Wow what an experience. This is a classic in the aircraft carrier world. The museam allows you to tour a significant portion of the ship. We truly enjoyed the experience. The recommendation was to tour all the public levels and then go so the movie (which is no additional charge) at the end. Be ready to climb some steps and do a lot of walking. The have a single elevator however that only goes one floor. It's not really an accesable museum. We spent many hours on our selfguided tour. It took almost an entire day. I'm sure, if you don't have the time, you can speed it up but we were not in a hurry. read more

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I really didn't plan much for my time in Corpus Christi. There was the ballgame and NPS site that brought me there, but two nights allowed for some sightseeing. While in Sugar Land and talking to staff there, someone said make sure to check out the USS Lexington if I got the chance. I got the chance. Walking four levels down below deck and then back up to the main deck was really cool. It mostly gave a taste of what it must have been like on that ship, but also had some great historic displays (like one for Rosie the Riveter, whose NHS I visited in California last year). Anyway from the main deck, I then continued three or four flights up to the flight deck and then up a few more levels to the control/navigation deck. Some narrow and steep staircases meant bumping my head a few times, akin to the sitcom dolt who always does it when entering an attic or basement. Anyway, it was windy on the flight deck, but just so cool to see and walk around. It was time well spent ahead of my game that evening read more

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This place is just plain old cool! There's so much to see, every time I think we saw it all, there was another section we still hadn't seen.

By far the best tourist attraction in Corpus Christi is the USS Lexington. If you're a museum lover or a military history fan, this place is an absolute must-visit. Plan to spend about 3-4 hours if you want to explore every level, read the exhibits, and fully experience everything the ship has to offer. Admission was only $20, and the value is incredible. You can climb all the way to the top of the ship, and they even have a "walk the plank" experience where you step off the side of the ship (safely, of course). There are tons of interactive and 3D-style exhibits throughout, making it fun for families, kids, and history buffs alike. I genuinely enjoyed myself and would definitely go back. If you're in Corpus Christi, this is the highlight of the city. read more

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USS Lexington Somehow it turned to be a perfect day to add fun, mystery and adventure. USS Lexington is a war ship now stationed to be a museum. The entry ticket costed $20 per adult for the whole day, so you can go in and out if you like. They have overnight camping and we saw a whole bunch of people lined up for that especially as we started to leave. It has 6 floors in total. We started with the middle deck, which is the point of entry, with a movie which runs every hour on the clock so that way we had an idea about what to expect. There is a lot to see right here, and also a canteen of sorts but the line was soo big never really got to see what they serve. The 2nd floor had kitchen, a sitting room, a volunteer guide who told is a very moving story of courage and camaraderie about one of the photos displayed, it was just incredible. Medals, clothes more photos and paintings and stuff the of the more creative ship crew did with materials available on board etc... The upper deck opens up to a fighter plane mini aeroshow. Its just amazing, even the Skyhawk, the kind Tom Cruise flew in top gun is there. By this time we were pretty much done. There were still 4 more floors to go under.... never mind for today..... The weather played hide and seek between fog l, sprinkles and then sun, that made it unexpectedly an amusing day. Made some perfect memories with a perfect group. A good place to spend a day / or night. read more

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My husband and 3 kids loved exploring the ship and listening about the interesting facts about the ship. My daughter got really emotional in one part of the ship she wouldn't have known what actually went down on that part she started crying and saying people died there and it's sad here my husband moved them away from that area. They loved the planes and they took tons of photos. Also my kids found the snack area and surprise for my husband he is now buying snacks and he bought the photos that they offer. read more

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The Heritage Trail is multi-site and includes the U.S.S. Lexingon among other historical venues. Mom and I were driving past this particular memorial and absolutely had to pull over. This memorial is honoring the military at-large and was very well done. There are plaques dedicated to each branch. Also, a few benches line the perimeter. Please use those to reflect on the service of those who have gone before and are now serving. read more

