“home of the USS Yorktown!”
Patriots Point is home to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.Patriots Point Development Authority was established in the mid 1970's to develop a naval and maritime museum on Charleston Harbor with the center piece of the museum being the World War II aircraft carrier, the USS YORKTOWN. Patriots Point has become one the state's major tourist attractions with more than 270,000 visitors each year. The YORKTOWN boasts one of the largest education and overnight camping programs in the nation, with more than 40,000 school age children attending these programs each year. The Patriots Point Development Authority Board also oversees the stewardship of over 350 acres of property on Charleston Harbor, much of which is currently under lease for a golf course, a hotel, and a collegiate athletic complex. Patriots Point, on the Charleston Harbor in Mount Pleasant, SC, is home of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum and a fleet of National Historic Landmark ships, including the USS YORKTOWN, Cold War Memorial and the only Vietnam Support Base Camp in the U.S. Patriots Point is also headquarters to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the agency's official Medal of Honor Museum. As an agency, the Naval and Maritime Museum strives to preserve the living history of our nation's bravest men and women while telling their stories in honorable, educational and engaging ways. THERE IS A FERRY LOCATED AT PATRIOT'S POINT THAT WILL TRANSPORT VISITORS TO FORT SUMTER NATIONAL MONUMENT. FOR TRIP PLANNING TO FORT SUMTER, PLEASE ADD PATRIOT'S POINT.
We enjoyed exploring all the historic military ships, equipment and the Vietnam Experience. We also took the Ferry to Fort Sumter from the shared parking lot ($5 All day parking.)
A couple tips: If taking the Ft. Sumter Ferry, Book online before. You will get printable vouchers for $5 off each ticket into Patriots Point. Also, there is a large elevator on the USS NORFOLK for wheelchairs and strollers although side-by-side strollers will be too wide inside the ships and no room for strollers in the Submarine, the USS Clamagore. An ergo-style baby carrier would be ideal though.
With all the exhibits to climb and explore here, your kids will be thoroughly worn out so be prepared to make it the only thing that day, especially with smaller children and especially when visiting during the summer. We were there for about 5 hours in July and the kids (7,4,and1)were ready for only the hotel pool by the end of the day. The hands-on experience of all the ships and the Vietnam Experience are not to be missed. The Vietnam Veteran volunteer at the Vietnam Experience had a wealth of first-person knowledge and we were honored he took the time to talk with us towards the end of our visit.
Kids enjoyed climbing in and out of ships, imagining what it must have been like to be stationed on one of these ships. Definitely made us appreciate sacrifices of our military men and women. Lots of climbing steps and ladders, narrow hallways, low ceilings, and uneven floors, so not really little kid or stroller-friendly. Can spend a couple hours here.
Wonderful piece of history. A unique experience for the entire family! We spent several hours touring. Audio sets were available for self guided tours.
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Patriot Point Athletic Complex
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 9:00 am - 6:30 pm
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Pets Allowed
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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