My family and I (including a small kid) had great time exploring the great history on board this living museum. USS Yorktown is a venerable aircraft carrier of yore that served gallantly in WWII and subsequent conflicts. It can be visited at Patriot's point in Mount Pleasant, SC on the other side of the Ravnel bridge. They have changed the parking situation so that you have to go around the entire place and approach Patrioits Point from the southern side instead and eliminated the free parking and now depends on Palmetto parking via online payment. You have to further go through a gift shop before you reach the ticketing counter and thence to the aircraft carrier. USS Yorktown is huge and amazing, for those with mobility assistance needed or a stroller you can use the elevator to get to the upper levels. Please be sure to visit the hangar and Visitor's centre inside the carrièr before you go to the upper deck. Please be sure also to visit the Captain's bridge and also see the USS Laffey alonside CV-10 to experience its CiC experience. read more

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What a blast, we started from the bottom (engine room) and made our way up to the top! John was the best guide we could've ever asked for and had answers to any question :) read more

USS Yorktown - John the best tour guide - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

If you like history or planes, you will love this. And if not, you'll probably still enjoy the view of the Ravenel Bridge and downtown from the top deck. Worth a visit! read more

USS Yorktown - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Parking is a rip off! $22 for all day. Tickets for ship not cheap $23 for adults. Kids over 6 must pay. Ship is extremely historic with lots of history. A good video on PBS would be better. You can see it from parking lot. It will take a good 2-3 hours to see most. Lots of Narrow stairs. Same park is location for Fort Sumter tours so get timed reservations for their tour first. Park all day and do both...a 6 hour day! Tourist season is very busy. Jan was slow and cold. read more

Came here on a Saturday and let me tell you it was incredible. Spent about 5 hours as there's lots to see and do. They have multiple museums and re-enactments from WWII read more

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Fascinating view into an aircraft carrier. Nice job in having theater film clips and the audio tour. In addition, the Vietnam Experience was outstanding! My only complaint is the number of students that were running, screaming on the ship and entering closed areas. Even when adults were observed with them, no effort was made to control the situation. Although not the only group, Hand Middle School students were the worse during this visit. I didn't see docents below deck so it was mentioned to a volunteer at the info desk. I did not leave with the impression that the feedback would go anywhere. read more

If you enjoy military history, especially us navy history, this is a good place to go. Between all the aircraft you can see, you can explore the ship. I've been here 2 times, once self guided and one time captains tour. I would recommend paying g the $18 extra for the tour. Places that are off the main tour route is explored on the captains tour. Easy to spend hours here. read more

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Too fun. Spent a couple hours here because there is so much to explore ! The volunteers are so kind and eager to share the history of the boats and crew members. They actually have the first drone on the USS Laffey too ! You can explore all over the ships. Be careful with the steps because they can be a bit steep but this was such a wonderful experience. A must do if you're visiting Charleston. read more

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Well preserved aircraft carrier. Fascinating look at what life would have been like on the ship. The guided tours will tremendously enhance the experience. Expect to spend two hours so buy the two hour, rather than the one hour parking. If you have time left on your parking, the Vietnam exhibit is well worth seeing. read more

Buy tickets online. Save $2/person. Be prepared for unattended paid parking appx $7/hr. Even smelled like my old carrier when I walked into the hangar bay. Well manned by volunteers. While some of the signs are damaged by the sun, the ship has been maintained fairly well. Be prepared to walk and explore. Snack bar (gedunk) with seating available. read more

Fun historical outing! Be prepared for lots of ladders and walking. You get to explore most of the ship both inside and out with your ticket which is fun. Great views of the Ravenau bridge too. read more

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We went on the evening ghost tour. Our guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. I was concerned about the ladder stairs due to a joint replacement. The stairs had rails on both sides, no issues with the stairs. Our guide asked me a few times how I was doing. Loved his concern. It was humbling to walk the halls where so many military heroes lived and fought for our freedom. Thank you! Highly recommend! read more

