USS Wisconsin BB-64

Permission to come aboardI've visited the USS MISSOURI so why not come here?It was Christmas season when I toured and unfortunately I wasn't able to see it all lit up. It's still an impressive site. There's actually two museums. One being the boat and the other a building that not only talks about the USS WISCONSIN but also the history of the military. I'm going to concentrate on the boat review. First there are two types of tours, one self guided (limited) and the other escorted (more access). I took the self guided tour because that way I don't hold anyone up. It's big. I swear being a submariner these guys were spoiled. You surface people get fresh air. We get recycled farts. I'm just kidding.......alittle. I could spend hours here and I pretty much did. Seeing how this side of the Navy lived was a true delight. It makes you appreciate what some people did to fight for their beliefs and freedom of others. Overall five stars. You can get a quick glimpse of the Navy or spend your time looking at Navy ingenuity. Either way I'm sure you'll be impressed by the sacrifices the men and women took to make and run this boat. Lastly thank you veterans and active duty personel for your sacrifice, dedication, and courage to defend what we have. M

This review is just for the winter time show when the ship is decorated with Christmas lights. It was unbelievable. There are over a million lights and it is voted as one of the best light shows in the US. You also have the chance to go below deck and see how they men lived on the ship when it was in service. You have to park at a parking deck across the street but it in fairly convenient.This is definitely worth your time if you are in the area while the lights are still on

The last battleship ever built. USS Wisconsin was constructed in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, first commissioned into service on 16 April 1944 and served out the last 16 months of WWII shelling the beaches of Okinawa and the Japanese home islands before being decommissioned in 1948. She was recalled to duty in 1951 to serve in the Korean War and reactivated again in 1988 and served in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, firing off the first Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iraq. She was soon retired months after the war. In 2009, Wisconsin was transferred to the City of Norfolk and finally opened as a museum ship in 2012.A little known fact is that in 1956, Wisconsin had an accident at sea, colliding with the destroyer USS Eaton in dense fog and ripping off the lower part of her bow. Her sister ship, the incomplete battleship Kentucky at the time was cancelled, so her bow was transplanted and welded to Wisconsin, hence her nickname "WisKy".The Wisconsin Battleship Museum is part of the Nauticus complex at the downtown Norfolk waterfront, just upstream of her old active duty homeport at the Norfolk Naval Station. She was the last of the 4 Iowa-class battleships to be turned into a museum, so she is in pretty good condition. Her teak decks had been replaced in the late 80's reactivation and there is very little rust on her, surprisingly. She retains most of her original guns including the (9) 16" Mk 7 guns in her 3 armored turrets, (12) 5" Mk 12 guns in 6 turrets, as well as the (8) Tomahawk Armored box launchers from the 80's. However, 3/4 of her Harpoon launchers and all (4) Mk15 Phalanx CIWS had been removed to be reused elsewhere when she was mothballed.Our self-guided tour started at the bow up to the foc'scle (forecastle), up topside to the missile launcher decks, down 3 decks to the sailor living spaces and the officers quarters including the wardroom. One of the docents gave a talk about the 16" guns and the 1900 lb shells they fired. There are additional guided tours ($20) that go into the Pilot House, Captain's Quarters and below decks to the engine and machinery spaces. We skipped the additional tours because I was already pooped from climbing all those inclined ladders. Christmas is already in preparation on the Wisconsin with light nets installed all over her weather decks waiting for the signal to turn on. I just wish that we could have been there for that. For Norfolk, it's like lighting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is for New York City. We completed the set of visiting the 4 Iowa sister battleships after seeing New Jersey in Camden, NJ, Missouri in Pearl Harbor, HI and Iowa in San Pedro, CA.

How amazing is it to stand on the deck of a ship that was at Iwo Jima. The sheer history of this great ship is worth the time to visit if you are here. We went every where we could and I finally found the fire control rooms and was able to place my hands on the firing keys down below. How awesome to walk the places heroes walked.

Neat piece of history from the not too distant past. I remember watching the offshore bombardment of Iraq during the first Gulf War. The Wisconsin was responsible for a lot of that.

Such a cool piece of history and impressive engineering feat right here stateside for visitors to appreciate! The ship is massive and you could honestly spend all day exploring the various books and crannies of the ship. It truly makes you appreciate the sacrifices our service members have made to keep us safe. By paying the entry fee, you get access to the Nauticus museum with lots of interactive exhibits and background information on the USS Wisconsin. You also get access to a majority of the ship to explore at your leisure. There are lots of steep stairs and small hallways under the ship, but there are also plenty of elderly/kid-friendly areas that don't require going up/down any stairsThere are extra 1-hour guided tours available for a fee. We didn't have the time during this visit, but I would definitely recommend it to understand the history of the ship and see extra areas not otherwise accessible.

Lets start with the tour guide Bob Warren, you could tell that he was a Navy man and that he took his job incredibly seriously. He took us through every nook and cranny on that ship, sitting in the captains chair, pretending to launch missiles, up and down. I really felt like i was in the Navy. Very often, as a blind person, sometimes when i take tours, the staff is taken back and they don't now what to do with me. This was not the case. The tour guide whispered the codes to launch the missiles to me so I felt very included. I highly recommend this tour for any history or Navy buff.

Words can't express how AWESOME it was to see the USS Wisconsin. My cruise ship is pulling away as I write this. I'm watching the Wisconsin fade away in the distance. The Nautiscus Museum and the Wisconsin are the same attraction.

Great experience to walk and study on this magnificent battleship. So much service on USS Wisconsin. From WW2 all the way to Desert Storm. Self guided tour have access to 2 levels above and below the deck. If you are mobile, you can see everything and take a bunch of pictures in 1.5hr. Guided tour can go all the way up top. Which is worth it in my opinion, so you can have a better look and understanding of the ship. Museum and gift shop on the visitor building is very nice too. A lot history and there is giant battleship to play

Great place to learn about recycling and environmental saving ideas, and history. Like all open events and activities, make sure you book tickets in advance and plan your arrival during COVID. I felt very comfortable coming here. Everyone social distance and there were planets of sanitary station. Everyone is masked as well. Some exhibits are outsides. We get to watch some science experiments, pledge our no to use of plastic and save the earth. There is a cafeteria here if you're hungry. We didn't dine in as we're done with the tour and decided to lunch nearby.