# Alabama Air Museums AIr Power Park Mobile Alabama - Includes Battleship USS Alabama and Submarine USS Drum.



## Kyushuj7w (Aug 3, 2021)

Trying to post the by state museums we have been lucky enough to visit over the years. I try to plan the route to hit everything I can find of historical interest with a focus on WW2 but also our american history. So if you hit the Museum at NAS Pensacola , Mobile is not far away. You get a air museum, battleship and a submarine all in one spot. Though they are fewer and fewer you can still find a few vets hanging around. The Alabama veterans park is no exception. Memorials to the wars and the men and women lost for Alabama and Mobile all across the park. They took a beating in Katrina but brought things back. The sub is on dry land now. Hopefully The USS Batfish will utilize the same method as it broke free in the last series of floods in Oklahoma. Some aircraft are still awaiting restoration as they had 8 feet of water in the Aircraft museum. $15 to get in . Cheaper for military and anyone over 55. Kids $6. Parking $4 but we got there early to walk the memorials and armor line so no one charged us to park as the gate was open for a highschool event and unmanned. Not at all bad vs some ships with a lot less to see and do.

Great place about an hour away from Pensacola NAS Museum. I would recommend planning the entire day at the Naval Air museum and maybe time a blue angle practice if the timing is right . It is an a easy 1 hour drive to Mobile. We stopped along the gulf for TY to swim. 










The Alabama was a class of 4 ships of the South Dakota class built ( Alabama, South Dakota, Indiana and Massachusetts) to address concerns with the earlier North Carolina class of 2 ships. ( North Carolina and Washington). The most noticeable difference between the NC vs AL is the NC has 2 Stacks vs 1. The look of the Alabama is closer to the later and larger Iowa class. Of the 6, Alabama, North Carolina and Massachusetts are museum ships you can visit today. Other BB's you can visit are the Texas in Laporte next to the San Jacinto monument, the New Jersey in Camden NJ across from Philly, The Wisconsin in Norfolk, The Iowa in Los Angeles harbor and the Missouri at Pearl Harbor and the USS Olympia from the Spanish American war in Philly. The NC is in Wilimgton NC and the Mass is in Fall River MA.

I've not been on the Iowa as my last trips to californa were before she was turned into a musem ship but its on my bucket list.






























































They took the Drum out of the water. This is probably the best solution for all these museum ships and subs. Put a coffer dam around the existing dock and if possible raise them a few feet to get supports under the keel and leave them high and dry. Like what Baton Rouge did with the USS Kidd to deal with the massive tidal shifts. The Drum had an exceptional record. I've been on a few WWII era subs and this subs machinery just gleams inside like she just was launched yesterday. Hats off to her maintenance crew.

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## Kyushuj7w (Aug 3, 2021)

The air museum took a beating . 8 feet of water in the building. They lost their F4U as totally destroyed. Others badly damaged. The Kingfisher floated about and got dinged up as you can see. The docent told me their main conservator will take this on as his last project before he retires. They were lucky the main float was not punctured. The F102 still shows some damage and is parked outside with others needing work
































*NOTE THE YF17 is the only one left in existence. *

































Mobiles main street is small compared to New Orleans but pretty lively and does not smell of vomit and urine in the evening, sorry if your from New Orleans but they need to bring a water truck through every few hours to wash things down. There are some great inexpensive and unusual places to eat. The old parks are very interesting if your into that sort of history. New Orleans is about 2 hours away so you can spend your day at the Military park and then as things close down, drive into New Orleans to hit the French Quarter in the evening. Be aware parking is the highest cost you may ever see.

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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 3, 2021)

Use to live just a few hours from there. I’ve visited it a few times.


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## Gnomey (Aug 4, 2021)

Nice shots!


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## nuuumannn (Aug 4, 2021)

It's on the Battleship List (a list of battleships around the world I'm gonna visit one day, including the Mikasa in Japan, the Texas and so forth, but I might stretch it to include cruisers and stuff, like the Georgios Averoff in Athens).

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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 5, 2021)

nuuumannn said:


> It's on the Battleship List (a list of battleships around the world I'm gonna visit one day, including the Mikasa in Japan, the Texas and so forth, but I might stretch it to include cruisers and stuff, like the Georgios Averoff in Athens).