USS Yorktown - Crews sleeping cots - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

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It was really fun. Had a great time. I hit my head. Sat in a real fighter jet. Recreated Titanic scene. read more

USS Yorktown - Near the edge of the - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

What a great site to see. A must for everyone, but.. 4 stars due to parking. I was looking for handicapped, was told where to find it and use my card. Supposed to be free right? Told her I did not use cards, she pointed me to parking lot on other side. Went there parked and walked back to the entrance.. upon leaving, I was told no cash when I went to pay. Since I don't have cards..I was told that there was a sign, Cards only, did not see it, when going in. Maybe too small to see. My daughter was in car behind me, she used her card for me. People still use Cash these days.. Not the attendants fault, but I hope this is a temporary thing. Great experience up until then. Frank G read more

We spent our first day of three in Charleston here. Technically this is located in Mt Pleasant across the bridge. We've been to other decommissioned carriers like the USS Midway, the USS Intrepid, and the USS Hornet. Now the USS Yorktown. My favorite is the Midway. However hubby & I enjoyed touring the Yorktown. Also at Patriot Point is the USS Laffrey which is a decommissioned destroyer. And the Vietnam conflict both indoor and outdoor exhibits provide a good education. $5 parking read more

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Great place to walk and take in some serious history. Beautiful place for site seeing - parking was easy. Make sure to wear good shoes even if you don't walk everywhere you are still walking around a big honking ( yes there is a reason I say it that way) aircraft carrier. This place is meant to be walked if not you will not get value - even if just for the exercise. Reasonable on admission and staff very pleasant, they seem like they really care about both the exhibit and what it all stands for. Plus plus . read more

USS Yorktown - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

As I pulled into the parking lot of the CV-10 USS Yorktown museum, there was plenty of parking with parking for people with disabilities. The museum is equipped for people with disabilities. They had a golf cart shuttling people from the parking lot to the ticket center. Once I had my ticket, I proceeded to the museum gate at the pier and gave my ticket stub to the dosen at the gate. From there, I walked down the long pier to the USS Yorktown. I did not ride to the pier in the golf cart shuttle. (Looking back, I should have) I did climb all of the ladders and steps from the pier to the bridge. Yes, there is a lot of stair climbing. In the main hangar, there is a Medal of Honor wall, flight simulator, and many aircraft to see. This is also where the many different tours of the ship start. On the flight deck, there were more aircraft to see. My favorite was the VQ2 aircraft. This museum is a must if you are in town! They also have tour guides to make your tour easier and accommodations for people with disabilities. This is a 5-star review! What a great way to spend the day! read more

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Simply put, my expectations were high and they were exceeded. Prepare to get your steps in and it's worth all of them. read more

USS Yorktown - USS Yorktown and the USS Laffey - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

USS Yorktown (CV-10/CVA/CVS) 1 of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the US Navy. Initially named Bonhomme Richard, she was renamed Yorktown while still under construction, after the USS Yorktown (CV-5) was sunk at the Battle of Midway. She is the 4th U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Yorktown was commissioned in April 1943, and participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. Decommissioned after the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in February 1953 as an attack carrier (CVA), and served with distinction during the Korean War. The ship was later modernized again with a canted deck, eventually becoming an anti-submarine carrier (CVS) and served for many years in the Pacific, including duty in the Vietnam War, during which she earned 5 battle stars. Late in her career, the carrier served as a recovery ship for the Apollo 8 space mission, and was used in the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, which recreated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and in the science fiction film The Philadelphia Experiment. Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and in 1975 became a museum ship at Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where she was designated a National Historic Landmark. read more

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Do yourself a favor and set aside a few hours to explore, there is so much to see! A lot of the decks/levels have steep staircases, my elderly mother with mobility issues was able to enjoy all the areas with elevator access. Complimentary wheelchairs are available to use during your visit on board which were a HUGE help. You can even request a ride from the main ticket area to the entrance of the ship & back if you need to. I visited the USS Yorktown twice in a week, there was so much to see. The "All who served" Uniforms of WWII exhibit was active during my visit, it was one of my favorite exhibits. It was quite warm aboard in July there are many water fountains aboard, I found the coldest water was near the "Ships named Charleston" by the huge American Flag across from the Geedunk. All of the volunteers were knowledgeable and helpful. read more

