After finishing the tasks for the day, I find myself at Nauticus museum, after being drawn seeing an Iowa-Class Battleship from where I was working. I'm a big fan of experiencing naval history and Nauticus offered an opportunity too good to pass up - which was to explore and actually step-foot on a Battleship, the USS Wisconsin. I had a good time exploring all of the compartments, ranging from the mess hall, office center, communication room, and seeing how officers and crew would live on a battleship. The museum itself has plenty of exhibits ranging from maritime to exhibits about US Navy Technology itself, such as comparing how a 16" shell weighs as much a small car, or showing off an analog fire control computer, that is larger than today's full-size washing machines. It was a great experience here, to see first-hand mid-20th century US Navy Technology, and I would recommend a visit if you have a couple hours to spare. read more

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The Nauticus Museum was a lot of fun for my four year old son. He loved the horseshoe crab and shark touch tanks. He also had a blast learning how to steer a tug and operating the the robotic arm from inside a submersible. Me? I was there for the great naval history exhibits and of course, the Battleship Wisconsin. The Battleship Wisconsin is a massive vessel that is just a breathtaking sight when you see it in real life. Pictures and video just don't do it justice. You have to witness it with your own eyes to truly understand the awesome power a modern battleship impresses on the human psysche. I am at a loss as to why we have mothballed these symbols of power and prestige on the high seas. The Wisconsin (Wisky) was one of the last Iowa Class battleships built during World War II and served until the end the of the First Gulf War. She participated in tomahawk strikes and bombardment missions against the Iraqi army back in 1991. The city of Norfolk keeps her in pristine condition and would recommend the guided tour. The unguided tour only allows you topside, albeit at your own pace and with free reign to take lots of pictures! read more

What a great tour! Our guide Bob did a wonderful job explaining everything- very informative through out the whole tour! I wish I had planned more time to see and read everything! read more

Nauticus - Bob did a great job! So informative and personable! I recommend giving yourself plenty of time to take it all in - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Nauticus at Norfolk downtown harbor is a must. Parking avail in nearby lots, ~$10 for 5 hours admission, bit expensive ~ $52 for 2 adults and 2 kids, AAA & Military discount avail. * Adult $11.95 *Child 4-12 $9.50 Plan least a 1/2 day and longer if you do the battleship, go for the extra $3 for the guided tour. The ship's interior is not open yet (environmental and safety issues) but you see a lot of the upper decks. Check what time it starts since there are limited group tour times. Our group was at 11:30am. Lots of hands on exhibits for kids and a few live animals to touch: horseshoe crap, rasp sharks... Small video theater was a good break and some interesting topics about sea life, (free). We saw the the film about tides, very interesting for all ages. Skip their snack bar ( OK for a quick hotdog or drink) there are nicer local restaurants just a few block away. http://www.nauticus.org/visitor-info/index read more

Very cool experience. We could've spent the entire day there if we had the time. Would definitely recommend checking this out. read more

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I came here with my family on Mothers Day and had so much fun. I know a lot of people think this is just a boring museum but it really isn't. Saw a lot of things from old time Navy and my kids absolutely loved the Morse code area. I finally had to pull them away because all the beeping was driving me crazy. We spent a long time in the area that had the touch tanks with the sting ray or horseshoe crab. We didn't go to the Wisconsin because we ran out of time but we'll definitely be back. read more

The Nauticus is one of those places we go back to again and again, seeing something new every time. The Wisconsin Battleship holds a special interest to our kids. They never tire of climbing aboard or just strolling along the dock and ooh-aahing about its size. The HD theater in the Nauticus is second to none, and we love to attend events there. read more

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This was a fantastic museum! Pros: -Great interactive exhibits -Really informative volunteers who are great teachers, especially enjoyed the older Navy vet on the ship, he was hilarious. -Wonderful mixture of history and science -All aquatic life was in excellent health and very well cared for -You can pet a shark!!!! -Unique gift shop -Great mixture of stuff for kids and adults to enjoy -Very cool layout and location -Easy parking across the street -Super awesome cool battleship Things that could be a bit better: -several of the exhibits did not function properly (Miles Per Gallon exhibit did not light up, interactive Xbox exhibit did not work- controller was dead, submarine exhibit did not light up) -A few exhibits were either missing or closed (build your own battleship, and a few others were not accessible) -cafe did not have an attendant at the grill to place orders with and the hot bar was nearly empty, just had a cashier on duty (my chicken pasta from it was delicious, but lukewarm). -Would love to see other areas on the ship. Tour guide mentioned that they had only had it since 2009 and they are trying to open other areas as money allows. Overall, a really fun experience and I will definitely be back again. read more

