What to Expect
🚢 Massive Aircraft Carrier to Explore
Spend hours exploring the decks of the historic USS Midway.
✈️ Historic Aircraft on the Flight Deck
Get up close with aircraft ranging from World War II propeller planes to modern jet fighters and helicopters.
🎧 Self-Guided Audio Tour
Admission includes a self-guided audio tour narrated by former Midway sailors and naval aviators.
🎮 Interactive Exhibits & Flight Simulators
Flight simulators let visitors experience what it’s like to launch from an aircraft carrier or engage in aerial combat.
Our Visit to the USS Midway Museum
Docked along the scenic San Diego waterfront, the USS Midway Museum offers visitors the chance to step aboard one of the longest-serving aircraft carriers in United States history. Commissioned in 1945 and serving until 1992, the USS Midway played an important role throughout the Cold War before eventually being transformed into one of the most popular naval museums in the country. Today, the massive carrier serves as a floating time capsule, preserving decades of naval aviation history while honoring the more than 200,000 sailors who served aboard the ship.
Walking up to the Midway for the first time is an impressive experience in itself. The sheer scale of the ship is staggering, stretching nearly the length of four football fields and towering above San Diego Harbor. Once aboard, visitors are free to explore multiple decks of the carrier, giving a rare behind-the-scenes look at life at sea—from the command bridge where captains navigated the ship to the engine rooms and cramped sleeping quarters where sailors lived during long deployments.
The museum is home to more than 60 exhibits and a large collection of restored aircraft spanning several decades of naval aviation. Guests can climb into cockpits, explore ready rooms where pilots planned missions, and walk across the massive flight deck surrounded by fighter jets, helicopters, and attack aircraft. Interactive displays and flight simulators help bring the experience to life, making the museum just as engaging for casual visitors as it is for aviation enthusiasts.
One of the highlights of the visit is the self-guided audio tour narrated by former Midway sailors. As you move through the ship, these firsthand stories offer a fascinating perspective on daily life aboard an aircraft carrier—from preparing thousands of meals in the galley to coordinating complex flight operations on the deck above. Combined with the historic aircraft, restored spaces, and panoramic views of San Diego Bay, the USS Midway Museum provides an unforgettable look into the world of naval aviation.
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