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Beautiful grounds with so much history. The ship is massive and worth a visit. Plan on spending a couple of hours touring the grounds. If you have kids this is a good activity for them as well. read more

I have been here many times and I love the Yorktown, history, being able to visit the compartments and the flight deck. This time was special and that a group of guys from my Navy Unit got together for the first time for many in 40 years. They came from all over and the day was beautiful, sunny a little cool but timed the Flight deck so it was not uncomfortable. Took pictures and because of all of the catching up and talking only got to take in the Medal of Honor Exhibit and 2 of the 5 tours, and the Laffey and the Vietnam forward base which was more up our alley as we were Brown Water Navy not haze grey. The experience in sharing it with the first timers and those that have been on newer Aircraft Carriers, what a Great way to spend a day. Highly Recommend it. read more

And USS Laffey was an excellent day trip. So many helicopters and aircraft's to view. Highly recommend. read more

What a fantastic place to visit! My youngest son is obsessed with all things military-related and couldn't believe that he was going to be able to go on a real aircraft carrier. The USS Yorktown is such an impressive beast and your ticket includes seeing it and the battleship. You could spend the entire day here because there's so much to see and explore! read more

You are greeted by very friendly staff. The tour of the Yorktown is amazing. The experience is good for all ages. The Yorktown also is very educational and fun simultaneously. There are very unique items in the gift shop. Locals and visitors alike will enjoy their visit. read more

Fabulous. We opted for the Captain's guided and narrated tour of the USS Yorktown. Thom Ford, our guide, presented an amazing wealth of knowledge as a splendid story teller would. He brought history to life and we felt the ship and her crew come to life as the story unfolded. We were able to understand the significance of these fighting vessels and how their courageous crews determined the outcome of World War ll. Thom was friendly, personable and funny and he too has had quite a history, making him even more qualified for the job. After the guided tour one can gain access to just about any place on the ship, even the engineering spaces and the control tower. There are lots of videos and entertaining interactive experiences all over the ship, allowing you to experience what life aboard these engineering marvels was like. Consider cooking 10,000 cookies just to serve dessert to the crew just once a day. The tour is 90 minutes long, but to fully enjoy all there is to see after the tour, 4 hours total can be gone in the blink of an eye. Bring some snacks, but there are vending machines available. Leaving the Yorktown, the USS Laffey, a WW ll destroyer is just across the pier. You wouldn't want to miss this gem. Somehow this ship survived at least 6 direct kamikaze strikes in a single battle but was still able to return to port with her incredible crew. Following repairs, she was ready to return to the fight as WW ll came to a close. Being allowed almost total access to the ship and roaming throughout allows for personal direction and interests'. Again, there are loads of video and interactive displays to become one with the history of the ship and her crew. When you think the day is complete, you come upon the Vietnam Experience Exhibit which presents the history and displays the equipment deployed in this war. The exhibits are great, they respectfully present the combatants and the tools required for their survival as the battles were fought in this hugely unpopular war. As with the other venues, video and interactive experience bring you to the battlefront and remind you of the sacrifices of the warriors. You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy all that's offered at Patriots Point. The volunteers, cast and crew are top notch individuals who absolutely love what they do, and they enjoy every moment with you. They pay homage to the Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Soldiers who went to battle on these vessels over the history of our great nation; true ambassadors. read more

