Mission Statement: "To unite all submarine museum authors, curators, docents, enthusiasts, historians, librarians, visitors, and volunteers through positive promotion and cooperative education in order to perpetuate the American submarine museums of our forefathers."

Welcome! Did you know that there are at least 25 different submarine museums in the United States, most of which you can get down inside of for a tour? These are decommissioned, retired submarines, saved from being scrapped after being deemed as unfit for further military service to the Navy, while some have been purchased from other countries. Many of these saw action during World War II or played a role in the Cold War and/or Vietnam. There are even a few Russian submarines and a WWII era German U-Boat! I hope that with the help of this website that you'll visit one or some of the many submarine museums that may be located near you. Please click on the "MAP" link above to see a Google map with the locations of all of the submarine museums listed on this website. You will also be able to find driving directions with the use of that map.

Each submarine museum is unique in her own way. Many hold some various record, some were used in movies, and a few have rare operational, functioning equipment. All of them have a following of hard-working volunteers that keep them going.

This site also has a forum that I hope you'll take part in. The forum is here for prospective visitors to ask questions and learn about the different submarines. It is also here for all those who work and volunteer on the submarine museum boats to share ideas, talk about fund raising efforts, find restoration advice, promote special events, and so forth.

Click the banner below to visit the forum!

Below, you'll see a table listing the submarine name, the class of the submarine, the date it was launched (first put into the water), the city and state of the submarine's current home, its official website where you can find specific museum or park information, and lastly its Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) webpage that details the history of the submarine with pictures. Detailed addresses for the parks/museums can be found by looking at the official website for the submarine or by checking out the forum here.

These are the submarines in your neighborhood! Find one near you and go visit it with your friends and family. Nearly all of these submarine museums let you get down inside and explore. Some are still in the water while some are secured on dry land. It is truely an amazing experience to tour any submarine museum! Also, there is more to the submarine museums than just submarines. Many have exhibits of torpedoes, mines, and ships (targets) to see while you're there.

"They weren't just hull numbers, they were our home addresses. Now the old neighborhood is torn down and gone and all that is left are memories."
- Richard "Murph" Murphy, IC3(SS)

Glenn Faus was kind enough to provide some great overhead views of these submarine museums from satellite imagery.

SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG forum member and amateur radio enthusiast Bill Chaikin (username "KA8VIT") was kind enough to share his videos of the USS Cod in Cleveland, OH. Visit KA8VIT's USS Cod Videos page to see some great video footage, even a 25 minute video tour of the entire boat! The videos will give you an idea of what all you can see by visiting a submarine museum.

Here are some interesting facts about each submarine museum:

