On the Alabama State Line

Summers in Mobile, AL offer many attractions and this, of course, comes with increased revenue for those businesses.

Mobile is home to one attraction in particular, the U.S.S. Alabama battleship, also known as "Lucky A”. The battleship served in World War II in 1942 and carried 127 officers and 2,205 enlisted men. The battleship earned its nickname because it did not lose a single person to the enemy during its time of service.

One room in the battleship has walls lined with the names of crewmen who served on the Alabama

The battleship was retired in 1962 and moved to Battleship Memorial Park in the Mobile Bay two years later. School children from Alabama raised the $100,000 to bring the battleship to Mobile Bay.

The battleship opened as a museum on Jan. 9 1965. It was added to the National Historical Landmark registry in 1986.

Visitor Cheryl Gann said her favorite part was getting lost inside the battleship.
“We tried to follow the arrows and stay on track, but it was really easy to get lost. It was a little confusing and the doorways were kind of hard to step through since I am so short, but I really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind coming back again,” she said.

A hallway inside of the battleship

Navigating the battleship can be slightly confusing and visitors must watch where they step because of holes in the floor that lead to lower levels of the ship. Touring the ship is led by red, yellow or blue arrows. Visitors follow each color from beginning to end to ensure that they see everything on the tour.

Examples of knots used on the Alabama

The U.S.S. Alabama is similar to many battleships from its day. However, this ship is much larger than a typical battleship.

The U.S.S. Alabama, the sixth completed ship of the United States Navy, is one of the biggest ships ever built. The walls of gunmetal grey, while dull and colorless, stretch upward for what seems like forever. From outside the main building, at least 10 feet away from the U.S.S. Alabama, the ship will not fit in one full picture. Instead, the photographer must snap two shots to capture the entire battleship. Even being inactive today, the ship’s presence is reinforced by its oversized demeanor.

The U.S.S. Alabama

The beginning of the journey is a trip from the ground, up the wide, grey ramp to the ship’s deck of informative signs and gadgets.

A walk on the deck, from bow to stern, is nearly a 5-minute walk. The ship can be clearly seen from the highway across the bay. The battleship covers 175 acres and it could hold nearly 160 football fields. However, even in the rain, visitors still seem to enjoy their experience aboard.

Children can be seen pretending to take down enemies from behind the ship’s massive guns, shouting “pshoo, pshoo” at one another. All the while, mothers are snapping photographs. Fathers are warning them not to slip when they climb back down and grandmothers are telling fathers “let them just be kids”.

On deck of the U.S.S. Alabama

The guns on the battleship are so large they shot 16 inch, 410 mm shells. With these rounds, the battleship shot down 22 enemy aircraft while it was active. Shells on display stand as tall as the average fifth grader.

Visitor Dorothy Flanagan, after her 4-hour experience aboard the battleship said “I really loved it a lot. Even though I am from a military family, I have never seen anything like this ship before. I really just enjoyed seeing everything and would recommend it to anyone who visits Alabama. Plus, it didn’t cost nearly as much as I expected to get in”, she said.

A diving suit used during Alabama's active days

The battleship was joined in Mobile Bay by the U.S.S. Drum submarine in 1969, which is also open to guests.

Battleship Memorial Park is scattered with war honorary sites, tanks and stone statues. Their Air Pavilion includes planes from World War II and a simulation flight for children. Although the building received damage and flooding during Hurricane Katrina, the site was remodeled and remains up for display.

The U.S.S. Alabama received on-screen time when it appeared in the films Under Siege and Rapid Fire and was in the ABC television series War and Remembrance.

The battleship was used as hurricane shelter during Hurricane Katrina. It suffered some damage that shifted the ship’s anchorage, but served its purpose well.

Directors of Battleship Memorial Park were unavailable to comment on the income increase the U.S.S. Alabama brings to Mobile Bay.

The U.S.S. Alabama and Battleship Memorial Park is open for touring every day except Christmas. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Nov. through Feb. and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. March through Oct. Admission for ages 12 and up is $12, for ages 6-11 it is $6 and for children under the age of 6, admission is free.