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Closest available address
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2703 Battleship Parkway
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Open 8-4 (October-March), 8-6 (April-September). Closed Christmas Day.
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251-433-2703
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3 hours
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March 2011
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Fall, Spring
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$10-29
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Mobile
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Alabama
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Website
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Historical
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Ships
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First review
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Battleship Memorial Park is home to the World War II USS Alabama Battleship, which is a South Dakota-class warship, and the Drum a WWII submarine, as well as aircraft from WWII and the Cold War, and assorted military equipment such as tanks and artillery. The park borders Mobile Bay and is well kept.
The Alabama was commissioned in 1942 and served mostly in the Pacific theater. Alabama shot down 22 enemy aircraft during the war; however no crewmembers were lost in hostile action, garnering the ship the nickname of Lucky A. The Alabama was decommissioned in 1947 and became a museum in 1965. The Drum also saw significant action in WWII and sank 15 enemy ships. The Drum became a museum in 1969 and later was moved onshore after damage from a hurricane.
The Alabama is the park's main attraction and can be seen via three tours. The green and red tours are below decks and the yellow is above. A green tour highlight includes access to the 16 inch gun turrets. The red tour visits daily crew life areas, such as the mess hall, laundry and bakery. If time is limited, the yellow tour which includes the captain’s cabin can be seen quickly and the air is less stuffy than on the other tours. There is a short film about the ship on the main deck. The Drum has limited signage but has been impressively restored. Chatting with a staff member about the sub’s restoration really enhanced the experience. The same is true of the aircraft displays as a staff member was on hand to answer questions about the restoration of the US presidential helicopter. The A-12 Blackbird also is worth checking out. If you enjoy military history, this park is worth a visit. It’s inexpensive given the variety of displays and provides a good but not great perspective on the equipment.
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