Battleship Texas State Historic Site
Battleship Texas State Historic Site
Battleship Texas State Historic Site
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
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Spend The Night Aboard The Battleship TEXAS!That's right. You and a group of friends can actually spend the night aboard this huge Battleship. Sleep where the actual sailors who lived on her bunked down for the night.Battleship TEXAS was commissioned in 1914 and is the only surviving US Navy ship to have served in both WW I and WW II. The Battleship TEXAS become the Nations first Battleship museum on 21 April 1948. Located at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte, Texas (just out side of Houston, TX). We are open daily to the public 7 days a week from 10am - 5:30pm. The ship is under the care of Texas Parks and Wildlife. The Battleship Texas Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which works closely with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for the preservation, restoration and presentation of the world's last dreadnought-type battleship, the historic Battleship TEXAS. The BTF sponsors the Overnight Education program where we host any group size from 15 up to 78 people, from the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Schools, Church Youth Groups, US Naval Sea Cadets, NJROTC, ROTC units, and any other interested parties. That's right. You and a group of friends can actually spend the night aboard this huge Battleship. Sleep where the actual sailors who lived on her bunked down for the night.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
734 reviews
Excellent
456
Very good
209
Average
59
Poor
6
Terrible
4
maitaimike2015
Laguna Hills, CA253 contributions
Nov 2020
Absolutely appalling that the last WWI battleship on display is rusting away here. The USS TEXAS should be a source of pride for all Americans. The area surrounding the site is somewhat closed down as well. Drove over from the monument for some photo opps. Other interesting bits of history to find, graves, markers, kiosks, a sundial, and you can still take pictures of the outside on the ship. Please restore this for future generations before it is too late.
Written December 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
St_Matty
Houston, TX5,732 contributions
Oct 2022
I went to pay a visit here the other day as I had just flown over from the UK and had been to see it before a few years back. So when I got there I was shocked to see it had been moved.
Moral of the story, always check before you go visit somewhere, even if you have been there before.
Lesson learnt.
Moral of the story, always check before you go visit somewhere, even if you have been there before.
Lesson learnt.
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tenzin D
Somerville, MA7 contributions
Dec 2015 • Friends
My friends and I decided to drive from Houston (~30 min drive) to the Battleship because it seemed like an interesting thing to check out on our last day in the area. We arrived right in time for one of the free guided tours, included in the ticket price ($12), provided by Mr. Thomas Gillette. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor (10 years old when the attacks occurred) and he told us a few stories about his time in Hawaii.
Our tour was about 2 hours and I would highly recommend touring the Battleship with a guide. If you do the self tour, there are many plaques and such explaining where things are but guides have keys to certain locked areas that they open for their tour groups. I felt like I got more information from the guided tour and the tour was very interesting. We didn't even notice the time passing as we were avidly listening to Mr. Gillette.
There is a special tour that must be reserved in advance and costs a bit more that allows you to visit certain parts of the engineering section that are closed off to visitors. Which might be interesting if you have a bit more time.
No matter which tour you decide on I highly recommend you visit the Battleship. Young children as well as adults will enjoy the visit.
Our tour was about 2 hours and I would highly recommend touring the Battleship with a guide. If you do the self tour, there are many plaques and such explaining where things are but guides have keys to certain locked areas that they open for their tour groups. I felt like I got more information from the guided tour and the tour was very interesting. We didn't even notice the time passing as we were avidly listening to Mr. Gillette.
There is a special tour that must be reserved in advance and costs a bit more that allows you to visit certain parts of the engineering section that are closed off to visitors. Which might be interesting if you have a bit more time.
No matter which tour you decide on I highly recommend you visit the Battleship. Young children as well as adults will enjoy the visit.
Written December 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EM L
Houston, TX26 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
Sadly, like so many places in Texas, this old battleship is in need of a major overhaul. I had taken a bunch of neighborhood kids there but it looked so bad we left quickly. The Park that the battleship is part of was in such bad condition it wasn't possible to even have a picnic. Fireants were everywhere.
