Mission Statement: "To unite all submarine museum authors, curators, docents, enthusiasts, historians, librarians, visitors, and volunteers through positive promotion and cooperative education in order to perpetuate the American submarine museums of our forefathers."

Welcome! Did you know that there are currently twenty-five different museum submarines in the United States that you can get in and explore? Most are decommissioned, retired submarines, saved from being scrapped after being deemed as unfit for further military service to the Navy. Many of them saw action during World War II or played a role in the Cold War and/or Vietnam. Some were used for training, experimenting, or research for the development of today's submarine force. There are even a couple of Russian submarines and a WWII-era German U-Boat! I hope that with the help of this website that you'll visit one or some of the many submarine museums that may be located near you. Please click on the "Map" link above to see a Google map with the locations of all of the museum submarines listed on this website. You will also be able to find driving directions with the use of that map.

Each museum submarine is unique in her own way. Many hold some various record, some were used in movies, and a few have rare operational, functioning equipment. All of them have a following of hard-working volunteers that keep them going.

This site also has a forum that I hope you'll take part in. The forum is here for visitors to ask questions and learn about the different submarines. It is also here for all those who work and volunteer on the submarine museums to share ideas, talk about fund raising efforts, find restoration advice, promote special events, etc.

Below, you'll see a table listing the submarine name, the class of the submarine, the date it was launched (first put into the water), its official website where you can find specific museum or park information, its Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) webpage that details the history of the submarine with pictures, its Wikipedia webpage listing, where to find out more about it on Facebook®, and the city and state of the submarine's current home. Detailed addresses for the parks/museums can be found by looking at the official website for the submarine or by checking out the forum here.

These are the submarines in your neighborhood! Find one near you and go visit it with your friends and family. All of these museum submarines are open for you get down inside and explore. Nineteen are still in the water while six (Albacore, Batfish, Cavalla, Drum, Marlin, and U-505) are secured on dry land. It is truely an amazing experience to tour any submarine museum! Also, there is more to the submarine museums than just submarines. Many have exhibits of torpedoes, mines, and ships (targets) to see while you're there.

"They weren't just hull numbers, they were our home addresses. Now the old neighborhood is torn down and gone and all that is left are memories."
- Richard "Murph" Murphy, IC3(SS)

Here are some interesting facts about each museum submarine:

