saginaw valley naval ship museum

While in Michigan I thought my kids would like taking this tour. . .we drove over there but depute the website saying it was open and tours were giving 364 days a year the were closed. . .they could see it which they enjoyed but were bummed we couldn't tour

Great visit. Wandered all over the ship with a volunteer who had actually served on the ship during the Vietnam war.

Visiting the USA Eidson is pretty cool. I have never been on a battle ship before and now there is one in my backyard! It's only 10$ for adults and if your lucky one of the original sailors maybe on board and tell you stories about their time on board

My son and I toured the ship on a Monday in the early afternoon and thus we almost had the ship to ourselves. My son age 19, loved exploring the ship and poking around at our own place. I have MS thus walk with a cane and mobility can be an issue sometimes. The upper deck is curved thus makes for uneven footing which can feel like you are walking a tightrope with MS but with my son steadying me I made it across it. There are ladders and I did better with those, just took me a bit longer than an abled bodied person would. Not wheelchair accessible but you wouldn't expect it to be. To others that walk with a cane, it is doable still... just go slow at your own pace and have someone with you in case you need a bit of help. I would watch young children very closely as there are places they could fall and get hurt. Would recommend one adult per child to be safe. My young nephew had toured the ship and loved it with his parents him passing him up and down the ladders with one parent at the top reaching down to the parent at the bottom. There was a large trailer parked nearby with a spectacular collection of toy fire trucks that was included in the price to tour the ship. A Navy veteran was attending the cash register and was very helpful with questions. A good time!

Self guided tour of battle ship used during the Vietnam war. Hard to fathom men living in such small space for a long period of time with the dangers of war. Made you appreciate what these men did for our freedom. The smell of the engine oil must make war veterans cringe. Great experience. Thank you to all the people that worked so hard to make this exhibit possible.

Decided to see the USS Edson with son and grandson. I thought the price would be a little lower for children. The staff is doing a fabulous job restoring this ship. I remember it when it came to Pearl Harbor during the Vietnam War. We happened to play ball against their team. It is a very historic ship that was involved in heavy shore bombardment during the war. Topside areas look great especially the bridge area and 02 level. They are working hard below decks and have just a little of the fantail hull to do above the waterline. This is a great place to take kids. Make sure you use a guide or someone who has been aboard a naval vessel. It will make your experience much better. Way to go guys and WELCOME HOME!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this great ship. We had an awesome tour guide, if there are enough volunteers there be sure to hook up with one of them. Much better than doing the self-guided. Our two boys 4 & 7 thought the ship was pretty cool too!

It's an old war ship. It is showing it's age but they are slowly restoring it. Kind of musty smelling to be expected. Lots of climbing up and down steep ladders and stairs and there are some tight spaces to squeeze in/out of. We had a self guided tour and were able to spend as much time in each section as we liked.

The USS Edson is a naval destroyer built in the 1950s and served in the Vietnam War. This museum is frequently not listed as a sight to see and for instance is not listed in the AAA tour books but is wonderful. Unlike other floating museums where you walk around on your own, an ex navy man takes you around in small groups. My tour lasted way over an hour. It is over 400 feet long and is very impressive to visit.

We were thinking our young adults might get bored but they loved it as well as we did. It looks as if the last service people stepped off and we stepped on. We did a self guided tour but might appreciate going through it with a docent. It gives a great idea of what life would have been like on the ship.

They are just fixing this ship up. My sister and I went and it was interesting...brought back my Navy days.

The ship has only been here just over a year so is a work in process. There is a great group of volunteers that are very knowledgeable about the ship. Worth the trip if you like military museums.

What should i say here........how about they let you crawl around on a sherman class destroyer all by yourself. They let you explore at your own pace and figure things out for yourself. I hope the volunteers keep up the good work and make it even better!!

For a town that built so many ships for the US Navy not to have one tied up along the pier is unthinkable. So Mike & Mary Kegley (sailors) & their compatriots wheedled, beleaguered. badgered and FINALLY after all their blood, sweat & tears got Uncle Sam to turn loose one of his Navy Ships! They're working on it as we speak & it's a fine addition to the Bay City Harbor. It will get better every year as the loyal crews continue their loving attentions. Makes you proud to be a Sailor!

Nice to tour the "Gray Ghost of the Vietnamese Coast". My husband served aboard this ship in the early 70's. Yes, she needs a lot of work and a lot of things have changed aboard her, but still a privilege to be able to see and tour her!! We hope to take some time and join a work crew in the future. This was a long time in coming to Bay City, welcome USS Edson, DD946. Thank you to the dedicated men and women who made this happen and volunteer their time!