I grew up in VB and never been here before. How pleasantly was I surprised. For family of 4 the tickets to USS Wisconsin and the Nauticus museum just over 50.00. (Depending on kids age ) well worth the price. The tour of USS Wisconsin was fantastic. And the museum had lots of hands-on activity for the kids very fun. I highly recommend it . If you get caught on a rainy day on vacation at the beach I cannot think of a better activity. read more

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Loved it! This was a fun and educational experience! We did the Spy Ship adventure which was a fun way of touring the ship scavenger hunt style! Easy to spend an entire day here! Loved the hands-on exhibits here like the sharks and horseshoe crabs! The 3D movie is an added bonus!!!!! Fun Day!!! read more

Nauticus - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Nice little maritime museum. Great for kids/school trips and the like. Loads of displays on oceanography and the like and some nice aquarium displays. The big plus is the USS Wisconsin is a part of the museum. It is worth the price of admission by itself. read more

So. Much. To. See that you cant do it in one day. Especially with small children unless you bring a snack. But even then, its a LOT of walking and if you've never been on a ship some spots can be tight. Lots of cool history though, definitely worth the trip. read more

Nauticus apparently has the honor of being the home to the big ship Cher put between her legs in one of her music videos. According to my Navy Brother-in-Law it used to be free, but we discovered it now costs to get on board. It DOES house a rather decent sized free Naval Museum which we enjoyed because we didn't want to pay to visit the ship. read more

If you are into naval ships don't miss this museum. Walking along the Wisconsin Battleship is worth the price of admission alone. I did find the museum to be full of interesting information. They also had a few fish tanks, sharks and rays that the kids enjoyed. What I liked best was the models of the different maritime ships throughout. Seeing as they added more artillery to them over time was very interesting. Also the demonstration of the missile weight vs car weight...I would never have guessed that. The one thing I would have enjoyed more would have been more complete access to the ship. You can only walk the exterior, but it would have been far more interesting if you could go inside. read more

If you are in the region and have kids or enjoy history I would recommend checking this out. We had museum passes from another museum that allowed us to get in free but it would had been totally worth it even if we did have to pay. When we visited there were three tiers of packages but all included a visit to the USS Wisconsin which was very interesting with its history. We were under time constraints so we walked through in about two hours and could have spent 3-4. read more

Nauticus - Sticker mermaid outside - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Great museum. Disappointed at the fact that not all of the museum is free to military. Some parts you need to pay now. It used to have military members assigned here to discuss Naval heritage, but they are no longer there after some changes have taken place. read more

Kids loved it! Super fun spot for kids to play cool games and also learn a lot of history and marine life. One day just wasn't enough for my kiddos. Will definitely go back! read more

This is a great museum..you can get a small AAA discount on your ticket. There are films and quite a few floors of exhibits. I really love the ship that is dry docked on the side of the museum. They let you crawl around on top and inside the ship. I spent hours here just trying to see everything. I had to make choices on what films to see. Parking is a bear but cheap. There is a lot across the street. Sometimes there are ceremonies on the ship that you see as you do your self guided tour on the ship. read more

I could not believe how amazing this museum was. I went with two teenagers and my husband and myself. I thought for sure the boys would not find anything interesting. I WAS WRONG! The boys loved the interactive museum exhibits as well as the shark tank. They enacted most of the items including steering the vessel. I was so surprised to see their joy and it was a highlight of the trip. read more

My kids love this museum! They especially love going on the USS Wisconsin. It's very well done and very family friendly.

