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Independence Seaport Museum: Explore Historic Warship Exhibits
4.5
26 Ratings
Philadelphia
Step onto the world’s oldest steel warship still afloat, Cruiser OLYMPIA, and delve into top-rated exhibits housed in the Museum’s structure, as well as the Seaport Boat Shop where you have the opportunity to witness time-honored maritime trades in action!
Step onto the world’s oldest steel warship still afloat, Cruiser OLYMPIA, and delve into top-rated exhibits housed in the Museum’s structure, as well as the Seaport Boat Shop where you have the opportunity to witness time-honored maritime trades in action!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Independence Seaport Museum - Visit two National Historic Landmark ships, the 1892 Cruiser Olympia and the WWII and Cold War Submarine Becuna. Olympia is known for being Admiral Dewey’s flagship during the Spanish American War and also receiving the honor of bringing the soldier for internment for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington…
- Independence Seaport Museum - Visit two National Historic Landmark ships, the 1892 Cruiser Olympia and the WWII and Cold War Submarine Becuna. Olympia is known for being Admiral Dewey’s flagship during the Spanish American War and also receiving the honor of bringing the soldier for internment for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.
Becuna is a more modern day example of the technology and bravery of submariners in WWII and the Cold War. These ships will have ladders, hatches & gangways to navigate. The historic ships are not ADA accessible.
Explore two floors of the museum with exhibits that cover various maritime topics. Galleries include: Disasters on the Delaware: Historic Disasters and Modern Day Heroes, Tides of Freedom: African Presence on the Delaware River, Tattoo Lounge, Titanic Philadelphians, Boat Gallery, Underwater Gallery, and more.
Observe working wooden boats builders in action, in the Workshop on the Water and as they build the schooner Diligence. This gunboat was built in 1797 in Philadelphia to defend this young country from pirates. This new exhibit and ship is inside the museum, making it all the more impressive.
What's Included
- Admission to the Museum’s Building
- Access to the Cruiser OLYMPIA
- Admission to the Museum’s Building
- Access to the Cruiser OLYMPIA
What's Not Included
- The listed price does not include parking fees. There are several public parking lots in the area as well as metered spots on the streets. Museum does not own a parking facility.
- Guided tours of Submarine BECUNA are a ticket add-on and must be purchased on-site.
- The listed price does not include parking fees. There are several public parking lots in the area as well as metered spots on the streets. Museum does not own a parking facility.
- Guided tours of Submarine BECUNA are a ticket add-on and must be purchased on-site.
Additional Information
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Wheelchair accessible within the museum
- Not wheelchair accessible on two historic ships
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Ships will close if extreme weather such as snow, ice or high temperatures.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Wheelchair accessible within the museum
- Not wheelchair accessible on two historic ships
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Ships will close if extreme weather such as snow, ice or high temperatures.
