U.S. aircraft carrier museum ships are symbols of the nation’s naval strength, technological progress, and military history. These once-dominant vessels have been preserved to honor their past roles in major conflicts. Five aircraft carriers now serve as museums: the USS Hornet in Alameda, California; the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City; the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas; the USS Midway in San Diego, California; and the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina.
Four of these ships belong to the Essex class, a highly successful class of carriers built during World War II, while the USS Midway represents the Midway class, introduced toward the war’s end. Compared to today’s supercarriers, these vessels were smaller but highly advanced for their time, demonstrating the ingenuity and resilience of the U.S. Navy.
USS Hornet Museum (CV-12) – Alameda, California
Commissioned in 1943, the USS Hornet played a vital role in the Pacific theater of World War II. As part of the Fast Carrier Task Force, she participated in the Marianas invasion and the Battle of the Philippine Sea, famously known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.” On April 6, 1945, her aircraft contributed to the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. After the war, she was used for Operation Magic Carpet, bringing U.S. troops home. In the 1950s, Hornet was modernized for anti-submarine warfare, later supporting the Vietnam War and serving as the recovery ship for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts. Decommissioned in 1970, she was designated a National Historic Landmark and opened as a museum in 1998.
The USS Hornet Museum features an extensive collection of aircraft, including propeller, jet, and rotorcraft, with several Naval helicopters on display. These aircraft span multiple decades, from the 1940s through the 1980s, and museum guests can get an up-close look at them on both the flight deck and hangar deck. Some aircraft are occasionally moved between decks using the ship’s #1 aircraft elevator. Highlights of the collection include the TBM-3E Avenger, a torpedo bomber from World War II; the T-28B Trojan, a military trainer; the US-2B Tracker, an anti-submarine warfare utility aircraft; the FJ-2 Fury, a 1950s swept-wing fighter jet; and the TA-4J Skyhawk, a trainer from the last aggressor squadron, VC-8. The museum also showcases the F8U-1 Crusader, a Vietnam War-era supersonic fighter; the S-3B Viking, an all-weather, multi-mission, long-range aircraft; the F-14A Tomcat, a veteran of the Gulf War; and the F-4J Phantom II, a Vietnam-era multirole jet fighter. Additionally, the museum houses several helicopters, including the HUP-1 Retriever, a ship-based utility helicopter for search and rescue; the SH-2F Seasprite, a shipboard utility helicopter retired in the 1990s; the SH-3H Sea King, an all-weather helicopter designed for anti-submarine warfare; and the UH-34D Seahorse, a Vietnam-era personnel transport and combat assault helicopter. The FM-2 Wildcat, a World War II fighter, is completing the collection, further enriching the museum’s historical offerings.
Other highlights of the USS Hornet Museum include artifacts from the Apollo Moon Mission and guided tours of the flight deck and hangar deck. Visitors can also participate in docent-led tours exploring the ship’s navigation and engineering areas, offering an in-depth look at its operational history. The museum is open Friday through Monday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and military personnel, $10 for youth aged 7 to 17, and free entry for children 6 and under. For more information, visit www.uss-hornet.org
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (CV-11) – New York City, New York
Commissioned in 1943, the USS Intrepid fought in several significant battles, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After World War II, she was modernized and recommissioned for service during the Cold War and Vietnam War. Intrepid also played a key role in the space program, recovering Mercury and Gemini space capsules. Decommissioned in 1974, she was transformed into a museum in 1982.
Many aircraft in the collection lack engines and some were disassembled before arriving at the museum; most aircraft were transported by airplane, helicopter, or barge, though a Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra gunship flew to the museum under its own power before its engine was removed. Visitors typically cannot enter the aircraft on display. Notable exhibits include a British Airways Concorde (G-BOAD), which set a world speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996, flying between London and New York in 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. It also logged the most flight hours (23,397) of any of the 20 Concordes built. Other aircraft on display include bombers and attack planes such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Grumman A-6 Intruder, a Grumman TBM-3E Avenger, and recently, a FG-1D Corsair was added to the collection. The fighter collection features the Grumman F-11 Tiger, McDonnell F3H Demon, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, North American FJ-2/-3 Fury, PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (MiG-17), and Vought F-8 Crusader. Multirole aircraft include the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon, Grumman F-9 Cougar, Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Hawker Siddeley AV-8C Harrier, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, and IAI Kfir (F-21A Lion). Helicopters on display range from the Bell UH-1A Iroquois and Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra gunship to the Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever, Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, and Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard. The museum also features reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft such as the Grumman E-1B Tracer and the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird, the latter being the first production model flown by the CIA. The trainer aircraft collection includes the Aermacchi MB-339 (PAN), Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, and Northrop T-38 Talon, which NASA used. These aircraft, displayed on the Intrepid’s flight deck and hangar deck, give visitors a glimpse into aviation history and military service.
