San Diego’s USS Midway Museum has landed in high ranks: travelers have named it one of the top museums in the United States.
The long-serving U.S. Navy aircraft carrier-turned-museum, which sits along San Diego’s downtown waterfront at 910 N. Harbor Drive, was ranked No. 5 on the Traveler’s Choice awards list released this week by the well-known travel website, TripAdvisor.
The list touted some of the highlights of the USS Midway Museum, including how travelers can explore the galleys and sleeping quarters aboard the real carrier, “naturally located in Navy Town, USA.”
According to TripAdvisor, the rankings were determined through an algorithm that looked at the quantity and quality of travelers’ reviews and ratings for museums over a one-year period. The list also highlighted admission prices and tours.
The USS Midway is in good company. Other U.S. museums that made the top 10 cut include:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row)
- The National WWII Museum in New Orleans
- The Art Institute in Chicago
- The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City
- The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
- The Getty Center in Los Angeles
- The American Museum of Natural History in New York City
- The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City
- The NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Titusville, Florida
To see the full list of top-ranked museums, click here.
Local
The USS Midway Museum was established as a nonprofit organization in 1992, and opened as a museum in San Diego in June 2004. Visitors are invited to enter the floating city at sea and walk in the footsteps of the 225,000 Navy sailors who worked and lived on the Midway over its service life.
The museum features more than 60 exhibits and a collection of 29 restored aircraft. Visitors can enjoy a self-guided audio tour, narrated by USS Midway sailors, and also test out two flight simulators.
It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). General admission at the gate costs $20 for adults, $17 for senior citizens, $15 for students, $10 for retired military (with valid ID), $10 for kids ages 6 to 12 and free for children age 5 and younger. Active duty military service members and law enforcement officials also get in free, with a valid ID.
Admission includes the Docent-led Island Tour – on the superstructure above the flight deck – open to visitors who are at least 42-inches tall.
The Midway turned 72 years old on Sept. 10. To keep up with the museum’s latest happenings, visit its website here.
