Are you looking for places to visit on your next vacation? Whether you are looking for an educational experience or just love history, you should visit the battleship in Wilmington, North Carolina! Battleship North Carolina captures what daily life would have been like for the crew during World War II. Visiting the battleship is well worth the money to see it!
The pictures in this post are from when we went in May 2018, but we have been many times in the past and enjoyed it just as much then. 🙂
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Why You Should Visit Battleship North Carolina
I’ve been to the USS Missouri and to several submarines.
Compared to those other ships that I have seen, I feel that Battleship North Carolina, allows you to see far more of the ship.
To see certain areas on the USS Missouri, you had to pay extra money. This is not true for Battleship North Carolina—it’s all one price!
What to Do at Battleship North Carolina
When you visit the battleship, you can choose to do a self-guided tour, or you can pay extra to get a VIP tour.
Our self-guided tour took about 2 hours.
There are arrows to follow, so you know which direction to go.
There are also a lot of ladder-type stairs and some small spaces to squeeze into. If you are claustrophobic, you may not enjoy it.
Parts of the Tour
One nice thing that I really liked is how much stuff you can actually touch.
Many parts of the kitchens (there are multiple on board) are open. You can sit at a table where the crew sat.
In other parts of the ship, you can see where the crew slept. You can even try out one of the bunks that hang from the wall.
A gun turret is also open for you to go inside and sit in the actual seat.
You can go up on the bridge and sit in a captain’s chair.
Even the temperature below deck is kept at the same temperature it would have been if you were living on the ship (sometimes it was hot and stuffy because there’s no air condition).
There are a lot of rooms that you can’t go into but can see into through plexiglass.
I liked looking into the dentist office, the barbershop, Admirals’ quarters (compared to other quarters), and the room where they did surgery just to name a few.
There are lots of plaques with information for you to read as well.
Battleship North Carolina Visitor Information
Admission
$14 for ages 12 and over
$10 for age 65 and older
$6 for children 6 to 11 years old
Free for children ages 5 and under
If you wish to take a guided tour, it will cost extra!
Other Info
Battleship North Carolina is open every day of the year, but you should check times because they vary.
Contact
Their address is:
| 1 Battleship Road |
| Wilmington, NC 28401 |
Phone: 910-399-9100
Website: battleshipnc.com
What are your favorite places to visit in North Carolina? Have you ever been on a battleship before? Comment down below your thoughts!
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I have never been on a battleship before. And North Carolina seems like a very beautiful place to visit. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the nice comment Naomi! North Carolina is a great place to visit with lots of things to do and very nice beaches!
What a fun experience! We recently moved to South Carolina, definitely interested in taking a trip up there now 🙂
Let us know if you decide to go! There is an awesome aquarium that is nearby as well 🙂
So cool! The only battleship I got to tour was the USS Missouri in Oahu, Hawaii at Pesrl Harbor. I am looking to visit North Carolina and would definitely add this to my list of things to check out.
That’s awesome that you got to go to the USS Missouri! I haven’t been, but my mom has. She liked it, but she said that you can see a lot more at the one in North Carolina. Plus, it’s cheaper!
I have never been to north carolina but it sures seems like a nice place and that you really enjoyed it, i guess thats why you keep going back 😀
Yes, we have been visiting North Carolina for 20+ years because they have such nice beaches and activities to do. Plus, we have some family down there 🙂