There's no better way to commemorate those who have died serving our country than visiting a military museum this Memorial Day weekend.
From the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor to Historic Ships of Baltimore, take some time to think of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Travelers can even save on ticket admission through couponsforfun.com, which offers discounts at all of the locations featured here.
1. USS Lexington - Corpus Christi, Tex.
(USS Lexington)
Nicknamed The Blue Ghost, the USS Lexington is sure to send shivers down your spine. Aboard the ship, which saw extensive service in the Pacific during World War II, visitors can explore displays of military artifacts, the flight deck, galley, dental clinic, engine room and sick bay. Imaginations run wild as you're given a glimpse of what it was like to be in battle in the interactive Virtual Battle Stations attraction. The sights and sounds are so real you'll feel like you've been transported back in time.
2. USS Arizona Memorial - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
(USS Arizona Memorial)
There is a reason the USS Arizona Memorial is the number one visitor destination in Hawaii. Millions of people from all over the world come to this majestic setting to see where World War II began for the U.S. on December 7, 1941. Discover the newly built, $62 million Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, featuring two new world class museums, wayside panels and panoramic shoreline views.
3. USS Midway - San Diego, Calif.
110604-N-NS602-574 (USS Midway)
The USS Midway is the longest-serving U.S. Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Imagine living aboard a floating city at sea with 4,500 shipmates, by exploring the galleys, sleeping quarters and the 4-acre flight deck. Admission includes a self-guided audio tour, narrated by Midway sailors. Check out the new audio tour with content geared specifically for 7-12 year olds. Climb aboard aircraft and cockpits, walk through helicopters, ride three types of flight simulators, climb in bunks, sit in ejection seat theatre and listen to real pilot conversations during Desert Storm.
4. CAF Airpower Museum - Midland, Tex.
(Facebook/CAF Airpower Museum)
The CAF Airpower Museum is dedicated to preserving the complete history of World War II military aviation and the memory of the men and women who built, serviced and flew the historic military aircraft of World War II. Historic warplanes are the centerpiece of this museum, which is also home to the world's largest collection of original aircraft nose art.
5. Blue and Gray Museum - Fitzgerald, Ga.
(Blue and Gray Museum)
Located in Fitzgerald’s historic railroad depot, the museum reveals the remarkable founding story of the city and its roots in the Civil War. The museum has an amazing collection of rare Civil War artifacts, including guns, swords, ammunition and pictures.
6. Battleship Cove - Fall River, Mass.
(Facebook/Battleship Cove)
This world-class maritime heritage museum brings history to life with the world's largest and most diverse collection of historic naval ships. Among Battleship Cove's collection is the battleship USS Massachusetts, the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., a Drone Anti-Sub Helicopter, a T-28 Trojan and the U.S.'s only exhibited example of a Soviet-built missile corvette, the Hiddensee. It also features the Pearl Harbor Experience, the only outdoor multimedia reenactment of Pearl Harbor that recreates the sights and sounds of the surprise attack on December 7, 1941. This exhibition runs seasonally from April - September and is included in general admission.
7. Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial - Camden, N.J.
(Battle Ship New Jersey Museum and Memorial)
Our nation's largest and most decorated battleship, the USS New Jersey, aka the Big J, is berthed on the Camden Waterfront on the Delaware River across from Philadelphia. Check out the huge 16" gun turrets, the bridge, the mess hall or the seaman's coffin-sized bunks. You can even stay overnight aboard the ship.
8. Pacific Aviation Museum - Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii
(Facebook/Pacific Aviation Museum)
The Pacific Aviation Museum occupies World War II-era hangars that still bear the scars of our nation's first aviation battlefield. See rare aircraft, such as a Japanese Zero, an F4F Wildcat, B-25 Mitchell Bomber, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, dioramas, videos, and more. Veteran docents bring history to life.
9. Historic Ships in Baltimore - Baltimore, Md.
(iStock)
Historic Ships in Baltimore is home to one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. Located within easy walking distance of each other, the US Sloop-of-War Constellation, the US Submarine Torsk, the US Coast Guard Cutter Taney, and the Lightship Chesapeake exhibit life at sea from the mid-19th century to the mid-1980's. Also included in the collection is the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which marked the entrance to the Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor for over 130 years.
10. Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum - Denver, Colo.
(Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum)
Housed in a 1939 Air Force hangar, Wings Over the Rockies maintains a collection of more than four dozen aircraft and space vehicles. Highlights include a rare B-18A Bolo, five of the Century-Series fighters, an RF-84K Thunderflash Parasite, an Alexander Eaglerock built in Colorado and the only Star Wars X-wing on display signed by Harrison Ford and other members of the cast.
11. USS Ling - Hackensack, N.J.
(Facebook/New Jersey Naval Museum)
Take a guided tour and see and hear how the sailors lived on New Jersey's submarine, the USS Ling, a real World War II sub. Crawl through the tight quarters and and get a close-up view of its weaponry, which includes twenty-four torpedoes and 4" deck gun. Opened Saturdays and Sundays.
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