While admission fees and accessibility varies by area, generally, active military members (with ID) can come aboard for free. There are discounted rates for seniors and children as well. Most children under five years old are also free. The ships are usually open seven days a week except during selected holidays -- most are closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Many naval ship tours allow guests to walk through the whole ship, down in the crew quarters, the engine room, boiler room, up to the bridge and into the gun turrets. Most tours are also geared towards family-oriented activities like trying out flight simulators, watching music videos and short films, climbing aboard the aircraft and exploring interactive exhibits.
Restored to its Vietnam War configuration, the USS Turner Joy Naval Destroyer Museum Ship in Bremerton, Washington, features an active educational facility showing the lasting legacy of the U.S. Navy. The Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia offers a 45 minute naval ship tour, along with sights of historic homes from the 1907 Jamestown Exposition. The USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego, California features the ship used as the Persian Gulf flagship for Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
