From coast to coast, around the nation’s shores, there lie ship museums, vessels that once plied the oceans and now are moored to piers to enlighten travelers and tourists alike. In San Diego, California, you’ll find the H.M.S. Surprise, a replica of a Royal Navy 28 gun frigate, which was used in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, as part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego; while, on the other side of the nation, in Tampa, Florida, you’ll discover the SS American Victory, a 455 foot long VC2-S-AP2 merchant ship used in World War Two, which now is a floating museum devoted to celebrating the men and women of the American Merchant Fleet, which provided its service to the world ever since 1775, two hundred and thirty-five years ago.
Check out the local Tampa hotels by visiting the site here, and prepare to come aboard and receive an amazing education on American Maritime History. The idea of the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship is to preserve and interpret maritime culture, as well as its legacy of the maritime industry, encouraging young people to share the enthusiasm and understanding of the important contributions the industry made in history.
The American Victory offers a tour of the restoration process, allowing visitors to see what an operational merchant cargo ship from the 1940s is like. The vessel in three wars: World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. If you go, you’ll be able to see almost the whole ship: immense cargo holds, the hospital and galley, weaponry, radio gyro rooms, steering stations, a flying bridge, wheelhouse, crew and officer messes, the engine room, crew cabins, the chartroom and lifeboats, and so on. You’ll also see a photographic history of the ship and other period merchant vessels, including uniforms and documents and medals. Admission for adults is ten dollars, while children pay half that, and those under three years of age attend for free. Once you’re finished in Tampa, consider heading for San Diego next to visit all the museum ships available there!
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