USS Midway Museum

Spend a few hours in San Diego with a visit to the USS Midway Museum.

There are all kinds of terrific activities to do aboard the USS Midway Museum! Visitors to the USS Midway Museum enter a floating city at sea and walk in the footsteps of 225,000 Midway sailors who served our country and upheld the American ideals of strength, freedom, and peace. Try the flight simulators, watch music videos, short films, or climb aboard aircraft and cockpits! Check out the interactive exhibits, “Ejection Seat Theater,” and much more.

Don’t miss the collection of 29 restored aircraft. The self-guided audio tour, narrated by USS Midway sailors, really brings the carrier’s history to life. With so much to do, the average guests spend 3 to 4 hours! The USS Midway Museum is the perfect place to spend the day and make memories!

Exhibits range from the crew’s sleeping quarters to a massive galley, engine room, the ship’s jail, officer’s country, post office, machine shops, and pilots’ ready rooms, as well as primary flight control and the bridge high in the island over the flight deck. Especially popular are the museum docents you’ll meet throughout the ship. Each is eager to share a personal story, an anecdote, or amazing statistic, adding to your amazement throughout your adventure.

Family-oriented activities for all ages abound two types of flight simulators, short films, climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits, interactive exhibits, “Ejection Seat Theater,” and much more.

Be sure to visit Kansas City Barbeque, located a few blocks away, where they filmed scenes from Top Gun with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis! Some of the best Barbeque on this side of the Mississippi is served up at this San Diego landmark eatery.

USS Midway Museum

4.8

Based on 36736 reviews

review us on

B McKnight

19:57 08 Apr 22

Super cool and a lot of fun to see. We spent at least 4 hours walking around and listening to all the things they... showed us. Well worth the money and didn't really cost much to get on. They have a nice food and drink area on the first level as you walk on all the way to the left. There is a elevators to get to other levels for people who can't use stairs. We had a GREAT TIME.read more

Paul Carmichael

10:05 29 Mar 22

Great place to go visit and learn some history! The kids did the junior pilot program (Free), which involved answering... 6 multiple choice questions to get golden pilot wings. This was good as the kids were so engaged covering the questions that enabled us to see the whole USS Midway. Also, there's plenty of interactive displays and lots of planes plus a 15 minute video of the battle for Midway, which was well done. In all plan to spend 2-3 hrs at this attraction. After going here you can walk to Seaport village and spends some time enjoying the fresh sea breeze.read more

Sean Muir

04:15 16 Feb 22

I've been many times. I'm a 30+ year US history teacher with a specialty in WW2. The Midway history alone is amazing... but the special work by Midway staff and volunteers brings this tour to a new, higher level. This very important ship and it's history from post WW2 through Gulf War 1 is spectacular. The air wing on the flight deck is unmatched with any aircraft carrier tour in the US. So many vets are ready to talk to you. I know, and have studied with, the vets and scholars who have made this ship available and such a treasure that share with you. Trust me I that they have your education in mind and are committed to your visit. If you get to meet Rudy Shapee, thank him for the opportunity to visit but thank any veteran for their dedication. My most recent visit was February 2022 and every year gets better because they are always opening new sections to provide the tours with more educational tours. It is NOT a tourist trap. It is an American icon and deserved historical stop. From there, you have so many more places to explore. Have fun. There is so much to do.read more

JudyNV

23:48 02 Jan 22

This was the BEST part of our 3-full days in San Diego. We spent 5 hours here and enjoyed it all. Would visit again and... stay even longer. Docents were excellent at helping us find things, answering questions. Food service costs as much as, but is better in variety and quality, than what is available at the Zoo or Safari Park. A nice mix of guide-yourself with hand-held listening devices (included in admission price) and small group lectures/videos. The only suggestion I have for improvement is for the person handing out the listening devices to better explain how to use them.read more

Paul de Champignon

04:41 08 Dec 21

Amazing visit. Thought at first “it is just a ship. I am not going to stay there more than two hours”. I stayed whole... day. Amazing people, amazing aircraft and the whole history of the ship was amazing. Especially enjoyed conversations with docents and their presentations - people who are not mere guides but actual crew members who served on this ship and know it and other navy related topics inside out! I highly recommend visiting it and be sure you will stay there longer than expected!read more

