While roadtripping across the U.S. with my son, we stopped in Cleveland for a night. I guess my son isn't a huge music buff because I couldn't convince him to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he was super pumped to tour a WWII era submarine. And it absolutely lived up to his hopes and dreams. Free parking. $18 for adults and $10 for kids grades k-12. It's a Gato-class submarine, on the smaller side as these things go, commissioned in 1943 and served seven war patrols in the Pacific. The only downside is it isn't exactly ADA compliant. If you can make it down the hatch, it's a self guided tour with lots of signs posted everywhere and several buttons that have audio information as well. All of it is fascinating, especially the size of the kitchen that prepared food for a crew of 97. We really enjoyed this experience and would definitely recommend it to other history buffs. read more

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Visiting Cleveland and this National historic landmark was on my to do list. This submarine served during World War II. I was very impressed at the technology and craftsmanship of the submarine. I was taken back to an era that is long gone. My respect to all those sailors that served. Visiting is a must. - close to the airport - free parking - reasonable price for entry - open to visitors from May to November -self guided tour read more

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Oh my, what a find! I'm in town for a few days and had a spare hour. Walked in from downtown. Wow! This is the most authentic and enjoyable WWII museum I've ever been to. Absolutely perfectly preserved, all the way down to playing period music through the actual ships speakers, and using the ships ventilation. So cool. I thoroughly enjoyed envisioning myself as a submariner sailing the South Pacific. As an added bonus, the sub is actually free floating, so it rocked gently in the wake of passing boats. 10 outta 10, would recommend. read more

John (the guy who checked us in) was super nice and answered all of our families questions! He knows all the things! Absolutely amazing! The old people loved it, the kids loved it, and you can rotate the big gun... what else could you want! Oh and free parking. read more

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Now this was cool & very hard for me to wrap my head around. The USS Cod is a submarine on Lake Erie in Cleveland! You can visit her... details @usscodsubmarine I can't believe the technology on this submarine commissioned in 1943. Here are some fun USS Cod Fun Facts. 1. She served in seven different war patrols. 2. She only had 3 captains throughout her service (James Dempsey (patrols 1-3), James Adkins (patrols 4-6), Edwin Westbrook Jr. (patrol 7)) 3. She became the first ever recorded to perform a submarine-to-submarine rescue on an international level between two different countries. 4. Her 5 diesel engines were manufactured in Cleveland. Imagine this... 90+ men for 60 days! Food storage alone took up so much space! We need a good chef right? George Sacco, a Sicilian, was the chef. Rumor has it meals on the USS Cod were the best in the Navy! Pizza was even served on Friday nights!! read more

Found the USS Cod online for things to do in Cleveland, what an experience! Entry is $15, you can explore almost the entire submarine. It's a self guided tour but there's interactive voice recordings that really tell its story. After I was done I bought a USA made hat with all proceeds going back to the submarine! read more

I don't think there's much I can add to what has already been said but feel compelled to be another person to very strongly recommend you pay the USS Cod a visit. It's a gem. I was in Cleveland to see the 2024 eclipse and had some downtime--took my kids to see this and they were captivated. Provided such great opportunities to talk about history, sacrifices of our service members, etc. Tickets are extremely reasonable for a priceless opportunity to experience a WWII submarine. You should know you need to be in decent physical condition to climb up and down ladders, duck through small spaces etc. to do the tour. I'm middle aged, 6'2" and 230lbs. I didn't have any issues getting through but someone older, taller or larger might. Also be prepared to closely supervise younger kids--I wouldn't recommend this for kids younger than maybe 7 or 8. read more

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Definitely worth visiting if you have some downtime in Cleveland. An adult ticket is only $14 or $15 and the tour takes about 30-45 minutes. I knew nothing about submarines before visiting, and it was an amazing experience. The space throughout the submarine wasn't as tight as I thought it would be, but it still may be small for those who don't like confined spaces. read more

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Both kids #1 and #2 were skeptical but came away pretty happy. This sub is super well maintained and the volunteers on hand made it interesting. And to boot - unlike our Navy boat destroyer tour in Norfolk VA, the USS Cod wasn't a delirium-inducing sweat-box - they have fans placed strategically all along the sub to keep you cool. (Can't believe there were 45-90ish people on this sub. On-board ice cream wouldn't make up for that for me.) If you're in Cleveland and you need to choose one, definitely USS Cod over William Mather steamship any day. read more

USS Cod Submarine Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Super awesome. Great voice narrations for the walk through. This submarine had a ton to explore compared to the other submarines I've been on. Those ones had plexiglass everywhere which stopped the exploration. read more

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We had a really great tour and the vessel has been kept up/restored so well. We had access to the full length of the sub on both inside and out. read more