Excellent museum if you're into Naval history. Didn't pay to go on the USS Wisconsin, but it looked incredible from next door! A lot to learn about, touch, and watch. Kids have a lot to choose from including building ROVs, touch horseshoe crabs, dress up, and build dams to channel water. read more

So much fun to come here. We have been here twice now and I don't get tired of it. Brought my parents here when the came to visit Norfolk. Makes for a really good outing and activity to do on a nice day. Will definitely be back! read more

Nauticus - Sunday stroll - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

If you like anything Nautical, or are into the history of the Navy then you should probably check out Nauticus. This museum, located in the heart of Downtown Norfolk, is a great place to check out to get your learn on. They have many things that a typical museum would have such as a dining area, a gift shop but they also have a battleship that you can tour. This is a great place to take your family if they come in from out of town because there is no other museum quite like Nauticus read more

First, if you are a member at another ASTC museum (for us, Indiana State Museum), you get in here for free. Buy a membership - it will pay for itself after one use in most cases. Second, this museum is a pretty good half day affair. Kids get to run around like animals and playing with different things like some sea life (horseshoe crab), model of tugboat, torpedoes, etc. When kids can learn while playing and not know that they are learning, that is utopia. I'm giving this three stars because of one major concern I have about museums like this, and that is how much they do to perpetuate the military-industrial complex. Many of the exhibits and narratives are about how awesome and critical the US military and, especially, the US navy is. Never mind that the US already spends about as much on its military as the *rest of the world - enemies and friends - combined*. If you went to this museum, you would think we need to spend more, more, more. No thanks. read more

We came in Jan to take advantage of the free kids special. It made it cheaper than homeschool day! And since it's winter....the place was empty. We enjoyed being able to walk through and see/touch everything without waiting our turn. When we got to the animal area the woman talking was very patient with the kids questions. As we moved on through the exhibits one worker asked if we were planning to see the 3D movie...it was time to start. He didn't have to come tell us. He could have just let us miss it. So it was nice he asked. We did go see most of the movie but then went back to the sphere educational talk with the same woman from the animals. Again, the kids could have spaced out....she talked for 40 min, but the information was fascinating and we all enjoyed the maps and info about them. My kids talked about them all day long....so it was really captivating and they really listened! The Wisconsin was great to see. We had a self guided tour and with the cold weather we didn't stay on the ship for long. But the kids enjoyed walking all over. They do offer a photo in front of the ship but at $20 it wasn't something we wanted. She took a great photo though! The gift shop is nice. Some museum related stuff, but a lot of boating/military items as well. The cafe is closed in winter but there were candy options available ;-) We had a great time, the staff was wonderful, and we will be back! On another cold winter day when it's empty and we can enjoy it all to ourselves! read more

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Had not been in years. Was very pleased to see all the exhibits were fresh and updated. Star exhibit is definitely the Wisconsin...so many spaces have been opened up. Fantastic experience for kids, teens and adults. Expect retired sailors to get nostalgic and don't be surprised to lose them for hours. Would like to see the ship kept pristine like she would have been back in her heyday! read more

Thoroughly and truly enjoyed our tour. We had an interactive fun guide who welcomed questions. He told us all sorts of little tidbits about the USS Wisconsin and what sailors might experience on this ship. Want to pet a shark or witness the mating ritual of horseshoe crabs? The museum is a nice way to spend your time waiting for your tour to start. The exhibits seem a little random at times but maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. It's a little pricey, but hey what can you do? In summary, I would go again if the opportunity arose. read more

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This Museum of Maritime discovery had Naval vehicles such as ships, and boats, and there is a massive Battleship Wisconsin built and served by the U.S. Navy to the right of the facility. The intended audience is anyone who is interested in the Navy or Naval vehicles, or just wants to observe and learn about ships. The site is a building filled with ship models, life-sized cannon replicas, and battleship exhibits and information. Their mission is "We exist to benefit our community through education, impactful experiences and by sharing access to maritime resources", and I would say they definitely succeeded in doing this since I learned about the living conditions of Navy soldiers during the war. The user interface was great since there was staff that showed us around and explained different points regarding certain ships. The reason I gave it a 5 star, was because I was amazed by how realistic the battleship models were, and we got a wooden battleship model that you could build from the gift shop which was very enjoyable, and sophisticated. read more

Dave was the best tour guide ever! Not only did he give us our tour early (we showed up about and hour early because ship tours were closed the day before due to ice) but spent extra time showing us around. Because of COVID my boyfriend and I were the only ones on the tour. Dave went out of his way help keep us out of wind and was full cheeses jokes. Loved it! Being a navy vet he provided insight into what it was really like on this type of ship. read more

