Independence Seaport Museum Admission

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Hotel pickup Available
  • Duration: 2 Hrs
  • Departure Time :
    Independence Seaport Museum Admission, 5/1/2023 - 8/27/2024Monday - Sunday : 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  • Return Details :
    • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended • Upon arrival, please approach the front desk to exchange your confirmation voucher for an admission ticket from the attraction
  • Cancellation Policy :
    This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

Climb aboard the oldest floating steel warship in the world, Cruiser OLYMPIA, and explore award-winning exhibits in the Museum's building, as well as the Seaport Boat Shop where you can watch a traditional maritime craft take place!

Know More about this tour


Visit two National Historic Landmark ships, the 1892 Cruiser Olympia and the WWII and Cold War Submarine Becuna. Olympia is known for being Admiral Dewey's flagship during the Spanish American War and also receiving the honor of bringing the soldier for internment for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.Becuna is a more modern day example of the technology and bravery of submariners in WWII and the Cold War. These ships will have ladders, hatches & gangways to navigate. The historic ships are not ADA accessible. Explore two floors of the museum with exhibits that cover various maritime topics. Galleries include: Disasters on the Delaware: Historic Disasters and Modern Day Heroes, Tides of Freedom: African Presence on the Delaware River, Tattoo Lounge, Titanic Philadelphians, Boat Gallery, Underwater Gallery, and more. Observe working wooden boats builders in action, in the Workshop on the Water and as they build the schooner Diligence. This gunboat was built in 1797 in Philadelphia to defend this young country from pirates. This new exhibit and ship is inside the museum, making it all the more impressive.

Itinerary:


Visit two National Historic Landmark ships, the 1892 Cruiser Olympia and the WWII and Cold War Submarine Becuna. Olympia is known for being Admiral Dewey's flagship during the Spanish American War and also receiving the honor of bringing the soldier for internment for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. Becuna is a more modern day example of the technology and bravery of submariners in WWII and the Cold War. These ships will have ladders, hatches & gangways to navigate. The historic ships are not ADA accessible. Explore two floors of the museum with exhibits that cover various maritime topics. Galleries include: Disasters on the Delaware: Historic Disasters and Modern Day Heroes, Tides of Freedom: African Presence on the Delaware River, Tattoo Lounge, Titanic Philadelphians, Boat Gallery, Underwater Gallery, and more. Observe working wooden boats builders in action, in the Workshop on the Water and as they build the schooner Diligence. This gunboat was built in 1797 in Philadelphia to defend this young country from pirates. This new exhibit and ship is inside the museum, making it all the more impressive.

Inclusions

  • Admission to the Museum's Building and Cruiser OLYMPIA

Exclusions

  • The listed price does not include parking fees. There are several public parking lots in the area as well as metered spots on the streets. Museum does not own a parking facility.
  • Guided tours of Submarine BECUNA are a ticket add-on and must be purchased on-site.

Additional Info

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Wheelchair accessible within the museum

Not wheelchair accessible on two historic ships

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Ships will close if extreme weather such as snow, ice or high temperatures.

Traveler Reviews

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  • 13-Apr-2023

    A unique experience. Museum was pretty good, but mostly an exhibition of paintings and prints, some maritime artifacts. Good exhibits for kids. Walking through the Olympia was amazing, a trip back in time. Definitely worth a special trip to walk on her decks.

  • 30-Jan-2023

    I came here for the museum ships, USS Olympia and submarine Becuna. Olympia was built in 1893 and played an important role in the Spanish American war and participated in WWI. Despite her age, it is a beautiful ship, very well maintained with impressive wooden interior. I also paid for the engine tour, worth the look. I paid for a tour of the submarine. It to is well maintained, a WWII era sub, ungraded after the war. The museum is worth the tour but it is a work in process.

  • 12-Sep-2022

    Informative and accessible exhibits about the Delaware River and water quality and health. Appreciated the interactive nature of some of them, which were well-suited to kids. Very interesting exhibit on slavery and the role of the harbors and ship-building in the region. A bit pricey but still overall worth the while.

  • 22-Jul-2022

    Tour the ships and submarine. It is a must. They are memorable. The tour guides were incredible. The submarine tour has tight quarters but it is so worth it!

  • 04-May-2022

    My wife and I toured the museum. We also took the guided tour of the Becuna, a WWII era submarine, and the self-guided tour of the Olympia, which fought in the Spanish American War. There are a lot of exhibits at the museum. I really liked the ones dedicated to how the US Navy was established after the Revolutionary war due to our battles with the Barbary Coast pirates. The tour guide knew his stuff about the Becuna. Even though it had been made a little more accessible, you have to be very careful moving from one compartment to another, as the hatches are pretty small. I also appreciated the stories about how bad the Mark XIV torpedoes were. The Olympia is a pretty large ship. The officers had small but comfortable berths, while the enlisted men slept in common areas on hammocks. The parts of the engines we could see looked pretty complicated. Figure on taking up to a half-day if you do all three tours.

  • 04-Mar-2022

    The staff was helpful and informative when we asked for help. We arrived at 10 am on a Thursday and were the only guests for our visit. It was very nice!!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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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