ship that needed a lot of repair and work just to be presentable enough for the public to tour which it wasn't. The aft end of the ship had a bunch of maintenance and repair gear on it so I kind of gave it a pass thinking that it was getting ready to get a makeover. When I made it over to the Massachusetts I realized I was wrong. The battleship was just as bad if not worse. I couldn't believe all of the rust I saw including some places on the superstructure where the rust had eaten through the metal. The teak deck was rotting out. There are 4 tours listed for both above and below the main deck but following the signage for those tours was difficult. I got lost several times trying to find my way around. A couple of times I found open hatches below deck leading into dark spaces. I would shine my flashlight in there and see areas that weren't suppose to be open to the public but were because someone left a hatch open. The outside signage on some of the weapons platforms were so weathered they were unreadable. I felt I was visiting a ghost ship that had been left to rot. I could go on but I won't. There are some volunteers who work here who are true heroes for what they are trying to do. I talked to one of them. The maintenance required to keep these docked non functioning ships ready for the public is huge. These ships are so far behind maintenance that volunteers alone cannot bring them back to where they need to be. Volunteers can only do so much. It will take a lot of money and paid workers to bring these ships back to be on par with their contemporaries. Go look at Intrepid in NYC, New Jersey in Philly, North Carolina in Wilmington. Alabama in Mobile, Lexington in Corpus Christi, Iowa in LA and Missouri at Pearl. The difference here is like night and day. Either bring these up to par or scrap them like most of their contemporaries were 70 years ago. As they are now these two are little more than floating rust buckets. I hate saying that and even took very few pictures of what I saw because it depressed me. Finally at the entrance door to the gift shop is a Pepsi machine. It was warm that day and I needed a cold drink so I paid $2 for an iced tea and when I made my selection a warm plastic bottle of tea was dispensed. I immediately realized that the refrigeration on the machine wasn't working. I went inside and told a male and two female employees about that and they said that the park wasn't responsible for the outside drink machines. The vendor was and I understood that. However, I asked them if they could put a piece of paper on the machine saying "out of order" or "drinks are hot" or anything to warn people not to put their money in the machine since no one would want hot drinks on a warm day. I told them it would be doing their patrons a service by warning them. They agreed and I went back to finish my tour. About an hour later as I was leaving I walked by that machine and two guys were getting ready to get drinks out of it and I stopped them in time. There was no note on the machine like I had recommended. If the employees here don't care enough to tape a sheet of paper on the drink machine saying it is broken perhaps that's a reflection of WHY these ships look like we lost the War! read more

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Great venue for history fans and families. Had helicopters, boats and learning sections (sit down and watch a quick video). Appreciated that there were a few staff/volunteers on the ships that could answer questions and explain what you were seeing. Most of the experience is self-guided and interactive. Also appreciated the explorative nature of investing the ships and helicopters with my family. read more

Battleship Cove - USS Massachusetts...bathroom, food and air-conditioned area on the ship - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

In a city dedicated to shipping and whaling, of course there is a massive collection of Navy ships. The USS Massachusetts is my third battleship after the North Carolina in Wilmington https://www.yelp.com/biz/battleship-north-carolina-wilmington-3?hrid=4MB0ANpmuH8PcLLV9DagYQ and the Wisconsin in Norfolk https://www.yelp.com/biz/uss-wisconsin-bb-64-norfolk-3. You'll find the USS Lionfish (an attack submarine), the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (a destroyer), the Soviet missile corvette Hiddensee and more. It's amazing to see and of course, tour. [Review 18635 overall - 1215 in Massachusetts - 2157 of 2022.] read more

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Sydney and the team were great hosts as I brought a great group for the Veterans Day Weekend Nautical Nights! We ran our own agenda mixed in with theirs, and it came off awesome! We strongly recommend this event for people of all ages and genders too! Sleep in history, you won't regret it! read more