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Amazing experience...what friendly and informative staff. We spent 2.5 hours and didn't really even finish the Yorktown or tour the Laffey. $24 per person with an additional hit for $5 for parking. Eh. As you arrive, the view of the Yorktown is impressive. In front there is a gold star memorial which is very nice. Bring comfortable shoes and select your tours. You can add on an audio tour $6 which we did not do. Air quality below deck is tough. We had cooler weather, which was nice, but still difficult. I could never be aboard a vessel like this without some claustrophobia, so deep breaths. Views from flight deck are amazing. Medal of honor museum was great. We spent about 20 minutes on the Vietnam experience bc we were already tired and hungry. Great educational experience. read more

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I was in the Charleston area with a friend for several days and we were looking for something more "touristy" to do. I suggested getting on the aircraft carrier because I've always been interested in that sort of thing. We found a Groupon for it which got both of us in for $24, essentially giving us a B1G1 deal. Definitely check for that before you go. I was unaware of how many other things are located within the same "port" like sunset cruises, sailing tours, etc. Parking is $5 which I thought was a little excessive given what a whole family would pay to visit for the day, but I guess they need to bring in more for upkeep of the ship. We were there on a Wednesday in October and I highly recommend a weekday in the off season. It was not crowded and not hot. It can become stifling during the summer with limited air flow on all the various decks. Unfortunately, the submarine they have looks like it's on its last leg as you couldn't get near it with a tremendous amount of it rusted out. I hope they can preserve what's left. There's a smaller boat you can get on before boarding the Yorktown. The amount of information and background provided is insane! Families with younger kids will keep them engaged just because of all the planes everywhere and being able to go through the maze of decks. Those who are older will enjoy all of the historical information. The staff have done a wonderful job in education and memorializing what so many did for our country. I left with a greater appreciation for what our service men and women do/did and gave/give up after seeing the cramped spaces they lived and worked in. I truly enjoyed it so much! Masks are worn inside and there are some hand sanitizer stations. Keep an eye out for typos on the various signage throughout the ship. read more

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Yes. It's a must stop if you have traveled to Charleston. It's just really cool. Tons of history and education for all ages!!! Take the water taxi from downtown! It's $14 for a all day pass. Gets on at the Pineapple fountain or the Aquarium downtown and dropped you off at the stern of the USS Yorktown! Why pay for parking and walk all the way to the ship from the parking lot when you can jump on a boat, get basically a $14 harbor cruise and go straight to the ship! read more

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Its a aircraft carrier!!! Need I say more? This is somewhere I have been wanting to come visit for years! So glad I finally did. The history here is amazing as well as the knowledge gained on how the brave sailors lived and fought off this ship. This is a must see experience! read more

Love historical stuff, so this was a big win. My only complaint is, why do they have to funnel you through a picture booth to get on the ship? Just let people use a different line so they don't have to wait for family photos, etc. That would be a much better way to process people through. read more

You can't come to Charleston with a history crazed, WWI/WWII obsessed ten year old and not go to the Yorktown again! It's always a fun time for our family! It was hot but well worth it. This time we went on the Forth of July. It was so busy but it also meant a little more. Remembering the men and women of our armed forces that served on ships/carriers/sub marines like this sacrificing their life for ours! God bless the USA read more

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Hadn't known of this location or landmark until we took the trip to Ft. Sumter the day previous and thought it would be a good stop to fill some time. Maybe I'm that boring, or a photo hunter - but we went nonetheless. Walking up there are helicopter tours, a submarine, a battleship and then of course the carrier here. We started walking through the Medal of Honor area and then on the main deck looking at the planes. We almost left before I checked around and saw there were small signs for different tours that you could walk through the lower levels, the mailrooms, quarters, etc etc. PLEASE GET BETTER SIGNAGE ESPECIALLY UPON ENTRY!! People probably miss the tour areas and miss out. We then went up top to the actual carrier deck took some photos and headed out. Really enjoyed this - even for the $24 price tag read more

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Came to visit due to my husband's interest in planes. Overall really informative and interesting place to visit even if you don't have a big interest in military history. We explored almost all of the ship from top to bottom. There is also a small free flight simulator of the Apollo 8. I'd recommend comfortable shoes, rather than flip flops. It is very hot and bright on the deck. I'd probably recommend for kids school aged at least because there are alot of ladders up and down. We spent about 2 hours here and could spend longer. read more

