Great time walking the halls and decks of "The Gray Ghost of the Vietnam War" Cost was $22 for my wife and I combined to go on a self guided tour through the ship. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and kind. You could be through and done in 20 min or take your time and be there a couple hours. read more

USS Orleck Naval Museum - Museums Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

The USS Orleck Naval Museum is definitely a must when visiting Jacksonville! This amazing museum is located at the old shipyard (pretty close to the baseball stadium). They have their own free parking for up to two hours. However, there's not many spots so I would recommend coming early. We visited on a Saturday morning and we were the first ones there. The people volunteering were amazing and gave us the full story behind the ship. After learning from them, I felt like we had an even better understanding of the things we were learning from the self-guided tour. One cool thing compared to other ships turned into museums, if that this one actually had a lot of interactive elements. However, keep in mind that some of the videos and sounds can be very loud, so if you are with someone sensitive to loud sounds, perhaps skip those. At the end of the tour they have a small gift shop with some cool items, included ship coins (in case there are any collectors out there). They also had the Navy 250th anniversary coin, which I thought was really cool. read more

See all

I went here for a wounded warrior event, it was a blast! So interesting to see how the Navy lives on a ship, They did a tour and served us food. Also gave us a rundown of the history. Definitely had a great time! read more

See all

You need to be physically active to fully experience this your or you'll just be on the lower level. You will be climbing ladders narrow spaces. I would recommend for mature teens and older. Perhaps there was an elevator. Very informative tour. Staff was friendly and you know they have worked there many years as the tour goes on. They were active military soldiers and one guy was actually assigned to the actual ship on my visit. A gift shop is located inside the ship before exiting. Two restrooms available at ticket booth. Take is the scent of Maxwell House Coffee across the street. read more

See all

Great nephew from Minnesota is visiting so wanted to do something different. Quiet day downtown so parking was no issue. All the volunteers were really great and shared good information and stories of the ships history. Fun for all ages, and educational as well. read more

See all

Had a wonderful time exploring this ship which was in 3 wars including Dessert Storm. I felt so lucky to have experienced this ship and all of the nooks and crannies. Loved the history and friendly staff! read more

See all

My original listing for this museum managed to evaporate- I have been invested in this ship coming to Jacksonville thanks to my father-in-law for more than a decade! I watched her come into town, toasted with a couple of board members the morning she arrived & enjoyed festivities while docked in front of the Hyatt. I loved watching the the holiday boat parade from the bow with friends. I have roamed the ship with my grandson strapped to me. Explored with my father-i-l and hubby numerous times & John even signed up to become a docent! I recently enjoyed a bourbon and whiskey event aboard her. Now that she is at her permanent location, I am excited for the museum to have a full store & permanent bathrooms. And more excited for future events and offerings for group (scout) tours! Great volunteers & wonderful staff running things! read more

See all

Great spot to take the kids! Be sure to do the scavenger hunt while you're there. It's lots of fun and very educational. read more

See all

Great to have the USS Orleck museum in our military town. We enjoyed the interactive displays. The docents were very knowledgeable about the ship and history. Well stocked souvenir store and museum, looking forward to the future renovations. This is a treasure to have in Jacksonville. There is a lot of stairs and ladders. Great date for history enthusiasts and families. read more

See all

This was super cool. Must do !!! To be on a real naval ship is absolutely amazing. Never did I think I would be in real naval ship. I mean the amount of space on there is incredible. I mean you got to go through a lot but I mean we probably only got to see 25% of it of go through 25% of it it is huge!!!!! I would go again. And the gentleman in the beginning explains the story of the Orleck. It is an amazing incredible story and then off on your own to explore this huge naval museum on a naval vessel. read more

USS Orleck Naval Museum - Museums Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I had the pleasure of touring the USS Orleck today. I'm thankful it was cloudy as it kept the temperature down which made the tour more pleasant. There were several volunteers on board providing a wealth of information! Throughout the tour I had to climb and descend narrow and steep stairs while holding on to a metal railing. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes. Adults pay $15. They offered military and senior citizen discounts. The ship was engaged in many battles and was even sold to Turkey, where it continued to be used as a battleship until it returned to the US and became a museum. It first returned to Texas, then went to Louisiana and now is docked in Jacksonville. We were able to see most areas of the ship, which was pretty cool! From the communications and sonar rooms, to the Captains quarters, mess hall and barbershop. It's like a mini city on water. I highly recommend checking out this historic vessel! read more

See all

Great guided tour by Frank and really cool history lesson during the tour. Parking is free and there's a gift shop and AC restrooms for visitors. The entire staff was so pleasant and answered our questions regarding the USS Orleck. This is a must-see for anyone visiting downtown Jax and don't forget to purchase the cool photos at the end where they superimpose your initial photos with the backdrop of the ship. Only $33 for the photos and the tour is well worth the price of admission. Definitely go! :) read more

See all

Very cool that we have a battleship here in Jacksonville and it is on the water . It was commissioned after the end of World War II. And it fought in desert storm and a couple others. The tour includes the whole ship, and there are tour guides spread out with information on everything. They even do special tours for senior citizens. It's a smaller ship, not as big as the aircraft carriers. There's a lot of history and appreciation for our military service. read more

See all

When you see an ad for a holiday market on board a decommissioned war naval ship...of course you say yes! The ship is a Naval Museum but rents itself out for events like this...small parties, business catered events, etc. they are still restoring area and would like to eventually offer over night opportunities for like scouts.....how cool would that be!?! Tours are Wed-Fri. , shorter hours on Sat for about $15-$20 a person. It certainly is an interesting piece of our country's history this was ship! read more

See all

Such amazing and pleasant people that volunteer/work here. It was a great experience and definitely worth the $15 price. As they further renovate and develop the ship, I can't wait to come back! And.... FREE PARKING read more

See all

It's very cool to get to step into an old warship. If you like history, you're really gonna enjoy the experience. It's amazing how our military would operate "back in the day." Very cool stuff to be found on the ship, and the veterans onboard are very happy to explain how everything worked. Would recommend for anyone who enjoys history and wants to see what a warship was like back during Vietnam and Korea. Recommend good shoes for walking up and down ladders. Had an amazing time. read more

See all

Interesting historical naval experience!!! I loved it I would go again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

USS Orleck Naval Museum - Bridge - Museums Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

A fantastic experience, highly encourage a visit to experience the destroyer and the history surrounding it.

