Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum, Bay City

Amazing! So much history! We took an unguided tour and enjoyed every moment. You go at ur own pace, you have time to look, explore, learn, take photos, and appreciate the greatness of this ship! There are information plaques, so very many historical photos, books, objects, and medals. You get to see so much, from the guns, torpedoes, the massive engines, mess hall, crew and officer quarters, the bridge, radar room, you can climb up to the top, and be "king of the world" at the bow! My family had a wonderful time! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to share their stories and experiences. It was an adventure we will never forget!

This is an extremely well preserved ship. You can go into many, many areas of the ship from the bridge down to the engine rooms. There is a map showing the layout of the ship. That is worth having with you during the visit. You aren’t likely to get lost, however it’s possible you will miss some of the areas of the ship without the map or find yourself retracing your steps. You can, for example, look into the gun mounts and see how the shells were loaded into the barrel. There is Full access to the crew and officers quarters as well as the various facets of the ship including Sickbay, administrative areas like the mail room and the ship’s mess. This has a very authentic feel, as if you can tell the ship was in action and used for a number of years and crewed by many men during those years. You get a great view of the surrounding area from the bridge level. Definitely make a visit to the gift shop.