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The ships were amazing. They didn't have much in the line of help to help. You understand what you were looking at, but it was great being inside the ships. read more

Absolutely AMAZING I love WW2 and this was no different who wouldn't want to see a giant battleship and this ships legendary!!! Also on display the uss Lion fish, Joseph P Kennedy destroyer and a missile cruiser from a later time period obviously but still cool. And other PT boats and a landing craft The Morse code galley was well priced and good food considering it's an attraction. But the real star was the ships Amazing must see experience read more

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Absolutely must see maritime museum for the naval or historical enthusiast. Park setting with ver cool retired vessels including subs! If your in Fall River, def check it out! read more

Battleship Cove - Battleships cove - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

Had wonderful experiences with my kids and cubscouts here years ago. I went today (9/17/23) and was horribly disappointed. The ships are falling apart. They mentioned on the website that the submarine was closed for repairs- what they DIDN'T say, was that the only way to access the Russian missile corvette was FROM the submarine. So out of their 4 vessels on display, 50% are inaccessible. Yet they still charged full price for admission. I haven't been here in 13 years, and I can't believe how badly things have deteriorated in that time. The teakwood decks are rotten. The paint is peeling off everywhere. It was heartbreaking to see. The original crew members advocated hard for and volunteered on BB59, but now they're gone, and she's not far behind them. As much as I want this museum to thrive- don't take your family here. You'll be disappointed. read more

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This is an amazing place to spend a few hours or a whole afternoon. It's perfect for everyone from elders to Mom & Dad and especially kids of all ages! You can go aboard a real WW2 battleship, the U.S.S. MASSACHUSETTS and explore every corner of the ship inside & out!!! It's extremely interesting and very informative! Everyone should experience this to learn and remember that freedom isn't free but the heroic sailors from this ship and many others fought & died to give us our freedom! We owe it to them to remember their sacrifices and never forget them! read more

We took our 4 year old for the day and had a great time. We spent about 3 hours touring the ships. The submarine wasn't open because it's being worked on. The staff was nice and helpful. Remember to wear sneakers, definitely not sandals, for safety reasons and because you'll be doing some climbing up and down steep stairs. There is a cafeteria on the USS Massachusetts, which was a lifesaver towards the end of our 3 hours as we were getting thirsty and hungry. The prices are very reasonable for a quick lunch. The museum down the street (within walking distance) has some very nice models of ships and a large model of the Titanic. We only spent about a half hour at this museum but was nice to pop in and see their displays. If you're very interested in maritime history I would imagine that this museum would be interesting. We had our 4 year old with us so it didn't hold his interest like it did for me and we ended up leaving earlier than I would have liked. There is also a carousel near the parking lot that looks really fun too. Lots to do in the area for the day! read more

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Very interesting history here. But the show is in the Morse Code Galley with the staff. Brenda is a feisty bundle of sarcasm and joy. Maurice is a walking talking history book. It was cool to see and learn how the people lived and worked on these vessels. Amazing! read more

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Had a ... blasts! But really, had a great time with my 3YO. These are steel ships and subs so prob not the best place for infants or babies in carriers. It can get hot and humid in the summer so go when it opens. Don't feel like you have to see everything. These are steel ships in water with a volunteer force to do maintenance. Excellent museum, highly recommend. Bring your water. read more

Battleship Cove - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

Great visit for military and civilian as well as veterans. Good information for young people, be prepared for climbing up and down ladders to view a different decks in the battleship Massachusetts. Lot of good displays of detailed information. In all, I'm good visit. read more

So many positive things here - but look out onto the cove at night and what should be the amazing site The Massachusetts " is so poorly lit - like seriously that thing should be sparkling at night - the lights on it look like some leftover Xmas lights in a broken down neighborhood........STEP IT UP FALL RIVER! read more