On my first visit to visit the awesome USS Orleck I was able to attend a private event to celebrate NYE '23 and ring in '24! Staff working for the museum and staff from the event were friendly, courteous and professional. What a unique and fun experience to party on a naval ship in beautiful downtown Jacksonville! The energy and vibes were incredible throughout the event. This new year will bring about more events on the ship and day visits for all to enjoy. I'm looking forward to my return visit indeed! read more

See all

Had a great time touring the USS Orleck after the Veterans Day 5K! What a magnificent ship and very easy to get around and see everything (just follow the arrows)! What a great addition to our downtown area-we will be back!! If you have not been downtown lately to see this piece of history-you really need to make plans!! Tips: 1. Parking on a Saturday morning was no problem-but always pretty easy parking at the old Jacksonville Landing Parking lot 2. Ask questions! The volunteers are just amazing with a wealth of knowledge! 3. After touring the Orleck, take a walk on the Riverwalk or walk the short distance to Bold City and have a craft beer! read more

See all

Absolutely amazing tour and ongoing project that I wanna volunteer as a welder to preserve.

Didn't get a chance to explore the museum. Visited the ticket window and the rude, unkept guy manning the desk said it was a private party and slammed the window. It was advertised as open to the public on their social media posts so not sure why he was so unhelpful with answering questions. A far cry from the experience we've had with other famous ships in Boston and Baltimore. read more

It was cool. Self guided tour. Doing it during the summer was a bit of a challenge since half of it is outside. But educational and fun. read more

USS Orleck Naval Museum - Museums Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

The Jacksonville Naval Museum definitely worth a visit for all Americans. A retired navy ship that served in the Korean War, it's definitely a great experience for us, as we never really cover this event in history when compared to other big events like World War II. It's free for the public but there is a suggested 15 dollar donation. A coworker and I really enjoyed our time exploring and learning. A volunteer told us that the ship generally held 330 service men at a time... sometimes as many as 380... that's insane! I'm sure local schools use this as a field trip spot but if you're in the area, regardless of age, you should go support and learn from this museum. read more

See all

This is a cool museum, and my husband who was in the navy really enjoyed it. If you are claustrophobic or have balance issues, this might not be the place for you. If seemed like kids up to the elderly enjoyed this ship/museum. They have orange arrows for people who do not want to climb stairs and blue arrows for people who didn't mind stairs. If you can, definitely take the stairs though. Coming down the narrows stairs. I would recommend the people of Jacksonville come see this piece of history. read more

See all

It was great watching the Navy vets in my family reminisce about their active duty days and proudly show my uncle around the available spaces. The USS Orleck looks to be well maintained too. Such a great place to teach the little ones about history also. read more

See all

We picked a rainy day to visit the ship. The retired sailors that greeted us were wonderful. We learned quite a bit. Everyone should visit places like this often to remind themselves just what our armed forces have endured for our freedom. read more

Went on the USS Orleck for an after hour New Years Eve Party. It looked amazing at night and it is a museum. The event was posted on FB and Event Calendar with very limited information about anything until we were handed a waver as we waited in a very long line, that basically said not to wear high heals. People were laughing and used fake names on the stupid waver. They made us wait over an hour to get on the ship because of the lack of organization. Overall it was extremely disappointing because of the the lack of bathroom facilities, portability nasty toilets in the dark. No where to sit down, people on top of each other, no places to socialize. No food trucks. The only thing they mentioned was dance music which was rave sounding and extremely loud and obnoxious. Several people were dressed up and couldn't walk up the steep stairs after a few drinks. It was very dangerous. We sat in our parked car for the last hour to see the fireworks which were amazing. Never go to this event or pay that much money to sit in your own car. I'm calling them on Tuesday to get my money back. read more

USS Orleck Naval Museum - Beware, you'll be disappointed - Museums Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Very interesting facts and experience and a wonderful tour through ship id recommend it to anyone

Disappointed. Joined the Orleck for their New Years Eve party. So, I'm sure this might be a nice museum by day, but it's not a great party venue. So here's the positives: it was a beautiful evening and the views were great. The event was supposed to open at 8, but around 8:30, some guys walked around and handed out liability waivers for us to sign. At that point, I estimate the line was over 300 people, extending from the river all the way to Bay Street. Everyone in line was laughing at the dysfunctional organization. Two guys were checking tickets and wristbands at a single point of entry. I'm sure some people waited over an hour and a half to get onboard. Once onboard, the "music" and atmosphere was annoying and more like a rave. We really expected something a little more upscale and classy. Three different Dj's were playing essentially the same music, and it was all obnoxiously loud. No champagne, hats, or party favors btw. Long lines at the bar, card readers didn't work, very few snack options...the best thing was a pretzel truck parked outside the gate. Seems like it was intended as more of a cash grab than a party. I originally wanted the VIP tickets, but after seeing the vip experience, I'm glad I didn't waste any more money. My only concern is I hope most of the money is actually going to the museum. read more