USS Midway Museum facts for kids
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Midway prepares to moor at its final resting place at Navy pier in San Diego where it became the largest museum devoted to carriers and naval aviation. (10 January 2004)
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| Established | 7 June 2004 |
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| Type | maritime museum |
The USS Midway Museum is a historical naval aircraft carrier museum located in downtown San Diego, California at Navy Pier. The museum consists of the aircraft carrier Midway. The ship houses an extensive collection of aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California.
Contents
History
The USS Midway was the United States' longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, from 1945 to 1992. Approximately 200,000 Sailors served aboard the carrier, known for several naval aviation breakthroughs as well as several humanitarian missions. It was the only carrier to serve the entire length of the Cold War and beyond. It is currently a museum ship in San Diego, California.
Midway opened as a museum on 7 June 2004. By 2012 annual visitation exceeded 1 million visitors. As of 2015 Midway is the most popular naval warship museum in the United States. The museum has over 13,000 members, and hosts more than 700 events a year, including more than 400 active-duty Navy retirements, re-enlistments, and changes of command. The museum also hosts approximately 50,000 students on field trips and 5,000 children in its overnight program annually.
Admission includes a self-guided audio tour, narrated by former Midway Sailors to more than 60 locations, including sleeping quarters, engine room, galley, bridge, brig, post office, foc's'le, pilots' ready rooms, officers quarters, primary flight control, and "officers country". Other features include climb-aboard aircraft and cockpits, videos, flight simulators, and a narrated audio tour for youngsters.
Membership has grown to more than 25,000. A high definition, holographic movie theater, "The Battle of Midway Theater", was added in 2017, and in 2019 the museum added a virtual reality flight simulator ride in addition to its existing four flight simulators. The GI Film Festival and the San Diego International Film Festival have scheduled screenings at the museum.
A Grumman C-2 Greyhound was craned aboard the carrier in June 2023.
Events
In addition to private events, the museum has hosted several events, including a nationally broadcast NCAA basketball game between San Diego State University and Syracuse University in 2012. American Idol has filmed an episode on Midway, as have the Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, FOX News, The Bachelor, Extreme Makeover, History Channel, and Military Channel. The nationally televised annual "Battle on the Midway" collegiate wrestling showcase has been staged each November on the flight deck of the museum since 2017.
The USS Midway Museum has had the opportunity to host various vital events and productions throughout its lifetime. In 2018 and 2019, scenes from the critically acclaimed film Top Gun: Maverick were filmed on the museum premises. Additionally, planes featured in the movie, such as the F/A-18 Hornet Jet, are displayed at the museum now that filming has concluded. Moreover, the USS Midway Museum had the opportunity to host the global premiere on 4 May 2022.
Memorial services
On every anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2001, the USS Midway Museum hosts a memorial service to remember the lives lost during the incident. This is in conjunction with the FDNY retirees of San Diego, San Diego Fire & Rescue Department, National City FD, SDFF Emerald Society and the Wounded Warrior Project. During the ceremony, the names of all the first responders that have died during 9/11 are read out loud. The service takes place on the flight deck, where hundreds of people gather each year.
Exhibits and collection
Aircraft
Bombers/attack
- Douglas A-1 Skyraider
- Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
- Douglas SBD Dauntless
- Douglas TBD Devastator (replica)
- Grumman A-6 Intruder
- Grumman TBM Avenger
- LTV A-7 Corsair II
- Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler
Fighters
- Grumman F4F Wildcat
- Grumman F9F Panther
- Grumman F-11 Tiger
- North American FJ-2/-3 Fury
- Vought F4U Corsair
- Vought F7U Cutlass
- Vought F-8 Crusader
Multirole
- Grumman F-9 Cougar
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Helicopters
- Bell UH-1 Iroquois gunship
- Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
- Kaman SH-2 Seasprite
- Piasecki HUP Retriever
- Sikorsky HO3S
- Sikorsky H-34 Seabat
- Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King
- Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
Reconnaissance and surveillance
- Lockheed S-3 Viking
- North American A-5 Vigilante
- Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
Trainers
- North American T-2 Buckeye
- North American T-6 Texan
Transport/Utility
- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog
- Grumman C-1 Trader
- Grumman C-2 Greyhound
Voices of Midway (2015)
| Voices of Midway | |
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| Directed by | Scott Levitta |
| Produced by | Kathy Weiss |
| Written by | Richard Christian Matheson |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Ronald Víctor García |
| Editing by | Gib Jaffe |
| Distributed by | USS Midway Museum |
| Release date(s) | 20 December 2014 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Voices of Midway is a 2015 short film directed by Scott Levitta and written by Richard Christian Matheson. The film is based on true events at the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942 and plays continuously at the Battle of Midway Theater.
See also
- U.S. Navy museums (and other aircraft carrier museums)
- National Naval Aviation Museum
- San Diego Air & Space Museum – Another air museum in San Diego located at Balboa Park
