It doesn’t take much to excite the 5 year-old-boy in me, and the promise of military equipment lying about ready to be touched and prodded by these hands was a little too much to resist. When I saw the sign for Battleship Park on the the I-10 causeway driving over Mobile Bay, we had to make a stop.
Our skoolie parked in front of the USS Alabama.
The USS Alabama is a WWII-era fast battleship decommission in 1964 and publicly accessible since 1965. It’s home is the Battleship Park in Mobile Bay where its has served a new mission of educating the public about its life and the lives it protected over many years.
When we got to he parking entrance, the staff immediately waved me through, I think they thought our skoolie was a tour bus. I did not question it. Katie on the other hand was following along in our daily driver and was immediately stopped and asked to pay the $2.00 parking fee. She appealed that she was with the bus, they didn’t care. I thought it was funny. Katy did not think it was so funny when she realized that she did not have $2.00 in cash. They let her through on the condition that she pay for parking inside, which we did. I do like it though that when in doubt people seem to think we are carrying a bus load of children on a field-trip.
If you like tanks, helicopters, field artillery, and submarines (the park is also home to the USS Drum submarine) this is a definitely good place to stop. We found ample parking and perfect place to rest a bit and learn some history.
The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park is more than just a museum of military equipment, it is also a solemn memorial to the service of men and women who have given their lives for the United States of America. There’s a Vietnam War Memorial, a Korean War Memorial, a Coast Guard Memorial, a memorial to heroes of 9/11 and a service dog memorial. The memorials are tasteful, thoughtful, and worth the stop for anyone thinking of paying respects to the fallen.
Tanks and other vehicles in front of the USS Alabama.
Planning a Visit?
Cost of entry: $2.00 to park (this gives you access to the grounds of the park, the memorials and the ability to walk among most of the historic air and ground units that adorn the grounds- but not to the Battleship) Regular admission to access the battleship is $15.00, with discounts for kids by age group, for senior citizens, and for active military.
Hours of Operation: 8am to 5pm (October – March) | 8am to 6pm (April – September).
Parking Accommodations: There’s Plenty of parking for large vehicles, even 18-wheelers.
Website: http://www.ussalabama.com/
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