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Arguably the best military vehicle I have ever toured. By far the best submarine I've ever been on and probably the nicest World War II vehicle from anywhere in the world. The guys who run the place a very passionate and extremely knowledgeable, a little rough around the edges but enjoyable to get to know. Cost of entry isn't too high and goes to the upkeep of the vessel. So many vehicles I have toured from this era are run down, damaged, or borderline creepy. I recently toured a destroyer that felt like a mausoleum wrapped in a condom. The USS cod is the antithesis of vehicles such as said destroyer. It feels like they could just start the engines right up and head out to see with a full crew. Trying a top notch experience, the vessel is remarkably looked after. For my money visiting the USS cod and the rock 'n' roll Hall of Fame are the two best attractions in Cleveland. You can park nearby and walk between the two buildings easily for an enjoyable day! read more

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My four year old son and I visited the USS Cod and were blown away - the fact that this submarine was built in the late 1930s and deployed in the 1940s / briefly in the 1950s is incredible - the efficiency and beauty of the submarine's torpedo and machine rooms is a testament to American ingenuity. THANK YOU to all that served and maintain that incredible piece of the American military. read more

I have seen historic ships around the world but this submarine Memorial is unique. The crew takes very good care of it and has really gone into the details in its restoration. Learning what everything is is easy because they have a very good tour brochure, audio descriptions, just enough signs that don't stick out, and there are often guides who are more than happy to shave their love and knowledge with visitors. It's a fun and moving experience for kids and adults. The sub looks ready to dive and sink enemy ships. read more

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I was in awe of the history and workings of this submarine! The volunteers shared stories of the ins and outs of submarine life. I still cannot believe it fits 80 men! The kitchens were small but functional. And the restrooms smaller. $12 to enter and it requires you climb down into it then back up again. All the proceeds go to the upkeep of the submarine. They do not get government supplements. read more

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One of the coolest things I have done in Cleveland! (#2 is Ray's). I can't do the history justice to explain. One thing I was confused about was how to make reservations. Their website is from 1997 and the phone number they gave doesn't work. Turns out you just show up - it was open from 10:00 - 5:00 when I was there. read more

We were visiting Cleveland and decided to check this out. The staff were incredibly friendly and while they don't allow you to bring anything aboard the ship, they do have complimentary lockers. You have to climb a ladder down into the submarine and another ladder back out. There's also a lot of ducking and climbing through holes. Some young children may struggle with the ladders and those who have mobility issues might struggle, as well. It's pretty close quarters in the ship, so not ideal for someone with claustrophobia. However, this was such a cool experience! I would highly, highly recommend it for anyone in the area with an hour to spare. read more

An excursion aboard the USS COD in Cleveland, Ohio, offers history, education, and adventure. It allows you to learn more about our servicemen, gain a deeper understanding of World War II, and appreciate the sacrifices made by those who served. Visitors of all backgrounds will enjoy and learn about the history of the USS COD at this remarkable attraction. read more

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Must See, gate was locked but we were quickly granted access had excellent tour guide and spent over an hour on board typical hours are 10-5 May 1-Nov 1 however visitors can often still tour if staff is available, they were doing some maintenance when we arrived. Submarine is in great condition and really fascinating seeing the history and living areas of a WWII submarine. Access thru steep ladder, take good jacket as no heat this time of year inside the submarine they do have AC during the summer read more

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Took the kids on a day trip to Cleveland & stumbled on this absolute gem of a museum/memorial. The price was right and it wasn't busy when we were there. I've always been a history buff so this was right up my alley. The staff were above and beyond knowledgeable and told us stories and information like they were WWII crew members themselves. read more

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This full access experience in a submarine is one not to be missed. I appreciated the friendly helpful guides throughout the grounds and inside the submarine available to provide additional information as needed. It really feels like you're stepping back in time. I was impressed with all the artifacts. read more

Really neat place, the submarine was very clean. The educational information was really neat if you stopped and read the information on the self guided tour. Highly recommend coming here if you are in town. read more

This place is a must go, and highly recommend. If you are former military make sure to tell them for the discount . Very cool self tour with plenty of literature to read along the way . read more

A must see for history buffs and anyone interested in the military and submarines. The only requirement is being able to go down the hatch (our 2 and 4year olds were able to). We really enjoyed going through this original ww2 submarine. It's amazing to see how these submariners lived in close quarters. You get to walk through most of the sub with buttons that give you an audio tour. We found it fun and interesting with young kids. read more

I took my son here while we were in town and he had a blast! Really cool pice of history, good view of the city and nice/ helpful staff.

