The Independence Seaport Museum

Our little family of four just visited the Independence Seaport Museum, and (unlike so many things in this world) it EXCEEDED my expectations! The best parts had to be the workshop within the Museum and the tours you can take of a REAL submarine and a REAL turn of the century warship that are parked in the river just outside! It was SO cool, so if you like boats, history, wars or even physics (the physics of floating and moving in the water) you will like this place. I loved it!

The workshop: When we visited on a Saturday, two men were in the workshop building a replica of a medium sized sailing vessel. While one toiled away, the other (who was extremely personable and knowledgeable) answered all of our questions, pointed things out around the workshop, and let us put our hands all over stuff to give us an idea of what they were doing.

The BECUNA: The Becuna is a WWII-era submarine-- oh my goodness! What an experience-- you don't know what our servicemen did for us until you cram yourself down into this thing and see for yourself what life was like under the surface. This is not for people who have mobility trouble, as there are narrow stairways and small hatch doorways to navigate.

The OLYMPIA: If not for the guns poking out of the pretty windows, you might at first feel like you were on a leisure fun ship when you step into the Olympia. But soon you realize that even if the Admiral had his own leather couches and huge enamel tub, the enlisted crew was left swinging in hammocks when they needed to unwind. The Olympia founght in the Spanish American War, and an exhibit inside the Museum will get you pumped to see it with information on Teddy Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the explosion off the coast of Cuba that started it all.

The Museum is included in the City Pass, too, if that's something you'd like to try. Get more information about CIty Pass, and the Museum, here.