The Yorktown is an aircraft carrier packed with history, and for me, memory. This grand lady is on display in the Charleston Harbor and can be seen while you cross the Arthur Ravenel Bridge or while you take in some sea air from Waterfront Park in Historic Downtown Charleston. I have been to the Yorktown a few times and every time I go the sense of thankfulness, awe and sadness fill me from head to toe. My family on both sides are military and I have had many experiences with people who serve and have served our country. All of these experiences come back to me while I walk through the halls of remembrance that they have tastefully set up.
Watch our video walk through of just some of the things you will see when you visit the Yorktown!
They have several experiences available for the $22 admission fee. Beside the Yorktown low and stealthy is the submarine USS Clamagore. If you want to experience a cold war era sub, don't skip this! They also have The Vietnam Experience that gives you an idea of what our boys went through during that troublesome war. They sometimes also have the USS Laffey. This destroyer was given the nickname, "The Ship That Would Not Die", and is named after a civil war medal of honor recipient. All of these are covered under the $22 admission fee.
Something you should not skip when you go is the documentary that plays in the theater to the right of the entrance. In this movie they interview people who served on the Yorktown. In those shared experiences what stuck with me was the way the men called the ship mother. For them, it was a steady area of safety that could always be relied upon. To these men the Yorktown kept them safe and brought them home. When you go remember, as I do, the people who now sit on ships. Whose metal mother glides through the waves keeping them safe and bringing them home to us.
Important tidbits:
The Yorktown is located: 40 Patriots Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464, USA
Bathrooms are located in the gift shop.
It is wheelchair accessable, to a point.
There are no water fountians
Except for certain special occasions, pets are off limits.