Wonderful trip to an old Navy ship with military veteran friends. History, nostalgia. Definitely worth the trip. read more

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It was my first time attending the USS Lexington and it was fun, educating, and exciting! The entrance fee is $10 and you'll be able to walk the whole ship. There are various 2d rides that you can do for $5 per person. We enjoyed this visit very much and highly recommend to the whole family. read more

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Hasn't changed much from the first time I went 30 years ago. 8 year old enjoyed his first trip and getting dog tags from the gift shop. Plan on spending 3 hours if you reallly want to see/read everything. read more

What an absolutely thrilling and beautiful experience I had with my family! Being by the water made it even more incredible--the serenity was simply magical. Just a heads up, depending on when you visit, it's wise to plan ahead for parking since free spots can be hard to come by. Don't miss out on this amazing adventure! read more

USS Lexington Museum - Museums Near Me - Corpus Christi, Texas

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The ship is very well laid out to be explored and has so many extra things to see! The gift shop is good price. They have a cafe with a ton of food and drink options. They also have a movie theater that plays a 20 minute documentary about sea warfare and flight simulator and escape room. You could spend all day there and not see everything. read more

We didn't do the full experience with films and stuff not my husband thing. Me I would have done it all. This is a must see when you're in Corpus Christi. It can be a bit of a challenge with the steps and some of the hatches. read more

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Great museum. Lots to see. I especially liked all the model planes and ships. There's one room with hundreds of model planes. There's of course several real planes as well. This was worth the trip out to Corpus Christi. read more

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Lots to see and do. Worth the price. The Warbirds and Warships Gallery scale model exhibit is really outstanding, don't miss it!

I visited in 2008 while working at military bases in area. Put this one on your bucket list. Important to remember how important Navy carriers like this one were so important in the Pacific war. Until island were captured the Navy had to fight from this floating airfield. read more

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Had a great time! Learned a lot and had a blast with my wife with great history and great views learned a lot of new things makes you very proud to be a American read more

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I enjoyed my tour of the USS Lexington very much. Being able to scan the QR codes to get additional information about the items and craft was great and so educational. Loved the whole experience. read more

Not going to lie this thing is bad ass. I was reading about the history behind this ship and how many planes it took down. They literally called it the blue ghost because the opposing forces thought they sank it multiple times for it to keep coming back and kicking ass. As far as the tour, walking through the whole thing was tiresome and at one point I wanted to quit but it's one direction and you do have to finish it, they bring you down and back up. The exhibits get kind of repetitive, but it was cool to see how big/small the space was. The flight deck has a bunch of planes to check out as well. The kids had a blast and the adults as well, highly recommended if you're in corpus! read more

What an amazing piece of history that we have here on our Texas coast! I've seen the ship dozens of times during trips to Corpus over the year, but never thought to stop in and tour it. It's truly a remarkable tour, as you wander through preserved areas of the ship like the sleeping quarters, cafeteria, and even dental and medical clinics. You really get a feel for how the crew lived. I knocked off two stars for one reason-- I think the staff can do a better job letting people know how strenuous the lower decks tour can be. We were unaware that there would be several small and rickety staircases that we would have to climb up and down to get around the ship (even to the bathroom). We had a guest with mobility limitations with us and were concerned for their safety a few times. We saw a staircase at the beginning of the tour and asked an employee if there was an elevator down. He said no, and we decided to continue on. This would have been a great time for him to warn us that there were 5-10 more of those staircases waiting for us throughout the rest of the one-way tour. read more

My family and I enjoyed this museum. My husband is prior Navy so we were able to have our own personal tour guide (him)! Be prepared to do A LOT of walking and climbing (there are stairs...LOTS of them)! Very cool experience! read more