Other highlights of the museum include the Space Shuttle Enterprise exhibit, the USS Growler cruise missile submarine, and an extensive collection of naval aircraft. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended weekends from June to September, operating from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission prices are $36 for adults, $34 for seniors and students, $26 for youth ages 5 to 12, and free for children four and under. For more information, visit www.intrepidmuseum.org
USS Lexington Museum on the Bay (CV-16) – Corpus Christi, Texas
Originally named Cabot, this Essex-class carrier was renamed Lexington to honor the previous USS Lexington (CV-2), lost in 1942. Commissioned in 1943, she served extensively in the Pacific, earning 11 battle stars. She was later modernized for Cold War service before being decommissioned in 1991 and transformed into a museum. The USS Lexington arrived at Corpus Christi Beach in 1992 as a result of active fundraising and strong community support, and the world’s oldest aircraft carrier has since served as a naval aviation museum, educational facility, and popular area tourist attraction.
The USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas, houses a diverse collection of aircraft, including vintage planes, the iconic F-14 from Top Gun, and several other notable aircraft. The collection features a TA-4 Skyhawk, T-34B Mentor, T-2C Buckeye, T-28B Trojan, SNJ-5 Texan, SBD-3 Dauntless, N3N Yellow Peril, KA-3B Skywarrior, F9F-8T Cougar, and F2H-2 Banshee. Among the highlights is the F-14 Tomcat from the movie Top Gun, which remains a major attraction for visitors.
Other museum highlights include flight simulator experiences, the Pearl Harbor exhibit, virtual battle stations, and flight deck aircraft displays. The museum is open from September to May, operating from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and from May to September, it is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission prices are $18.95 for adults, $16.95 for seniors, youth, and military, and $13.95 for children aged 4-12. Parking is available for $5. For more information, visit www.usslexington.com
USS Midway Museum (CV-41) – San Diego, California
Commissioned in 1945, USS Midway was the first carrier too large for the Panama Canal and served in conflicts from the Vietnam War to Operation Desert Storm. The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, playing a pivotal role in key military operations from the Cold War to the Gulf War. After being decommissioned in 1992, the carrier was preserved as a museum in San Diego, opening to the public in 2004. The Midway now serves as a popular attraction, hosting over 700 events annually and providing educational programs showcasing its rich history, including key missions like Operation Frequent Wind and Operation Desert Storm.
The USS Midway Museum showcases a variety of aircraft, including bombers like the Douglas A-1 Skyraider and Grumman A-6 Intruder, and fighters such as the Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair and Vought F-8 Crusader. It also features multirole aircraft like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, helicopters including the Bell UH-1 Iroquois gunship, reconnaissance planes such as the Lockheed S-3 Viking, trainers like the North American T-6 Texan, and transport aircraft including the Grumman C-1 Trader. In 2023, a rare F7U Cutlass was added to the collection.
USS Yorktown (CV-10) – Patriots Point, Charleston, South Carolina
Originally set to be named Bonhomme Richard, this carrier was renamed Yorktown after the USS Yorktown (CV-5) was lost at Midway. Commissioned in 1943, she earned 11 battle stars in World War II and five in Vietnam. She also recovered the Apollo 8 crew in 1968 and appeared in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!. Decommissioned in 1970, she became a museum in 1975 at Patriots Point.
At Patriots Point, visitors can see a wide variety of historic aircraft, including the A-4C Skyhawk, A-6E Intruder, A-7E Corsair II, AD-4N Skyraider, AH-1J Sea Cobra, B-25B Mitchell, CH-46E Sea Knight, E-1B Tracer, EA-3B Skywarrior, and the F-14 Tomcat. These aircraft represent significant moments in naval aviation history, showcasing a range of roles from attack aircraft to helicopters and surveillance planes. For more details, check the Patriots Point Aircraft page.
Other museum highlights include a replica of the Apollo spacecraft capsule, an interactive engine room experience, and extensive naval aviation exhibits. Admission is $27 for adults, $16 for youth (6-11), $19 for seniors, veterans, and teachers, and free for children under 6. For more information, visit www.patriotspoint.org