Stacie Barreras

23:17 19 Sep 21

We enjoy Hello Betty tremendously! We happened upon this restaurant the first time. We were looking for good fish and... chips. Hello Betty delivered and then delivered again! The fish is firm with a crunchy batter that is not greasy or clumpy. It's the way fish and chips should taste! We also tried the shrimp and chips. Same light batter coating that has a great crunch. Both dishes were fantastic flavor! The staff at Hello Betty was friendly and fast. You could tell they enjoyed working at Hello Betty. If you are looking for a great fish and chips, skip the place in Pacific Beach and drive up the coast to Hello Betty. You won't be disappointed!read more

Anthony Hyslop

00:23 17 Sep 21

We really enjoyed our 2 hour tour which includes the north and south tour. They gave the history of the island of... Coronado and the history of the naval and marine bases. Really cool. And off in the distance you could see the islands of South Coronado miles away. Really good price for this tour. Also was a bit chilly when we headed into the wind, would recommend a jacket or sweater. We did this mid September.read more

Melissa Wright

00:39 29 Aug 21

Second time. Great place to take your visitors. Allow 2-3 hours. I recommend going early on a weekday if possible. You... will have better access to the volunteers that are a wealth of knowledge, and you will have the space to truly reflect on the sacrifice made by those that served. So many of the volunteers have served themselves, and have fascinating stories to tell. You can’t help but to feel a sense of pride and patriotism after visiting.read more

N. Mahoney

20:13 14 Aug 21

Loved this ship. Very knowledgeable staff since they were veterans. Thank you for your service by the way!!! My two... young boys loved going into some of the planes and helicopters. The gift shop had actual well made toys also. I really great experience and will definitely do it again.read more

Gimval

16:35 04 Aug 21

This was an amazing piece of history to visit. The tour is self guided, except for the tour of the island. There is... so much to see and they have plenty of arrows guiding you along the way. There are also several presentations on the flight deck from some former crew members that are quite interesting. If you are in the area and looking for something to do, this one is highly recommended. But there will be lost of steps and plenty of walking, so keep that in mind.read more

Joshua Pearson

21:51 31 Jul 21

This was an amazing experience. I was impressed by the layout and self guided tours all over this boat. Exploring... beneath the hanger deck in the depths of the boat was my favorite part. It is laid out and displayed very well. You can spend a whole day here easily. Be sure to check out the theater show as well for amazing visual effects.read more

Hayley Acosta

22:10 29 Jul 21

10/10, the history is amazing and listening to the presentations really helps it all sink in. We were here 3 hours and... still didn't see enough! Highly recommend doing the Island Tour but get there before 330! They also have an adorable search and find activity for the kids that you can get at the information center. My 4 and 7 year old loved it.read more

Jesus Elias

18:17 24 Jul 21

Amazing how big it is. We were there for at least 4 hours but we didn't get to see everything since we went later in... the day. There is a remote speaker you can take with you (free of charge) where you can tag the stands that explain where you're at and the experiences of former crew members. I liked how there were former crew members spread out around that were more than happy to share their experiences and were very knowledgeable about the museum. The gift shop was great too. Highly recommend visiting here!read more

Elaine Cooper

02:18 09 Jul 21

I could literally spend ALL DAY here! 😍 If you love history, if you're a supported of our men and women in the... military, if you are a veteran or know one THIS is the museum of all museums to visit. 🇺🇸 Unfortunately, I didn't upload any of my pictures to Google photos before I deleted my gallery 😭😭 So, I have no pictures to show any of my friends and family of how spectacular of a place this is. I will be back some day. I appreciate all of the staff. They are so knowledgeable and make the museum that much more of an adventure!❤💞read more

Citi Limits Parkour

07:18 08 Jun 21

The USS midway what an amazing museum to go and see. I had so much fun with my wife on our trip to San Diego seeing all... of the history that this aircraft Carrier holds. It was so crazy seeing how big a ship could be and how many people fit in there. One of the craziest things is how much food they go through every single day 13000 different Mills are served every single day . And it's crazy to think that our technology is improving even more allowing for bigger carriers and maybe even one day an aircraft Carrier that can go airborne and not just be in the ocean.read more

Jan Martin

17:27 20 Feb 21

Wonderful "museum" of an aircraft carrier. Included with admission is a listening device which works with a station at... each attraction that was very informative. The best parts for me were the 2 live pilot presentations (each from the Vietnam war) on the catapult and the hook and arresting wire (to stop the aircraft). They each had excellent audio-visual aids as well. Don't miss this.read more

Next Reviews