We have been to the museum before and it was great. However, today we went to Dickens Christmas Towne for the first time. While not in the Nauticus museum (next door in the marine center), DCT was absolutely fabulous! Our three year olds loved the interactive story times, trains, Geoffrey the talking tree, Father Christmas, puppet show and the several activities throughout (snow ball throwing, etc). This experience was definitely worth the $5pp ticket price!!! read more

If you're a naval history buff like I am, then Nauticus is a stop you don't want to miss. The exhibits and galleries in the museum are top notch and very enjoyable. One of the largest battleships ever built, the USS Wisconsin BB64, is moored alongside. What a thrill it was to step on the deck of the Wisconsin, which was in service on and off from 1944 until after the first gulf war. The Wisconsin is well maintained in its 1990ish configuration (i.e. with four of the 5 inch secondary gun mounts missing, all of the small WW II era 40mm and 20mm antiaircraft guns removed, aircraft and catapults missing, but with missile box launchers mounted on the deck). There is no on-site parking. You have to park in a public parking garage for a fee (minus one star for that very annoying inconvenience). There is a small cafe/snack bar with a very limited self serve menu. If you want more than a snack or small sandwich, plan on eating elsewhere before or after. Overall.....loved this place !! read more

The museum and the ship was awesome. A lot of stuff there to do! I spent majority of the day there with my friends and time just flew on by. I do have to give a shout out to a volunteer there. His name is Evan. He was very informative on the ship, the navy, American history and things to do in the area after we are done at the museum. He was very professional, nice and quite funny...kinda cheesy, but funny. We did what he suggested and we had a blast. read more

Nauticus - At the Nauticus museum. Awesome museum, awesome volunteers (Evan and "Doc" especially) and lots of stuff to do there - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Great place for the whole family. Plan on spending at least three - four hours exploring. My first tip is after buying your ticket go to the 2nd floor first and check out the Wisconsin first. A must on a hot summer day. After the battleship go back in and enjoy the museum. read more

Way overpriced! Interesting experience with a lot to learn but the movie was a disappointment, it really had nothing to do with boats/Navy which I feel was a missed opportunity. The "restaurant" was just some tables and a couple vending machines. Nice place, just don't get what you pay for. read more

Nauticus - The USS Wisconsin - Museums Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Great day with the family. More than expected especially at the onshore exhibits. The battleship itself was not Ada but no big deal we expected that. We toured all over. It got a bit hot but was. Lot of fun. We did the spy thing too. We liked the sea creatures inside too. Will go again sometime. read more

I have lived in the area for 2 years, and just recently visited the Nauticus for the first time. I appreciated that they gave a military discount. My husband was my own personal tour guide (he has been here before). While walking around the battleship and the museum, he found some things that he didn't see last time. There is so much to do that it will take you hours to go through it all! I really wanted to pet the sharks but they only offer petting/feedings on the odd hours (ie. 1pm, 3pm, etc.). This is definitely worth the money! Great place for a family outing. read more

This was amazing!! The museum was very well done we could have spent even more time there but we were ready for the tour of the ship. I recommend this to ANYONE in the area looking to spend a day learning and gaining a better understanding of what our armed forces sacrifice for our freedom. Amazing. read more

The Nauticus is a great place to visit. It is huge with so many interactive activities to do inside. They even have an aquarium where you can look at the fish and sharks and other sea creatures there. They have so many exhibits the biggest exhibit, though, is the USS Wisconsin battle ship. They also have a theater, a children's area, a deck to look outside, and so much more. This place is huge, we were here for maybe three hours and we still didn't see everything. I would add, though, that since place is so huge it is easy to get lost so it is a good idea to stick together. The USS Wisconsin battle ship in some parts, like the narrow stairs that take you to another level on the battle ship, are not so safe for small children. The Nautical is definitely a great place to visit if you are visiting Norfolk. I highly recommend this place. read more

This 'museum' was wonderful. There is a 'child' friendly area but even the adults can enjoy if they aren't afraid of letting lose for a little bit. A movie theater shows a couple of movies so check the showtimes. The gift shop is nice. We actually purchased something (a water bottle belt clip) but there were lots of small to large trinkets for sale. Get the combo ticket of the tour and the boat/cruise. Well worth it. read more

It was worth the price to get the VIP tour of the USS Wisconsin. We went up to the captains quarters with a guided tour. The museums were also amazing. I could have spent another day looking around. read more