The USS Midway, the Navy’s longest-serving aircraft carrier, is out of mothballs — and all
decked out for her new assignment at the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum.
The Midway served its country from 1945 through the liberation of Kuwait
in 1991. Once the largest ship in the world, it was home at one time or
another to more than 225,000 men. More than 35 exhibits are up and
running, including displays of aircraft used as recently as Desert
Storm.
Story-telling docents — many of them Midway veterans — help
to bring the ship’s history to life, but if you prefer, a self-guiding
audio tour, included in the $13 entrance fee ($7 for children; $10
seniors, students and active military) lets you move at your own pace
around the flight and hangar decks, through the crews’ quarters and into
the galley. You can also test your skills on F-8 and F-4 combat flight
simulators.
The Midway is berthed at Navy Pier in San Diego. Open daily 10
a.m.-5 p.m., (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). Dinghy parking is
available on Navy Pier, but RVs must park on nearby Pacific Coast
Highway.
For more information, call (619) 544-9600 or go to midway.org.