Location
Independence Seaport Museum
211 S Columbus Blvd,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(26 Ratings)
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1 star
Mytravel3
Sep 21, 2024
Birthday Touring - We visited Philadelphia for a few days and found the Independence Seaport Museum to include; the Becuna, a WWII submarine and the Olympia (the oldest steal warship afloat). My 14 year old daughter and I took my husband for his birthday. I purchased the Admiral Dewey tickets. This includes a self guided tour of the Olympia, a guided tour of the Olympia Engine Room, a guided tour of the Becuna and a self guided tour of the museum. We had the same tour guide and he was definitely knowledgeable and took his time answering questions and never made you feel rushed. The Becuna is tight quarters! If you don’t like confined spaces this may not be for you. There are steep steps for both tours of the Olympia and the Becuna. The Seaport Museum itself had some interesting information but can be skipped if short on time. I would definitely recommend the tours of the Olympia and the Becuna.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thetravellingapplboi
Jul 28, 2024
Great overall! - It was a very neat experience to see the olympia and there were many interesting small ships inside the museum.I would recommend if your going on the becuna (the submarine) you should be physically fit as the stairs are a challenge
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ralph
Apr 13, 2023
Please visit ! - A unique experience. Museum was pretty good, but mostly an exhibition of paintings and prints, some maritime artifacts. Good exhibits for kids. Walking through the Olympia was amazing, a trip back in time. Definitely worth a special trip to walk on her decks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Somethingtookish
Jan 30, 2023
Amazing old ships - I came here for the museum ships, USS Olympia and submarine Becuna. Olympia was built in 1893 and played an important role in the Spanish American war and participated in WWI. Despite her age, it is a beautiful ship, very well maintained with impressive wooden interior. I also paid for the engine tour, worth the look. I paid for a tour of the submarine. It to is well maintained, a WWII era sub, ungraded after the war. The museum is worth the tour but it is a work in process.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathleen
Jul 22, 2022
Fascinating - Tour the ships and submarine. It is a must. They are memorable. The tour guides were incredible. The submarine tour has tight quarters but it is so worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cori
Mar 4, 2022
March visit - The staff was helpful and informative when we asked for help. We arrived at 10 am on a Thursday and were the only guests for our visit. It was very nice!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vareviewer
Nov 4, 2021
Olympia, Becuna, and Museum - Olympia: The Olympia is a must-see if you are at all interested in what it would have been like to be on the flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish American War. You see the officers' luxurious quarters and the sailors' hammocks; get an idea of the workings of the engine room, the loading of coal, the disposition of ash; all the big and little details of life at sea are noted and documented in a readable fashion. Highly recommended. This ship is huge and takes some time to cover.
Becuna: The tour of the submarine was very well-done, very informative, very complete. Plus, our guide Greg had a depth of knowledge and patience that allowed him to answer every question from every angle. I highly recommend this tour. (Except, not if you have any kind of back issue that makes twisting through doorways uncomfortable, not if you have claustrophobia, and not if you are scared climbing down a nearly vertical ladder. Also I wish I had worn my N-95 mask because of the close quarters.)
Museum: I also enjoyed the museum exhibit on pirates and the founding of the U.S. Navy. Great artifacts of historical period letters related to the founding of the Navy, very cleverly displayed so that you could see the actual letter (in hard to read 18th century faded script) and then read a modern printout of the words. The connections between the history and modern Philadelphia landmarks were also well-done.
Details: (1) Parking is $20, credit card only, and a short walk from the museum. (2) There was no food whatsoever to be found anywhere on the premises; all the food trucks were closed; the gift shop was closed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris
Sep 12, 2022
Informative visit - Informative and accessible exhibits about the Delaware River and water quality and health. Appreciated the interactive nature of some of them, which were well-suited to kids. Very interesting exhibit on slavery and the role of the harbors and ship-building in the region. A bit pricey but still overall worth the while.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jerrys01
May 4, 2022
Ship, sub and seaport explained. - My wife and I toured the museum. We also took the guided tour of the Becuna, a WWII era submarine, and the self-guided tour of the Olympia, which fought in the Spanish American War.
There are a lot of exhibits at the museum. I really liked the ones dedicated to how the US Navy was established after the Revolutionary war due to our battles with the Barbary Coast pirates.
The tour guide knew his stuff about the Becuna. Even though it had been made a little more accessible, you have to be very careful moving from one compartment to another, as the hatches are pretty small. I also appreciated the stories about how bad the Mark XIV torpedoes were.
The Olympia is a pretty large ship. The officers had small but comfortable berths, while the enlisted men slept in common areas on hammocks. The parts of the engines we could see looked pretty complicated.
Figure on taking up to a half-day if you do all three tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bobivey633
Sep 19, 2024
Water-themed Museum with Some Good Parts - This is an OK museum with some interesting displays but also some disappointing and slightly dull ones. It is worth a visit but be prepared to be slightly underwhelmed. Best areas cover the formation of the US Navy and slavery in and around Philadelphia. Included was a solo tour of the cruiser USS Olympia and that was a highlight and a good addition.
Review provided by Tripadvisor