• USS Cod (SS-224)
  • Only submarine museum still in original WWII configuration
  • Visitors enter and exit the boat using her original hatches and ladders
• USS Drum (SS-228)
  • Launched on May 12, 1941, she is the oldest of all the WWII fleet submarines remaining in the USA
  • She was the first Gato class submarine commissioned
  • Opened to the public on July 4, 1969, the Drum is the oldest submarine museum in the USA
  • Due to heavy damage from a depth charge attack on her 8th war patrol in WWII, the Gato class submarine received a new Balao class conning tower
• USS Silversides (SS-236)
  • Silversides sank 23 ships (3rd highest in WWII) and 90,080 tons (5th highest in WWII) making her the highest-scoring WWII submarine of all the submarine museum boats
  • The first man to die on the top deck of a submarine in WWII died on the Silversides
  • Was used to film exterior scenes for the movie Below in 2002.
• USS Cavalla (SS-244)
  • Sank the aircraft carrier Shokaku which had a role in the bombing of Pearl Harbor
  • Was one of the submarines present in Tokyo Bay in September of 1945 for the Japanese surrender
  • Underwent SSK (hunter-killer) conversion in 1952
• USS Cobia (SS-245)
  • Houses the oldest operating radar set in the world
• USS Croaker (SS-246)
  • Sank the Japanese cruiser Nagara on her first war patrol, along with two freighters, earning a Navy Unit Commendation
  • Underwent SSK (hunter-killer) conversion in 1953
• USS Bowfin (SS-287)
  • Launched on the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, hence being called "The Pearl Harbor Avenger"
  • Located today in Pearl Harbor
  • Oldest remaining Balao class submarine in the USA
• USS Ling (SS-297)
  • The last fleet boat to patrol American shores in WWII
• USS Lionfish (SS-298)
  • First boat to be named for the lionfish
  • Her first captain was Lt. Cmdr. Edward D. Spruance, son of the WWII admiral Raymond Spruance
• USS Batfish (SS-310)
  • Sank a record 3 Japanese submarines over a period of four days, hence nicknamed "Submarine Killer"
  • Was placed on a dry berth when opened as a submarine museum boat
  • Originally named USS Acoupa but was renamed Batfish before launch
  • Spotted the famous Japanese battleship Yamato on her 1st war patrol
• USS Becuna (SS-319)
  • Spotted the famous Japanese battleship Yamato on her 2nd war patrol
  • Underwent GUPPY conversion and took part in many Cold War excercises
• USS Clamagore (SS-343)
  • The only submarine museum boat that underwent GUPPY II and GUPPY III conversions
• USS Pampanito (SS-383)
  • Rescued more than 73 Allied POWs who were aboard enemy transports that she sank in September of 1944
  • Was portrayed as the fictional submarine USS Stingray in the movie Down Periscope in 1995
• USS Razorback (SS-394)
  • Was one of the submarines present in Tokyo Bay in September of 1945 for the Japanese surrender
  • Only submarine museum boat sold and bought back from a foreign country. She was sold after decommissioning in 1970 to the Turkish Navy - the city of North Little Rock, AR bought her back in 2004 for $1 plus shipping costs and opened her as a museum in 2005
  • The most years in active service of any submarine museum boat
• USS Torsk (SS-423)
  • Launched on September 6, 1944, She is the oldest remaining Tench class submarine in the USA
  • Sank the last enemy ship sunk in WWII on August 14, 1945 with a "cutie" torpedo
  • Holds the record for most dives/surfaces - 11,884 in her career
  • Nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast"
• USS Requin (SS-481)
  • Her first captain was the famous Slade D. Cutter - his wife sponsored the boat launch
  • Final deployment was part of the search effort for the USS Scorpion
• USS Marlin (SST-2)
  • Was originally named T-2
  • The only SST (training submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
• USS Albacore (AGSS-569)
  • As a pure experimental submarine, she pioneered the modern teardrop hull
  • Was built without any weapon systems
• USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
  • World's first nuclear-powered submarine
  • The only SSN (nuclear powered attack submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
• USS Growler (SSG-577)
  • The only SSG (guided missile attack submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
  • The only submarine museum boat to display a Regulus nuclear missile
• USS Blueback (SS-581)
  • The last diesel-powered, non-research submarine built by the US Navy, and the last to be decommissioned after 31 years of service
  • Appeared in the movie The Hunt for Red October
• USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)
  • Built to be a research and development submarine
  • With an operating depth of over 3,000 feet, she is one of the world's deepest diving submarines and holds the record for deepest depth dived
  • Holds the record for the deepest launching of a torpedo
  • Was the last diesel-electric submarine in the US Navy fleet
  • Performed the first two-way laser communication between a submarine and an aircraft
  • First submarine to use the mobile submarine simulator (MOSS) decoy system
• U-505 (German)
  • The only German U-boat museum in the USA
  • Is one of only five remaining class IX-C U-boats in the world
  • The only submarine on display inside (under) a building in the USA
  • Boarded and captured from the Germans on June 4, 1944, the only foreign enemy man-of war done so since the War of 1812
• K-77 (Russian)
  • Best known as Juliett 484
  • Used in the filming of the movie K-19: The Widowmaker
• B-39 (Russian)
  • Also known as "Black Widow" and "Cobra"
• B-427 (Russian)
  • Also known as "Scorpion"

If you would like to find out how to help submarine museums in need, visit SaveOurSubmarines.com. The Lockwood Internet Base (LIB) of the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI) has created the website "SaveOurSubmarines.com" in order to raise public awareness of the current conditions of the submarine museums and to help raise funds for their restoration and maintenance needs. It is a great cause worthy of taking part in. So many submarine museums are in serious need of monetary donations and volunteers, and the LIB is taking the initiative to get something done.

Information on how to purchase the "Restoration Supporter - Preserving Our Heritage" patch you see to your left can be found on the SaveOurSubmarines.com website. The patches are also available for purchasing by other bases or submarine museums in bulk at wholesale prices to be resold for fund raising. Contact LIB storekeeper Ron Martini at rontini@bresnan.net for more information on bulk purchasing.

The "Restoration Supporter" patch can be customized with rocker patches. Each rocker has the name of a submarine museum boat and stacks nicely above your "Restoration Supporter" patch. The rockers are purchased by participating submarine museums to be sold or given away as they see fit. Collect them all! To purchase rocker patches for your boat or museum to sell, contact Gil Raynor at elt627@raynorassoc.com for details.

To see an actual picture of what the patch with rockers looks like, click here!

The USSVI Lockwood Internet Base and SaveOurSubmarines.com wants to help your submarine museum! See the SaveOurSubmarines.com website for the details and contact Bill Lee (username "Viejo"), base commander of USSVI Lockwood Internet Base, on our forum.

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This page last updated 6/26/2008
SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG launched on 2/26/2008
Webmaster - submarinemuseums@gmail.com