Independence Seaport Museum Admission

Reviews

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  VAReviewer 5

  04 Nov 2021

  Olympia: The Olympia is a must-see if you are at all interested in what it would have been like to be on the flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish American War. You see the officers' luxurious quarters and the sailors' hammocks; get an idea of the workings of the engine room, the loading of coal, the disposition of ash; all the big and little details of life at sea are noted and documented in a readable fashion. Highly recommended. This ship is huge and takes some time to cover. Becuna: The tour of the submarine was very well-done, very informative, very complete. Plus, our guide Greg had a depth of knowledge and patience that allowed him to answer every question from every angle. I highly recommend this tour. (Except, not if you have any kind of back issue that makes twisting through doorways uncomfortable, not if you have claustrophobia, and not if you are scared climbing down a nearly vertical ladder. Also I wish I had worn my N-95 mask because of the close quarters.) Museum: I also enjoyed the museum exhibit on pirates and the founding of the U.S. Navy. Great artifacts of historical period letters related to the founding of the Navy, very cleverly displayed so that you could see the actual letter (in hard to read 18th century faded script) and then read a modern printout of the words. The connections between the history and modern Philadelphia landmarks were also well-done. Details: (1) Parking is $20, credit card only, and a short walk from the museum. (2) There was no food whatsoever to be found anywhere on the premises; all the food trucks were closed; the gift shop was closed.

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  Chani-Ski 4

  05 Aug 2021

  Lovely visit, no kids with us so we could read as much as we wanted. I especially liked the calls outs on history, trying it to the sites in Philadelphia. Self guided tour of the Olympia was the best part, if you want to see the whole ship you need to climb ladders or steep staircase. Do not recommend with a stiller, but kids would love the ship.

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  megjohnsonnj 5

  24 Jul 2021

  The museum is large and well maintained. Great kids activities as well as exhibits for adults. Highly recommend the guided tour of the submarine Becuna. The guide is very knowledgeable and interesting. The submarine is such a unique offer but the guided tour enriches is especially well.

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  AMiller7880 4

  13 Jul 2021

  Second time here. We came a few years ago and there was a nice gift shop that is gone now. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for kids up to age 17. Parking alone is $18. It ads up. The check in staff were very friendly. Only enough to keep you here for about 1 -2 hours or so. The ship is the best part and is included with admission. The penns landing area is dead. Nothing is open.

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  tabhauser 4

  30 Jun 2021

  This is a small nautical museum that is worth a look if you are in the area and have seen many of Philly's attractions. It is a place you should put on your list if you are into historical ships though. The USS Olympia, the oldest steel war ship floating is very interesting. I did not know about the Unknown Soldier's journey on it

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  chris k 4

  27 Mar 2021

  A well spaced out museum with plenty of models of various ships - all of which were put together by artisans. I can just look at them for hours. Visitors can also see the USS Olympia, a early 1900’s battle cruiser. That was quite interesting to tour and to note how much the ship had no watertight bulkheads/doors - the era’s Achilles heel in Naval design.

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  drewsO4757HN 4

  30 Dec 2020

  I loved the Seaport museum since I was a kid, the slavery exhibit really had me think about my fellow black people history during slavery in old Philadelphiablack people history during slavery in old Philadelphia. History of many ships sank, wars, and slavery. Upstairs was bare and ship simulation game is less than thrilling. Best is tickets price includes boarding a cruiser and submarine nearby. A little expensive for a smaller museum however tickets include admission to the USS Bucuna (submarine) and the USS Olympia (know as one of the first US warships that brought the US to the world stage during the Mexican American war

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  NancyL_P 5

  28 Sep 2020

  It was so so awesome!!! My son and I came to visit the ‘boat’.... Submarines are never called ships. They are boats...... USS Bacuna. My Dad was ‘Cookie’ on the boat during WWII. The Host and his volunteer partner were very very kind to us. They made the boat come alive. What a wonderful experience. Thank you Independence seaport Museum.

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  Linnea M 5

  03 Nov 2019

  I did both the museum and the ships admission. The museum was put together well, and when I was there a gentleman who works on model ships was there which was very cool. Going on board and touring the boat and the submarine was great though and I had fun doing that! If you were going to choose just one I’d definitely recommend the admission to the ships.

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  BMart4 5

  06 Oct 2019

  This museum really surprised us. The exhibits are really well done, there's plenty of interaction for kids but that doesn't water down the content for adults. There's so much about the history of Philadelphia and it's relation to the Delaware river that we didn't know about. You'll find history from before the revolution to more current day ships and the building process. You can do just the museum or add on tours of two ships they have docked on the river which are totally worth your time. We spent a full morning doing the museum and both ships. During the summer there are several food spots and other entertainment nearby, we came just as all of it had shut down and had to walk a bit to find a restaurant for lunch.

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