We're in town for my cousin's wedding. One of my other cousins says, "We're going to go to the sub." I thought to myself, "This must be a museum or something," thinking it was going to be a boring museum, but fortunately, I asked, "When you say the sub, do you mean a submarine?" Well, clearly you know what the answer was and it was the best part of Cleveland and I've been here for all of 21 hours. (11 hours were asleep - don't judge me, we're on vacation) So it's a WWII submarine, the USS COD. Paul, the President of the memorial was giving us a tour and some great tidbits of information. I really like wartime history and it's neat to see a machine from that era still intact and preserved. Take your time and check it out. We had to rush a bit because the other part of our group went through quickly. Sit on the deck gun and aim at stuff. Go below deck and check out the crew quarters/torpedo room, the engine room, the bridge, etc. I can't imagine stuffing 70-90 people in there all at once for weeks at a time but they did it. Amazing. They only have a port-o-potty for the bathroom so if you don't want to use that, you should go to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. The Coast Guard Exchange is for military only, so don't go in there asking to use their bathroom. You're not allowed in there at all. At least that's what I've heard... Yeah. read more

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Such a well preserved WWII submarine. If you appreciate historical sites, you'll enjoy this one. In a 60-90 minute self-guided tour, you will understand what serving on a submarine must have been like. Thank you to the folks who preserve and maintain this beautiful submarine. It's worth visiting! read more

It was really great. I learned so much about the history of the USS Cod. Our tour guide Paul was fantastic. 5 stars!

Was a last minute choice to go. It was a ton of fun and I'm not huge on history. Best part is it's a self guided tour. There are people around for questions. Great place for kids. They have a telescope outside the sub for people to look through to see around the area. On the sub there is even a gun that you can sit on with someone. One person mans the the gun and the other turns you in the direction. You get to climb down into the sub and see where the misses go, the living quarters, control room, and other interesting things. Defiantly worth the time. read more

Such a cool experience, and the guys working there were so helpful and nice. My kids ages 8 and 12 loved touring the submarine and seeing what it was like for the guys who had to live on it. Definitely worth the visit! read more

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THIS IS MY FIRST REVIEW IN MORSE CODE.WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A DOCENT WHO SERVED ON A SUB IN THE WAR WHEN WE DID OUR TOUR IT WAS GREAT AND WE HAD A PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCEI HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE TOUR TO TOURISTS AND CLEVELAND RESIDENTSIT IS WELL WORTH THE TIME LIKE A VISIT BACK TO AN ERA WHEN THIS SORT OF CODE WAS IN COMMON USE - .... .. ... / .. ... / -- -.-- / ..-. .. .-. ... - / .-. . ...- .. . .-- / .. -. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.- .-- . / .-- . .-. . / .-.. ..- -.-. -.- -.-- / . -. --- ..- --. .... / - --- / --. . - / .- / -.. --- -.-. . -. - / .-- .... --- / ... . .-. ...- . -.. / --- -. / .- / ... ..- -... / .. -. / - .... . / .-- .- .-. / .-- .... . -. / .-- . / -.. .. -.. / --- ..- .-. / - --- ..- .-. .. - / .-- .- ... / --. .-. . .- - / .- -. -.. / .-- . / .... .- -.. / .- / .--. . .-. ... --- -. .- .-.. .. --.. . -.. / . -..- .--. . .-. .. . -. -.-. . .. / .... .. --. .... .-.. -.-- / .-. . -.-. --- -- -- . -. -.. / - .... . / - --- ..- .-. / - --- / - --- ..- .-. .. ... - ... / .- -. -.. / -.-. .-.. . ...- . .-.. .- -. -.. / .-. . ... .. -.. . -. - ... .. - / .. ... / .-- . .-.. .-.. / .-- --- .-. - .... / - .... . / - .. -- . / .-.. .. -.- . / .- / ...- .. ... .. - / -... .- -.-. -.- / - --- / .- -. / . .-. .- / .-- .... . -. / - .... .. ... / ... --- .-. - / --- ..-. / -.-. --- -.. . / .-- .- ... / .. -. / -.-. --- -- -- --- -. / ..- ... . Start here: http://www.onlineconversion.com/morse_code.htm or here: http://morsecode.scphillips.com/jtranslator.html' I reposted this with the translation first because "Yelp HQ" took the original down. The original review of the Cod was in Morse Code only with a link to the translator. The reason they gave for taking it down was " Our Support team has determined that it falls outside our Content Guidelines (http://www.yelp.com/guidelines) because it lacks a firsthand experience." Clearly they did not actually read the review. Oh well, now that Yelp is all big and stuff I guess we can't expect them to read the review... read more