• USS Drum (SS-228)
  • Launched on May 12, 1941, she is the oldest of all the WWII fleet submarines remaining in the USA
  • She was the first Gato class submarine commissioned
  • Opened to the public on July 4, 1969, the Drum is the oldest submarine museum in the USA
  • Due to heavy damage from a depth charge attack on her 8th war patrol in WWII, the Gato class submarine received a new Balao class conning tower
• U-505 (German)
  • The only German U-boat museum in the USA
  • Is one of only two remaining class IX-C German U-boats in the world
  • Is one of only five remaining WWII era German U-boats in the world
  • The only submarine on display inside (under) a building in the USA
  • Boarded and captured from the Germans on June 4, 1944, the only foreign enemy man-of war done so since the War of 1812
• USS Silversides (SS-236)
  • Silversides sank 23 ships (3rd highest in WWII) and 90,080 tons (5th highest in WWII) making her the highest-scoring WWII submarine of all the submarine museum boats
  • The first man to die on the top deck of a submarine in WWII died on the Silversides, Mike Harbin TM3c
  • Was used to film exterior scenes for the movie Below in 2002.
• USS Bowfin (SS-287)
  • Houses one of only two Mark III Torpedo Data Computers (TDC) in existence
  • Launched on the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, hence being called "The Pearl Harbor Avenger"
  • Located today in Pearl Harbor
  • Oldest remaining Balao class submarine in the USA
• USS Croaker (SS-246)
  • Sank the Japanese cruiser Nagara on her first war patrol, along with two freighters, earning a Navy Unit Commendation
  • Underwent SSK (hunter-killer) conversion in 1953
• USS Cod (SS-224)
  • Rescued the crew of the Dutch submarine O-19 in July of 1945, performing the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history
  • Only submarine museum still in original WWII configuration
  • Visitors enter and exit the boat using her original hatches and ladders
  • Houses a fully operational Mark IV Torpedo Data Computer (TDC)
• USS Batfish (SS-310)
  • Sank a record 3 Japanese submarines over a period of four days, hence nicknamed "Submarine Killer"
  • Was placed on a dry berth when opened as a submarine museum boat
  • Originally named USS Acoupa but was renamed Batfish before launch
  • Spotted the famous Japanese battleship Yamato on her 1st war patrol
• USS Pampanito (SS-383)
  • Houses one of only two Mark III Torpedo Data Computers (TDC) in existence - the Pampanito's TDC is the only one that is fully operational
  • Rescued more than 73 Allied POWs who were aboard enemy transports that she sank in September of 1944
  • Was portrayed as the fictional submarine USS Stingray in the movie Down Periscope in 1995
• USS Ling (SS-297)
  • The last fleet boat to patrol American shores in WWII
  • The only museum submarine to retain all of her batteries
• USS Lionfish (SS-298)
  • First boat to be named for the lionfish
  • Her first captain was Lt. Cmdr. Edward D. Spruance, son of the WWII admiral Raymond Spruance
• USS Cavalla (SS-244)
  • Sank the aircraft carrier Shokaku which had a role in the bombing of Pearl Harbor
  • Was one of the submarines present in Tokyo Bay in September of 1945 for the Japanese surrender
  • Underwent SSK (hunter-killer) conversion in 1952
• USS Cobia (SS-245)
  • Houses the oldest operating radar set in the world
• USS Razorback (SS-394)
  • Was one of the submarines present in Tokyo Bay in September of 1945 for the Japanese surrender
  • Only submarine museum boat sold and bought back from a foreign country. She was sold after decommissioning in 1970 to the Turkish Navy - the city of North Little Rock, AR bought her back in 2004 for $1 plus shipping costs and opened her as a museum in 2005
  • The Razorback is the only American museum submarine that is not subject to annual USN inspections due to being purchased from a foreign navy
  • The most years in active service of any submarine museum boat
  • Underwent GUPPY IIA conversion in 1954 by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
  • Visitors enter and exit the boat using her original hatches and ladders
  • Her #2 periscope is operational and freely rotates on ball bearings
• USS Becuna (SS-319)
  • Spotted the famous Japanese battleship Yamato on her 2nd war patrol
  • Underwent GUPPY IA conversion in 1951 by Electric Boat and took part in many Cold War excercises
• USS Torsk (SS-423)
  • Launched on September 6, 1944, she is the oldest remaining Tench class submarine in the USA
  • The last US submarine to sink an enemy ship via torpedo in WWII on August 14, 1945 with an electric Mark 27 passive acoustic homing "Cutie" torpedo
  • Impressive number of dives/surfaces - 11,884 in her career
  • Nicknamed the "Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast"
  • Underwent Fleet Snorkel conversion in 1952 by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
• USS Requin (SS-481)
  • Her first captain was the famous Slade D. Cutter - his wife sponsored the boat launch
  • Became one of the first converted radar picket submarines after WWII
  • Underwent MIGRAINE II conversion in January of 1948 and was redesignated as SSR-481
  • Underwent Fleet Snorkel conversion in 1959 by Charleston Navy Yard
  • Final deployment was part of the search effort for the USS Scorpion
• USS Clamagore (SS-343)
  • The only submarine museum boat that underwent GUPPY II conversion in 1948 by Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and GUPPY III conversion in 1962 by Charleston Navy Yard
• USS Albacore (AGSS-569)
  • As a pure experimental submarine, she pioneered the modern teardrop hull
  • Was built without any weapon systems
• USS Marlin (SST-2)
  • Was originally named T-2
  • The only SST (training submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
• USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
  • World's first nuclear-powered submarine
  • The only SSN (nuclear powered attack submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
• USS Growler (SSG-577)
  • The only SSG (guided missile attack submarine) submarine museum boat in the USA
  • The only submarine museum boat to display a Regulus nuclear missile
• USS Blueback (SS-581)
  • The last diesel-powered, non-research submarine built by the US Navy, and the last to be decommissioned after 31 years of service
  • Made the longest ever submerged voyage by a diesel-electric submarine, traveling 5,340 miles from Yokosuka, Japan, to San Diego, California
  • Appeared in the movie The Hunt for Red October
• B-39 (Russian)
  • Also known as "Black Widow" and "Cobra"
• USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)
  • Built to be a research and development submarine
  • With an operating depth of over 3,000 feet, she is one of the world's deepest diving submarines
  • Holds the record for the deepest launching of a torpedo
  • Was the last diesel-electric submarine in the US Navy fleet
  • Performed the first two-way laser communication between a submarine and an aircraft
  • First submarine to use the mobile submarine simulator (MOSS) decoy system
• B-427 (Russian)
  • Also known as "Scorpion"

SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG forum member and amateur radio enthusiast Bill Chaikin (username "KA8VIT") was kind enough to share his videos of the USS Cod in Cleveland, OH. Visit KA8VIT's USS Cod Videos page to see some great video footage, even a 25 minute video tour of the entire boat! The videos will give you an idea of what all you can see by visiting a submarine museum.

The "Restoration Supporter - Preserving Our Heritage" patch you see to your left was originally designed by Lockwood Internet Base, USSVI, members and was sold to support a specific submarine museum boat as chosen annually by Lockwood Internet Base.

While Lockwood Internet Base is no more, you can still purchase the patch from SubmarineShop.com to show your support for museum submarines.

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This page last updated 10/3/2023
SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG launched on 2/26/2008