Make sure the Missouri is on your list.


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## SaparotRob (Aug 5, 2021)

nuuumannn said:


> It's on the Battleship List (a list of battleships around the world I'm gonna visit one day, including the Mikasa in Japan, the Texas and so forth, but I might stretch it to include cruisers and stuff, like the Georgios Averoff in Athens).


Pretty much part of my bucket list.


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## Kyushuj7w (Aug 5, 2021)

SaparotRob said:


> Pretty much part of my bucket list.




Well the Texas has been close to the public for a while . The plan is to take her to dry dock and patch up that hull as she is springing leaks. There is a proposed dry docking on land display option under consideration. Perhaps 30 years ago there was enough patriotic drive and veterans left to fund raise for such things but no more. WW2 to todays genertion is like WW1 was to ours. Overshadowed and young adults & kids can't tell you who we fought or why. 

Problem is these are multimillion dollar repair jobs and no wealthy sponsors like our Mr Bezos to save the day. Not unlike the USS Olympia in Philly the only cruiser from the Spanish and AMerican war that may one day sink at her berth . Best get to them all quick folks, in another 20 year they will either sink at their moorings or be sent to become artificial reefs. Far better fate than the cutting torch in India next to a Carnival cruise boat. 

2 cruiser are left in the USA . Finished near or after wars end when they were no longer needed. The Salem in Quincy Mass an absolute monster of a heavy cruiser and the light cruiser Little Rock in Buffalo NY where the destroyer USS Sullivans named after the brothers who all died on the USS Juneau is berthed The Sullivans took on a list last year or perhaps the year before. These destroyers hulls are even thinner vs a battleship or carrier , the only advantage is she is in fresh vs salt water 

Your most complete source for Museum Ships Worldwide! A good link to museum ships and subs

I've been on every BB and Carrier in the USA save the Iowa , and the Lexington. and Midway MAybe 1/2 the subs. The next ship road trip is the great lakes region, a little heavier on submarines as they were built on the great lakes. The Cod was just moved to drydock for repairs. Sadly the Ling is abandoned at her river mooring in NJ and the adjacent museum closed. She will be scrapped as the bridges open to let her enter the berth no longer operate that way.

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## nuuumannn (Aug 5, 2021)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Make sure the Missouri is on your list.



It sure is, top of the list since it's the closest to my current location. If I don't get to see the other Iowas, I'll be happy with just the Mo. I do wanna go see the North Carolina, too.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Aug 5, 2021)

nuuumannn said:


> It sure is, top of the list since it's the closest to my current location. If I don't get to see the other Iowas, I'll be happy with just the Mo. I do wanna go see the North Carolina, too.



I just saw her last month. Was really neat to stand on the very spot the war ended.

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## Donivanp (Aug 5, 2021)

Last time I hit the Alabama was on 04 when I went back to an air show at Robins AFB Warner Robins GA. Seems it's changed quit a bit. Hit Pensacola and Ft Rucker Army aviation museum that trip as well. Been to the North Carolina and being here in Houston area Texas several times though shes not open to the public any longer.


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## Kyushuj7w (Aug 6, 2021)

Donivanp said:


> Last time I hit the Alabama was on 04 when I went back to an air show at Robins AFB Warner Robins GA. Seems it's changed quit a bit. Hit Pensacola and Ft Rucker Army aviation museum that trip as well. Been to the North Carolina and being here in Houston area Texas several times though shes not open to the public any longer.


I was able to get on the Texas twice but that was prior to 2006 when I would visit our plants in Laporte, Bayport , Pasadena etc . There was a place at the end of the road from the Texas and the San Jacinto monument where you either drove into the water or caught a small ferry. Can't remember its name but we used to go there for lunch. Had my first fried aligator there. Tasted like Chicken.

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## Donivanp (Aug 6, 2021)

Kyushuj7w said:


> I was able to get on the Texas twice but that was prior to 2006 when I would visit our plants in Laporte, Bayport , Pasadena etc . There was a place at the end of the road from the Texas and the San Jacinto monument where you either drove into the water or caught a small ferry. Can't remember its name but we used to go there for lunch. Had my first fried aligator there. Tasted like Chicken.


seems everything taste like chicken!!!!!

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