USS Lexington Museum - Museums Near Me - Corpus Christi, Texas

It's a pretty awesome boat. Even if you don't decide to go through the museum, you can admire it from the shore for free, either on the beach or along the long pier, and get some pretty spectacular photographs. Parking is mostly street parking with a few scattered lots, so my recommendation would be to arrive early, close to when the museum opens to get a spot rather than be stuck driving around hunting for one. My husband and I were lucky enough to snag a street spot with no fee/meter and walk a short distance to the entrance. You can either walk up the gangplank or wait for the shuttle to take you up, depending on your ambulatory needs; it didn't seem to take very long for the shuttle to go back and forth. Tickets are purchased at the entrance to the boat and were reasonably priced for the whole day as a self-guided experience. There are something like five unique tours that go throughout different sections of the ship, and depending on how much time you spend looking at everything, doing all of them could easily take you the entire day/trip. I got burnt out after the third one, it was a bit of visual overload! The tour I liked best was of course the one up to the flight deck, because it got me outside in the sunshine (the rest of the ship is quite chilly, so bring a sweater) and I got to see all the nifty fighter planes they have on display. You can also step into the gunner turret, or take a seat on the side guns. Pretty awesome. The one thing I will say is that the restrooms are NOT convenient. Even for someone like me who is able-bodied, you either have to go to the far end of the ship where there is only like a single stall (and therefore a massive line) or down the really steep stairs and around a tight bend. Just something to know. There's a cafe type deal on one end of the ship that serves some amount of food, but nothing particularly amazing. Really just something to nosh on quickly to regain your energy to keep exploring the ship. Kind of feels like a missed opportunity, really. The video/display of the ship's kitchen's operation back when it was in service looked tastier, LOL. The gift shop is alright. The kind of stuff you'd expect to see like t-shirts, patches, kid's toys, etc. I only got a $1 bill exchanged so I could utilize the penny squishing machine, personally. Nothing else really appealed to me. Their merch selection could be better/more unique. They had an escape room too, if that's your jam, but we didn't try it. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area, especially if you're big on history or naval stuff. I've also been to the U.S.S. Hornet in Oakland, and it was pretty comparable. read more

The customer service from the employees needs work!! My sons spent the night on the Lexington... When I went to pick them up at 8:45, got my first lecture that ship doesn't open until 9... When I went to the ticket agent .../she was rude and would not help me locate my son When I found him in the flight simulator, the agents were being rude to other customers... the volunteers are great Work on the employees and their lack of customer service read more

A really great, historic venue for kiddo and adults. So much history! They've done a great job with planes, engines, the 3D movie, the self guided tours and overall condition of this ship. You really get a sense of the scale only when you're up on the flight deck with the old planes on exhibit. This is a huge vessel. Have fun with the ladders (stairways) but be careful going up and down them. The exhibits like the dentist area, old post office, barracks, crew quarters, galleys all show you a glimpse of what life was like - everything you needed was on board. If it wasn't on board, you just didn't need it! Go and enjoy this bit of history. read more

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We toured this right away on a Tuesday morning. Age 60 gets you a senior admission discount. Toured main level before 10:00 video in theater. Toured all levels where sailors lived, dentist, clinic, chapel and aircraft carrier deck and bridge deck. The size was utterly massive. This naval aircraft carrier was featured in the movie Pearl Harbor. Lots of climbing up and down ladder steps. Be aware of physical limitations for older people and young children. Was definitely worth the visit. Thank You to all who serve in the armed forces. Review 37 in 2023. read more

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The good was that the place is awesome. The bad is if you're planning to stay overnight and you have kids, there is nothing to eat between dinner and lights-out. They will tell you that you are not allowed to bring snacks on board, and they will tell you there are snacks available but all they had after dinner were some vending machines full of candy and junk. Had to take my kid to the ship medical facility at midnight. No coffee available after dinner either. There's a coffee machine in the gaming area for sleep overs but you're not allowed coffee until 7 AM. Not worth the $75/per person charge. You've been warned. read more