Battleship Cove is a great day trip! I love the history they provide through the museums and how you really learn a lot. My favorite part is being able to go into the ships and submarine. I think it is great they let you go in all the rooms and walk through all three ships/ submarine. PS. The submarine might make you feel a little claustrophobic, but it is worth doing in. I learned so much and had a lot of fun exploring! I would recommend Battleship Cove to adults and children! read more

Battleship Cove - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

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Good day trip, only $25. Spend all day exploring the old warships. Self-guided, bring a lunch & drinks. Would go back again, was kinda rushed because we didn't allow enough time their. read more

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Whoa! I had no idea how cool this day would be. I have a limited interest in military or really any history but the access and the displays on these three ships were great. Throw in running into an experiment onboard with a Boston Dynamic robo dog and this became a memorable day. Tour battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59), destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr (DD-850), submarine USS Lionfish (SS-298), PT Boats 617 and 796, and German missile corvette Hiddensee. Many quarters, etc setup as they would have been in the day. We were there on a hot, humid day and were hot and fatigued by the end. SO much walking, climbing, tight boat stairs. Concessions were closed. We were here for several hours. Super cool gem! read more

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There's SO much to do here at Battleship Cove, even though there are only 3 ships, and 1 submarine. I actually got tired after the first 2, so I left afterwards. It's $25 per adult to get in. I don't agree with the price, but it helps support the preservation of the ships that served during the wars. The ships have multiple floors and surprisingly, you can't really get lost in it. There's not staff around to guide you (at least none I found) but there's ALOT of text and some videos throughout to explain things. I ended up just goofing off and taking pictures of text to read later. There's also a small restaurant in the ship if you get hungry. I'd definitely come back to visit the final ship. Fair warning, some spots can be VERY cramped and small, so get ready to suck in that belly! read more

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Save a few hours of your day to explore this ship and grounds. Pretty awesome self guided tour and a lot of things to see while walking through and climbing through the ship. Definitely worth the visit! read more

One of my Zen spots. Always a great pit stop at each day's end. I think I'd like to plan a meet up with no objective. I'd be curious to see who shows up. Wait for it! read more

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We had a great visit here with a little boy. Although I've been here many times before I still love the history here. We arrived early on a hot Sunday morning and did all the upper deck/ outside exhibits first before the sun got high. Then we did all the below deck discovering and stayed nice and cool. Amazing piece of history. About 2 hours is good for a little boy, before gift shopitis sets in!! read more

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This is a hidden gem in Fall River, for sure. Went on Memorial Day with my dad and daughter. We caught the start of a ceremony to honor the locals who had fallen victim to the hellscape of war; listened to a woman play Taps, watched a 21-gun salute, then sang God Bless America before checking out the ship. A few notes: The ship is in need of repairs, especially the exterior from the start of the rear turrets to the bow. The stem of the ship looks like it has received the most work and looks neat. The rest of the ship needs some local Navy Reservists to start painting or something. Interior is fine. Another thing I couldn't help but think about was how awful it must have been on that ship during its wars off the coast of Morocco and Japan. The firepower you see on this ship (firepower from the main turrets will take out Route 88 in Westport from Taunton River, no problem at all.) and the metal shrapnel the size of footballs and the half-melted munitions...the punishment that ship has taken should get you thinking how nightmarish it must have been on that thing at night with nothing but load bangs, fire, screams of anguish and orders, and 50 caliber rounds from airplane fire coming at you hours on end. Read one of the ship's logs: an attack begins at 8pm and goes til midnight. Just four hours of being under siege. There is a hospital on board. I imagine the docs were sewing up a lot of limbs of terrified 19-year-old seamen. We dont build battleships anymore. We rely on subs, aircraft carriers, and their accompanying destroyers now. This is the last you'll ever see of one. Best to go on days like Memorial Day or Veterans Day. It has a special lure on those days. Id also recommend doing the tours; more intimate. You will easily spend three hours there so plan accordingly. Afterwards: recommend The Cove or Tipsy Seagull. The Battleship Cove is in the best area of Fall River so youll be safe, and the surrounding area is clean and full of happy people. read more

