USS Alabama - Battleship Park

A Step Back in History

The USS Alabama - Battleship Park is a very interesting place to visit. It's about a 30 minute drive from Styx River Resort and worth the trip. There is so much more to see than just the battleship. They say to allow about 2 hours to take the tour but I think you could spend the day and not see everything.

Its a self-guided tour and pretty hard to get lost - we tried. One word of caution to anyone over 6ft. The ceilings are pretty low and if you're claustrophobic, as I am, it's not overly tight but hallways and doorways are narrow. While we were on board there were probably 100ish people wandering about - during its normal operation there were 2500 Sailors and Marines sharing that same space. I cannot imagine.

The smell of grease and oil permeated every part of the ship to the point where it smelled like an auto-repair shop, not overwhelming, but still there. Can you imagine what that must have been like when the engines were operating?

It took us about 1.5 hours to go through the museum and ship but we moved quickly. I didn't stay in the smaller spaces too long. I could not imagine being out on the ocean in that thing for an extended time. 

We made it down to the engine room - OMG! Gauges and levers and valves oh my! Quick, shutdown the gangly pump, its about to over-pressure the negative flow chamber! - Duhhhh!

The pictures I posted below do not begin to describe the expanse of this room, filled with narrow pathways like a labyrinth making their way in and around the engines and components. My hat is off to those men that endured the heat and smell of this room to move this ship into battle.

The sleeping quarters for the Sailors was functional at best, the Marine quarters were worse. They also seemed to be spread out around the ship. From what I could see there wasn't a "single" space for sleeping. This could be by design so if they were hit, it wouldn't get everyone with one shell.

The museum had more than just battleship exhibits. There were vehicles from WWI to Viet Nam, planes, and tanks - even a submarine. Ok, we went to the door of the submarine tour, I looked in and you guessed it, no way am I getting in there. It was fun to walk on the deck and try to fall off.

One exhibit that caught my eye was a recreation of a Viet Nam POW camp. Doesn't look comfortable at all. 

Our Takeaway

Battleship Memorial Park - USS Alabama was very interesting and for a $15 admission, well worth it. Parking was large and the entrance is easy in, easy out. We had a nice time and would do it again when in the area. 

---

Image Gallery

Additional Images