I spent a Saturday on the USS Midway, and I’m still grinning. I went with my brother, who loves planes, and my 8-year-old, who loves buttons. We all found our thing. If you’d like to compare notes with another enthusiast’s play-by-play, this personal recap lays it all out.
First, the basics. The address is: USS Midway Museum, 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. It sits right on the water. You can’t miss it. Big gray ship. Big views. Big history.
For an even deeper dive into San Diego’s rich naval legacy, browse the resources from the USS San Diego Memorial Association before you go.
Getting there (and the parking bit we all care about)
We rolled in around 9:30 a.m. The lot right next to the ship had spots, but it filled fast. We paid at the machine, stuck the ticket on the dash, and walked straight over. Street parking was busy. If you get there by noon, it’s a toss-up. I’d go early. Or use a rideshare if you hate parking games. For a nitty-gritty rundown of costs, quirks, and a few insider hacks, I leaned on this candid parking guide.
It was breezy on the pier. I wore a light jacket and felt smart for once. Sunscreen helped too. The flight deck is sunny and can feel like a hot griddle by lunch.
First steps on board
They handed us free audio headsets. Easy to use. Press the number by a sign. Hear a story. My kid liked that you could pause and run to the next thing. I liked that the voices were clear and short. You know what? I learned more in one hour there than I did in a whole semester of history. If you want to map out even more hands-on fun ahead of time, the museum’s official activities page lays out simulations, exhibits, and daily demonstrations in one handy list.
We started on the hangar deck. It’s huge—like a warehouse with wings. Planes sit nose to nose. You can stand under them and feel very small. We grabbed a soft pretzel from the snack stand and mapped our plan. Sort of. We got sidetracked by a cockpit you could actually sit in. My kid pushed every switch. Zero shame.
Up the ladders, into the “island”
We climbed a steep ladder to the bridge (the “island,” if you like ship words). Narrow steps. Hold the rails. Totally worth it. Up there, a volunteer told us how pilots lined up to land. He pointed at the “meatball” light system and said, “If it’s high, you’re high.” Simple and scary. My brother just whispered, “Whoa.”
Inside, we peeked at the chart room and the captain’s chair. It’s not fancy. It’s tough and neat and made to work. There’s something honest about that.
The flight deck: jets, wind, and that skyline
On the top deck, the wind hits you, and the city pops behind the planes. We saw an F-14 Tomcat and an F/A-18. Big cats up close. You can see the catapult tracks where jets launched. You can walk across the arresting wires where they landed. I stood there and tried to picture a night landing in rough seas. My hands got sweaty. No kidding.
We took a quick family photo with the bay behind us. It looks like a movie shot, but with messy hair. Wind will do that.
We joked about which of those wind-swept shots might end up on social feeds—or even be shared with new matches on dating apps. That sparked a chat about how photo-sharing norms have changed in the swipe era, and we discovered a surprisingly helpful primer on the topic in this concise, modern-etiquette guide to intimate images on Tinder: Tinder nudes etiquette guide. It breaks down best practices, consent reminders, and safety tips so you can share confidently without crossing lines.
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Below deck: the guts of the ship
The lower decks surprised me. The galley, the mess hall, the sick bay, the brig—yep, a small jail—are all there. You can see where sailors slept, stacked in tight rows. The engine room smells like oil and metal, even now. It hums with stories. I loved the ready rooms too, where crews planned missions. Lots of chairs. Lots of coffee energy.
A docent in the sick bay told a story about a broken finger wrapped with tape during flight ops. “We kept going,” he said. Simple words. Heavy meaning.
Little things that made it feel real
- The ledges and rails feel worn where hands held on. It’s a small thing, but it got me.
- There’s a short film about the Battle of Midway. Clear, quick, and powerful. My kid sat still the whole time, which says a lot.
- The junior pilot booklet was a win. My 8-year-old filled it out and got a little wing sticker at the end. Big smiles.
What I loved
- The volunteers. Many are veterans. They don’t brag. They just share. You can ask anything.
- The audio tour. Easy. No fluff. You learn without feeling stuck in a lecture.
- How much you can touch. This isn’t a “look through glass” kind of place.
What could be better
- Some ladders are tough for little legs and bad knees. There are elevators for main decks, but not every space is simple to reach.
- The gift shop line got long near closing. If you want a hat, go earlier.
- It can get loud and windy on the flight deck. Bring a hat that won’t fly off, or you’ll chase it like I did.
Quick tips from my day
- Go early. The lot fills, and the ship feels calmer in the morning.
- Wear closed-toe shoes. Those ladders are steep.
- Bring water and a light jacket. Sun and wind take turns.
- Give yourself at least 3 hours. We stayed a bit over 4 and still missed a few corners.
- If you have kids, ask for the junior pilot sheet at the start.
- Prefer to wake up steps from the ship? This honest roundup of nearby hotels makes choosing a place to crash super easy.
Final take
This place isn’t just a big ship. It’s a time machine with jet fuel and salt air. I left with wind-tangled hair and a full heart. The address again, in case you’re making plans: USS Midway Museum, 910 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101.
Would I go again? Yep. I still want to hear more stories, and honestly, I want another pretzel.