My family and I were very impressed by this visit. The size and great access you get while on board on the USS Massachusetts will surprise even the most knowledgeable WWII nerd. The ship is well curated and will guide people that do not know a lot about this kind of ship. It's totally worth it. read more

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We need more places like this! A living history museum representing the the warships of the greatest generation who knew something about sacrifice, honor and duty to country. Sadly, there will never be another generation like them. As far as the museum is concerned, nothing can replicate being able to board an actual WWII warship. This museum is a national treasure! read more

Brought our cub scout pack here last weekend and everyone had a blast! It literally is a floating museum with lots to explore. Lots of places in the ship seem like they should be off limits, but you crawl down a ladder and find yourself in another exhibit, with super informative history and real-life conditions! The food was a solid mediocre and the sleeping experience was not awesome, noisy and lights didn't all turn off, but these "authentic" ship conditions did not detract from the smiles on our kids faces. Many people with whom I spoke can not wait to return next year! read more

Great place to see what it is like on various Navy sea Vessels. Realistic historic depictions and informed staff to answer questions. Be prepared for lots of walking climbing and ducking. There is a historic carousel adjacent to it and it is $2 for a ride. We spent almost 2 hours at the location. read more

Battleship Cove - USS Massachusetts - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Fall River, Massachusetts

My 9yo loved being able to explore the large ship. It had interesting information throughout, but I didn't always have enough time to read them, as the impulse to explore was high in my little one. read more

Just such a wonderful opportunity that not a lot of people know exists here in Fall River!! It's a hidden gem that people drive by every day. Not many people know you can actually take a tour inside and see not only the Battleship Cove, but a other battle ships such as the one owned by the Soviet Union which was bought by the U.S. Army. Highly recommend to anyone who is interested in our Nations history and everyone who is in town. Will be willing to come again!!! read more

I am no stranger to museum ships. Battleship Cove did not disappoint at all. The star of the show was the USS Massachusetts BB-59, "Big Mammie" The South Dakota Class battleship. The amazing thing is that she was built for WW2 and had less than 10 years in service. After a tour of the massive ship, it was a surprise how brief her time in the fleet was. They did a great job of installing plexiglass so the massiveness of one of the forward 16 inch turrets is visible below decks. Since she isn't an Iowa class Battleship she was never modernized so much of the armament that was used to defend herself during WW2 is still there. She is bristling with 5 inch guns, 40 mm, and 20 mm are still there. The surprise of battleship cove to me was the Hiddensee. This was a Soviet build corvette that was acquired by the US after the fall of the Soviet Union. So touring a former Soviet Vessel was very nice. All in all Battleship Cove provides a view into naval history and ships that are no longer used in the fleet. Highly recommended. read more

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Great place to bring your kids and learn a bit of American history and military engineering

Amazing battleship USS Massachussetts, throughly enjoyed going on the ship and exploring the different inner parts of the ship along with the engine. Admission fee is 18$ for adults but there's a brochure near the counter with 2$ off for upto 4 adults. I'm not sure why they don't people about it or instead why they just don't sell it for 16$. Really cool to go aboard Kennedy and the submarine as well. But the maps provided are pretty much useless and we had to ask people who worked there on how to find stairs to get to the lower decks. Overall it's a cool experience, not the best place to go to if you're claustrophobic and also gets stuffy down there. Cool place otherwise! read more

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This is an all day event, so be prepared to walk and explore. You get to go through various battleships and explore the various areas of crew members while at war. The ships are all interconnected, and are all nicely docked. We went during the COVID, and I am very impressed! The customer service at the front is just amazing, she is so nice and welcoming! We will definitely be back! read more

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I took my kids there for my sons birthday and they loved i would recommend it it's right on the water and the cove is even awesomer

Great spot to check out history, easy walking for the most part. Got lucky with a nice day so we were able to sit outside and enjoy.