I only intended to visit the USS Cod on a whim. I wasn't expecting much, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This sub was faithfully restored inside-out and looks as though it could sail away any minute. Located at the north shore right next to the Lakefront airport, the best part about this right from the get-go is that parking is free. The person manning the booth is a veteran. The tour starts at the front of the boat and ends all the way to the back. Along the way, witness the realities of cramming 97 men in a hollow tube, fighting a war and running a sub that pretty much terrorized the WW2 Japanese navy. You can go through the sub at your own pace. See the torpedo chamber, the sleeping quarters, kitchen, mess hall, bridge, engine room and control room. Buttons on the wall of every section along the way activate a pre-recorded tour and narration. You are allowed to sit at the rear gun turret and operate the gears that still rotate and elevate the gun -- and it works as if the machine was oiled this morning. From the deck, one can admire the Cleveland skyline and beautiful Lake Erie. I had goosebumps in here. It felt like I was in a time machine. It was an in-your-face hands-on experience. I was glad to have come for the first time since living in Cleveland for more than a decade. The USS Cod isn't just a Cleveland treasure, but a representation of national pride and heritage for everyone to witness. read more

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Such a treasure! We took my father here for his birthday and we ended up going through it twice. Once by ourselves and again with an awesome tour guide named Jo! Highly recommend! read more

Super cool. I have to admit that I've just become a fan of 'National Historic Landmarks'. This is definitely one of the coolest ones. We paid to see the submarine which was very cool. We went on a Friday afternoon and pretty much had the whole submarine to ourselves. We were just in awe of how the guys slept, ate and communicated on the submarine. It took us probably an hour to completely go through it at our own pace and to listen to the audio along the way. Definitely not a good place for people who cant climb stairs or squeeze into small spaces. read more

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Fun for all ages. Kids LOVE touching all the buttons, and levers, and, well, everything there is to touch! I mean, this isn't a toy. This is a real submarine! It was stationed in Perth, Australia, in World War II. So the kids get to run around and touch everything and the grownups get to learn about some real history. (who am I kidding, the grownups run around and touch everything too.) My grandpa was also stationed in Perth, Australia during World War II. not on this exact submarine but on one just like it. read more

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$10 for an adult ticket is money well spent. Unlike some museums, the Cod is very hands on - we were able to maneuver the huge deck gun as a two man team to take aim at passing boats in the harbor. They offer a full tour of the inside of the 300 or so foot sub that 90-100 (!!!) sailors once called home for months on end during World War Two. The tour guide was knowledgable and happy to answer questions. Overall, it was a very informative experience and fascinating to see how a hopefully non-claustraphobic submariner lived and fought during WW2. read more

USS Cod Submarine Memorial - Front of the submarine - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The ship itself was fascinating, but what was amazing was the customer service experience. We coincided with the director, whose passion for this ship is astonishing, and even better the kind of attention that he gives to the visitors. I'm not expert, but this man inspired my curiosity for this beautiful masterpiece of engineering. I would definitely go back! read more

It's cool, but beware if you're claustrophobic. We lucked into a narrated tour by one of the former crew members who explained everything in full detail. This is a storied piece of American history and an amazing experience. You climb down and get to stand amidst the ghosts of our countries' war heroes. When in Cleveland, do not miss this! read more

My husband and I stumbled upon the the USS Cod while we were exploring the nearby Rock and Roll museum. We did not know what to expect since we have never been on a sub before, but we were definitely excited to visit. While standing on top of the sub, if it is a bright and sunny day, you can get a good view of the Cleveland skyline as well. The gentleman who collects the ticket money is also a Vet himself, so it was nice to hear some stories that he had to share. It still looks in top top shape. Getting down into the sub was kind of scary. Once inside you start at the front of the sub and then make your way towards to the back. It is interesting to see how they make use of all the space that they have available, especially with storing the canned goods. The real treat is when you go back to the top of the sub, and you are allowed sit and turn the gun turret. It was humbling to be able to visit this national treasure, knowing that those who served on it, sacrificed a lot for our country. Thank you all for your service! read more

History is fascinating. Submarines are technological wonders. Historical submarines are a sight to behold. I am so glad we were able to visit this submarine used during WWII. When looking online, we saw that this was one of the few submarines in which the doorways were not altered for tourists in anyway. What you see now is exactly how it looked back when it was still used. We were also told that it still works too and they fire up the engine about once a year. The 45 minute self guided tour is great. You can go at your own pace and each section has some audio you can play to learn more about that specific section. It was amazing to see the intricacies of all the systems and how small each bunk was. We were fortunate enough to see an army veteran that was sitting at the mess hall regaling us with stories about his service and the submarine while he was waiting for his wife to finish at the casino. This site in Cleveland can't be missed! Check it out if you are ever near Cleveland. They offer groupon/ discount deals as well you can search online. read more

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