Pardon my language, but this experience was cool as hell! Having been to Corpus so many times, I never once thought to check out the Lexington. I am so glad I finally did! I am not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't anywhere near as fun as this! Tickets to the museum provide you with countless photo opportunities with real props from airplanes to barber chairs - you aren't leaving this place without a million pictures and a million nuggets of knowledge. From interactive displays to friendly staff ready to answer questions (we had a veteran answering questions straight from my own brain before we even entered the museum while out on the deck that he had ready to go just from the inquisitive face I was making toward the bottom of the ship - ask them how they keep the thing held up!) you are in for a historical treat. Do be aware, while many areas are accessible, if you intend to get the full experience you are going to be climbing up and down extremely steep and extremely narrow steps/passages/hallways/doorways/etc. If you are claustrophobic or require accessibility, there are some parts of the ship that may not be for you. However, there is still much to be explored without plunging into the depths of the ship! As someone who isn't even particularly interested in military history, I had an unexpectedly great time and recommend it to anyone! read more

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10/10! No complaints except I should've came earlier so I could've had time to explore the whole ship! There is a lot to see but I don't recommend if you're don't good with tight spaces or crowed areas. It can get where you have to squeeze together read more

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This place was really fun to explore, though it was a lot of walking there was so much things to look at and amazing ocean views that helped us not think how about how much our feet hurt. I would 100% recommend this place to tourists looks for somewhere new to explore or to someone looking for something to do while in corpus christi. read more

USS Lexington Museum - the ocean view from the ship - Museums Near Me - Corpus Christi, Texas

Such a great experience to see how our navy men and women lived and served our country. Launched in 1942, this had some pretty advanced communications for its time. We did the self guided tour which was amazing. I think going in a guided tour you may have been able to go into other places/rooms but we were happy with what we did. ***** wear tennis shoes there is miles of walking and climbing through port doors, up and down steep ladders, uneven floor surfaces. If you have trouble walking or wheeling a stroller or wheelchair, they do have an elevator, but what you can see or where you can go is very limited. Highly recommend touring this and probably any other naval ship. read more

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I bought tickets before I went with my kids and the staff still made us fall in line with the people who are buying tickets. Its stupid. I bought tickets to avoid the hassle of having to fall in line.They should have a separate line for prepaid tickets.Very unorganized. read more

4.5 stars This is one of the top attractions in CC and now I can see why. We got there about 230 pm and still didn't have time to read/see everything by the time they closed. Nearby parking was $5 and it was 14.95 (with military ID) to get into the museum - well worth the price for what is covered in the museum. My dad said it reminded him of being in the Navy again. It is like a maze with a lot of climbing stairs (they provide hand sanitizer to squirt after each set). The flight deck was probably the favorite for most people- the view, the planes. We didn't eat here, but prices seemed very reasonable. They also have an escape room as an added bonus you can try (we did not). Crossing my fingers hoping that they can do the same for the USS Enterprise and turn it into a museum too. 2021 #61 read more

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After 30 years, I decided to take my mom to the coast. Everything was perfect! The top deck was the best! read more

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This ship is an attraction you need to experience while on North Beach in Corpus Christi. It is soooooooo big and you can do guided tours or self tours and walk through and on a majority of the ship. You really get to see how the crew lived on board and all the intricate the ship is with all the little areas for sleeping, eating, dentistry, barber and captains quarters. If we had more time there were Escape Rooms and Theatres within the ship. Next time, I will definitely take advantage of some of those features. read more

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THIS MUSEUM IS SO AWESOME! It's like a maze that takes you back in time through history, but also has sections that make you feel like you're a sailor. BEWARE that if you don't like tight spaces or very steep stairs, this is not the place for you. Tons of tight turns, corners, and areas. I admittedly freaked out about half way through because I don't like confined spaces BUT if I could do it all over again I would. The view of this ship and from this ship is just out of this world. I was in complete awe when we pulled up and stayed in awe the entire time we were there. This is a must see in my opinion for anyone visiting this area. Staff was super friendly and very excited about teaching guests about the ship. *they also offer a military discount* read more