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Very cool place to visit. Lots to see. They have self guided tours to allow you to explore the entire carrier. So much history to take in. It's a lot of fun being able to walk through all the areas. read more

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Very interesting and educational exploration of one of our great aircraft carriers. They offer guided tours and self tours. There is enough to see and do to keep you busy for at least a couple hours. Right beside it you can tour the Laffey warship. What amazing history both of these ships have and what a privilege it was to explore the ship where so many of our young soldiers gave their lives for our country. The entire set up is well organized and coordinated. Definitely recommend checking this out. read more

USS Yorktown - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Beautifully maintained war vessel museum with many historic war planes and informative displays. A real treat for those who appreciate aircraft or American history. Many restrooms and accommodations to those with disabilities is top notch. A great place to bring young children. read more

USS Yorktown - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Really impressive structure and you really get to explore a lot of it. A little too much attention paid to many other ships of the navy, would have liked to see more info on how *this* ship functioned. Started out with overview film in the big theater hoping to get the big picture of the ship, but it really focused on interviews of sailors. Great if you are more interested in the human aspect of the history. The tour is self-guided and broken down into five mini-tours. The areas are labeled and the route through the ship is well marked with arrows on the floor and areas not part of your tour blocked off. Some of the stairs are not easy to get up /down, so if you have someone in your group that has a tough time with stairs it would be good to check in at the info desk to enquirer about easier routes. There is not a lot of interpretive info about the ship along the way. An aircraft carrier is immensely complex and I would have liked to see more explanations about how things worked. Instead there were a lot of big rooms with models and pictures of other ships in the fleet. Perfect for navy vets or history buffs. There is an awful lot to see here. We didn't even make it to the destroyer nor the submarine before our feet gave out! Be sure and take breaks along the way! read more

USS Yorktown - Big boat! - Museums Near Me - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

We opted to come here since we had previously enjoyed our visit to the USS Midway in San Diego when we lived in California. Upon entering this carrier, there was a desk where you could ask questions. The gentleman at the desk told me the Midway is about 50% larger than this ship, but overall I found the two experiences to be similar. I'm not from a military family, other than having two grandfathers who served in WW2, but I enjoyed this experience. I thought my mom might like visiting here since her dad had been in the Navy around the time this ship was commissioned. In addition to the main carrier, there is also a smaller ship and a submarine. It was interesting to tour this carrier and see what life would have been like on here back in my grandpa's Navy days. As you walk through the ship you see a commissary, sleeping quarters, mess hall, accommodations for higher ranking officers and much more. We enjoyed the movie on the ship about the history of this vessel, I recommend checking it out. One of my favorite parts was the medal of honor exhibit, be sure to see that. There are some nice views from the top deck of the bridge into Charleston. You also have a variety of aircraft to look at outdoors, but the ones in San Diego were a bit more interesting to see. There is also a small Vietnam experience exhibit located near the gift shop, I enjoyed the film that we saw in there. It's worth taking the time to check out the part of this museum. The only real negative I could say about this place is that it might be hard for disabled people to get around. I had my almost 70 year old mom with me, who had broken a hip 4 years ago and is already nervous of stairs. She was a bit scared to go down the steep steps after a while. We did find an elevator towards the end of the visit though. Overall, I think this place is well worth the $, there is just SO much to see and learn about. Even if you aren't particularly into Naval history (like me), I still think this is a great and unique experience. read more

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The one thing my dad wanted to visit on vacation was the USS Yorktown. I am not very good in history, so I wasn't even sure what it was. I really enjoyed learning new things and visiting this ship from long ago. We had a baby with us and my dad said we wouldn't be able to visit certain parts if we had the stroller so we carried him the whole time which was a challenge. There is an elevator, but you aren't able to access certain parts because there are a lot of stairs. We didn't get to see the whole thing because there is a lot to see and look at. I did enjoy what we got to see, though. read more

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