Written May 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary V
Whitehorse, Canada291 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
The ship is well restored with a self guided tour and very open access to all areas. There are staff on board who answer questions but the signs are more than adequate. Restoration is very well done - and the remainder of the park has lots of history - adjacent to the San Juacinto monument and museum. The park is open at 9 but the ship doesn't open til 10 am. Great gift shop with very helpful staff - we spent a couple hours - very impressed with this glimpse into history and life of those who served in WWI and WWII on this ship.
Written March 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joel K
Rochester, MN15 contributions
Mar 2018 • Solo
USS Texas is undergoing repairs to stabalize her decay, but it is still cool to go see. Later in the year there are tours below decks, but they are not running now. (May to Oct?). A couple of the 40 mm gun mounts still rotate and elevate. Access to the front gun turret is possible, although only about 3 people fit at a time. Still, an impressive sleeping old warship. San Jacinto Monument is just a short distance away so it is a 2 for 1 trip.
Written March 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnMarie C
Cypress, TX16 contributions
It was a great experience and everyone had fun. No strollers can be used here. Wear comfortable clothes because it is definitely hot in the lower decks of the ship, but they do have a/c units through out the ship. It was a great experience for everyone in the family including my 6 year old daughter.
Written May 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darin E
Rochester, NY2 contributions
May 2013 • Solo
An awesome piece of history. Well taken care of, and well labelled. Make sure to take lots of pictures and plan to spend at least 2 hours.
The staff were great and it is right next to the San Jacinto battlefield.
It's not for those who can't get around easily and there are no working bathrooms aboard.
The staff were great and it is right next to the San Jacinto battlefield.
It's not for those who can't get around easily and there are no working bathrooms aboard.
Written July 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
globeseeker007
globeseeker0073,255 contributions
The Battleship Texas is located just minutes from downtown Houston. It is within walking distance of the San Jacinto Battleground so one should also visit this site if visiting the Texas. For a $10 admission fee, one can go just about any place he chooses once on board. From the bridge to the engine room, every place is accessable. One can see how life was when the vessel was in operation. The crew's quarters, officer's rooms, messhall, laundry, ship's offices, and other areas are open for the public to view. This is a ship whose era is long gone but its past can be relived by going onboard and taking the tour.
Written December 6, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doug S
Denton, TX3 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
The ship wasn't there. Is it being repaired? We hunted all over as the location was poorly identified. Very disappointing.
Written December 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nope, reservations are never required. Dress cool; it’s hot in the ship. Wear good shoes; narrow stairs and corridors, climbing.
Written July 12, 2019
Can you walk around the area after closing hours or is it fenced in?
Written March 18, 2018
Yes.you can walk around but no access to the ship
Written March 29, 2018
How would you suggest approaching this with 25-30 Boy Scouts?
Written November 8, 2016
I would contact the park at (281) 479-2431. They would be better able to answer the question. They did and may still have an overnight, sleep on the ship tour. I know there were scout troops that could book that. Not sure of cost or any of the particulars but the above number could let you know. That being said, I have been on the ship and have seen scout troops there. If you have a few chaperones with the kids you can break them up in a groups of 6 l or 7 and go in different directions. There is a lot to see and do and smaller groups would be very manageable. If you contact the park they will be able to give you some good advice. Groups like yours have been there many times before.
Written November 8, 2016
Approximately how much time should we allow for the self guided tour?
Written December 14, 2015
I am a docent on the ship. You should allow at least 1.5 hrs but more is better. There are 3 main decks plus engine rooms. Then going up you can traverse as high as the Admiral's Bridge. If you are there for a Docent guided tour allow 2 hrs. Most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours. You can leave for lunch and return.
Written March 24, 2016
There are small parts of the ship that have A/C. This would the perfect place for a boy scout group to explore. Very interesting.
The times that I have taken the tour in summer and cooler weather it helped to remind me that the soldiers who lived on this ship had a hard life, Their bunks were very small and they r where stacked 3 or 4 high. Only a few higher officers had privet quarters.
Written November 8, 2016
Hi..Yes and no. Inside the ship, it is air conditioned with the exception on the deck or outside the ship. With Texas weather, I would recommend u visit this place in the morning when it is not to hot.
Written May 14, 2015
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