USS Lexington Museum - Museums Near Me - Corpus Christi, Texas

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I have visited Battleships Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Iowa; Aircraft Carriers Intrepid and Midway; Destroyers Kidd and Stewart; Submarines Drum, Growler, Batfish, Becuna, Bowfin and Cavalla; Frigate Constitution, Liberty Ship Jeremiah O' Brien along with the British cruiser Belfast in London and I believe the Lexington is the best museum ship of the bunch. My visit a couple of weeks ago left me impressed and so glad that I came here. With 4 self guided tour levels to explore and the quality of the onboard exhibits plus the overall condition of The Lady Lex are what make this ship my favorite. Here are my descriptions. First, try to time your boarding so that the first thing you do is attend the movie in the Mega Theater on the Hangar deck which is where you entered. It's a 40 minute movie called Aircraft Carrier and begins on the hour every hour. It was Outstanding with excellent visuals and sets the tone for your visit. I would have watched it twice if I had the time. When finished stay on the Hangar deck and tour all of the aircraft and displays which should take about 30 minutes. Also on this level is the cafe where you can get a meal and drink. After touring this deck, visit the other 3 levels in whatever order suits you. The nice gift shop is also on this level. The Lower Decks tour took me an hour and was what sold me on this museums high quality. It included many of the working and living spaces along with numerous displays of model ships and planes along with holograms of shipboard personnel. The Foc'sle tour is near the bow and took me about 20 minutes with an excellent visual Pear Harbor reenactment. The Gallery Deck tour shows the Combat Information Center, pilot ready rooms, Captains cabin and an exhibit on the smaller CVE and CVL flattops of WWII and this tour took me also about 20 minutes. Finally, there is the Flight Deck tour that not only includes walking all over the flight deck and the aircraft displayed on it but also an opportunity to go up into the Island and visit the Bridge. Also be sure to visit The Plank on the ships bow for an extreme photo op. This tour took me about 30-40 minutes. Most of the compartments are air conditioned and the Hangar Deck seemed to always have a nice breeze blowing through it. The Flight Deck is, of course, exposed to the elements. They do have an elevator that I believe goes to each of the 4 tour levels. I took the ladders instead and must say they will give you a workout especially climbing up to the Bridge. I would budget a total of 3 hours to visit and see it all. The only area for improvement was that a couple of the static display aircraft on the Flight Deck needed refurbishing which I'm sure the staff here will take care of. There are parking lots and metered street parking very close to the entrance. Corpus Christi is lucky to have this museum. Come spend some time here and visit The Blue Ghost! read more

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I wish I could give it more than five stars. We toured the facility for about 6 - 7 hours. The place is full.of amazing history. It was not my first time there but it felt like the first time as its jam packed with activities. It's family friendly but strollers are limited due to the multiple levels and small stair cases. Wear comfortable shoes as sandals and heels or non rubber soles are not recommended. It's a fantastic place..... read more

There was so much to see that we spent 3 hours exploring the ship! The staff was very friendly, and if the huge family that was following us on the self guided tour with 5 screaming kids would've been controlled it would've been a perfect experience! Highly recommend! read more

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Incredible museum, I go at least once a year, I HIGHLY recommend the hard hat tour, seeing the restricted parts of the ship just as they were when the ship was in service was an unmatched experience! The people who run this museum are incredible and friendly, they just want to teach people about this amazing aircraft carrier. They also have a lot of new exhibits in the regular tour that were great too. read more

USS Lexington Museum - Lexington with planes - Museums Near Me - Corpus Christi, Texas

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Disclaimer: don't visit if you have claustrophobia. It gets tight. With that out of the way, very informative museum in a real world piece of history. The self-guided tour is a peek into an icon in US naval history from the eyes of one of its prize bulls. I would have enjoyed a more interactive museum in which one can actually live out a glimpse rather than seeing and reading about it. However, I can understand the preservation aspect. Still a nice experience and certainly a healthy one in which I walked about 10k steps getting in and around the ship. I believe I spent about 2 hrs walking the entire ship tour. Be careful up and down the narrow steps, and tall people watch your heads. read more