USS Turner Joy Museum Ship
USS Turner Joy Museum Ship
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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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
288 reviews
Excellent
193
Very good
71
Average
21
Poor
3
Terrible
0
ajzv88
Everett, WA8 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Hubby and I recently visited the ship and we had a nice time. There was some construction going on at the time so getting there was a small challenge, but we found it. We did the solo tour and there were all types of information available throughout the ship. It was cold and raining when we went, but we still had a great time. Would definitely recommend.
Written January 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.
Chris W
7 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
This is a retired Navy Destroyer that is open for self-guided tours. The fee for the tour is a good price. I went with my son, we had printed material and a map, but the signage was very helpful. We were able to explore the ship at our own pace. There was staff on there to answer questions. There was a smell of old diesel and we had to climb up narrow stairs/ladders. Not handicap accessible. There was working being preformed at the time we were on, but it did not interfere. This was something I had always wanted to see and a good plus bathrooms on the ship.
Written October 11, 2023
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.
DonnaS
Dayton, OH72 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
An interesting self-guided tour of this historical ship. A docent was available for any questions, but we were able to walk through at our own pace. We spent a little over an hour, which time to see everything we wanted. A docent met us at the end and provided detailed stories about some of the men who served on the USS Turner Joy. My recommendation is to find a docent to share some stories; it really enriches the experience.
Written August 5, 2024
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.
GrandTour446147
2 contributions
Jan 2020
I took my daughter here and was completely surprised by how fun it was. There were so many areas to explore. We learnt a lot about what it would have been like to be in the Navy! I recommend this tour for anyone interested in engineering. So many pumps and engines to look at. Awesome. I can't recommend it enough.
Written January 22, 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.
ECWorld
Hong Kong, China2,785 contributions
Apr 2023
We took a fast ferry from Pier 50 and got to Bremerton in just 30 min. I have seen seem all kind of WW2 warships all over the world, but I never expected to be overwhelmed by a mere destroyer. In theory an aircraft carrier or a battleship will have much more stuff to show, but in the case of the USS Turner Joy, they put literally everything on display. I have never seen a ship so lovingly maintained, labelled and explained. Yes you have to climb the stairs up and down multiple times (not too hard really unless you are handicapped physically in some way) but it is all worth it. Certainly a pleasant surprise in my visit to Seattle!
Written May 12, 2023
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.
Quazi F
Columbus, IN345 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
The exhibit is just off the board walk. No need for a car. Get off the ferry and go right. Take the stairs down and go left to the end of the board walk. We paid $15 per person.
You can come and go, so it is possible to do some visiting, go eat lunch and come back.
They allow you go and photograph everything that is open to the public. There are only a very few areas that are cordoned off. You can even get inside the gun turret.
An amazing and very humbling experience. It gives a true sense of appreciation for the sacrifices of the people who serve.
You can come and go, so it is possible to do some visiting, go eat lunch and come back.
They allow you go and photograph everything that is open to the public. There are only a very few areas that are cordoned off. You can even get inside the gun turret.
An amazing and very humbling experience. It gives a true sense of appreciation for the sacrifices of the people who serve.
Written July 28, 2017
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.
JollyPaul
Eugene, OR154 contributions
May 2014 • Solo
This is a museum like it should be, most equipment intact and 90% open to free roaming. Instead of standing behind ropes and viewing from a distance, you are climbing, crouching and in the 5 inch gun turret, crawling. You get to experience the cramped spaces, the smell of hydraulic fluid, a multilevel maze of pipes and valves in the boiler and engine rooms, and many other great scenes where you get to touch stuff and really get a feel for the ship. The fire control "computer" was particularly interesting with the analog gauges and hand cranks for input.
If you like naval hardware, you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering around. The Battleship North Carolina is the only ship I enjoyed more for the complete freedom to move about.
Parking is difficult to find and expensive, but once you do park the waterfront marina area makes for an interesting walk on its own and there are plenty of restaurants.
If you like naval hardware, you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering around. The Battleship North Carolina is the only ship I enjoyed more for the complete freedom to move about.
Parking is difficult to find and expensive, but once you do park the waterfront marina area makes for an interesting walk on its own and there are plenty of restaurants.
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.
Fauxnomen
Seattle, WA15 contributions
Apr 2014 • Family
Pros: easy to visit from the Bremerton Ferry Terminal
Cons: needs some maintenance to be a 1st class tourist attraction
We visited on a typical (rainy) spring day. The ferry ride from Seattle was picturesque and, at 60 minutes, plenty of time to stroll the decks and have a snack or play a game. Once on land in Bremerton, the USS Turner Joy could not have been more convenient. Advertised as a 5 minute walk, it's probably even closer! However, we had driven on board so finding a parking spot was a slight adventure, partly because a parking lot attendant gave us bad advice. But, even so, be warned that the parking is not super obvious. At $1 for a couple hours, it was a good price though.
To access the ship, you enter through a tacky gift shop. Not much to purchase here except for some poorly made toys and some odd "decor items" that had absolutely nothing to do with a navy ship (glass tchotchkes, crafty jewelry, etc.) Someone is obviously trying to make a little on the side which has nothing to do with this attraction.
The ship tour is self-guided, as other reviews have mentioned. On the day we were there, during spring break season, we pretty much had the place to ourselves (which actually made for a somewhat eerie experience). Most of the information was printed on laminated paper taped to the wall. It was certainly enlightening to see how close the quarters were and to climb on the original stair cases (no accommodations for tourists, so if someone in your part is mobility challenged or has fear of heights or cramped quarters, this is NOT the attraction for them!). Having visited other floating naval history (e.g. the USS Midway in San Diego and “Old Ironsides” in Boston) the USS Turner Joy compares as a second-tier attraction at best. It’s not that it couldn’t be an interesting experience, but the fee to visit was out of line with how the information was presented and how the ship has been (not) maintained. It really did feel like a “mothballed” shop, as another reviewer put it.
Overall, there are worse ways to spend an hour, but definitely don’t make this a destination highlight of your visit to Kitsap County/Bremerton. On the bright side, two boys (ages 12 and 6) were quite interested. Though the younger one was a bit fearful of some of the dark, smelly spaces on the ship at first, his curiosity got the best of him and he certainly will remember the visit.
Cons: needs some maintenance to be a 1st class tourist attraction
We visited on a typical (rainy) spring day. The ferry ride from Seattle was picturesque and, at 60 minutes, plenty of time to stroll the decks and have a snack or play a game. Once on land in Bremerton, the USS Turner Joy could not have been more convenient. Advertised as a 5 minute walk, it's probably even closer! However, we had driven on board so finding a parking spot was a slight adventure, partly because a parking lot attendant gave us bad advice. But, even so, be warned that the parking is not super obvious. At $1 for a couple hours, it was a good price though.
To access the ship, you enter through a tacky gift shop. Not much to purchase here except for some poorly made toys and some odd "decor items" that had absolutely nothing to do with a navy ship (glass tchotchkes, crafty jewelry, etc.) Someone is obviously trying to make a little on the side which has nothing to do with this attraction.
The ship tour is self-guided, as other reviews have mentioned. On the day we were there, during spring break season, we pretty much had the place to ourselves (which actually made for a somewhat eerie experience). Most of the information was printed on laminated paper taped to the wall. It was certainly enlightening to see how close the quarters were and to climb on the original stair cases (no accommodations for tourists, so if someone in your part is mobility challenged or has fear of heights or cramped quarters, this is NOT the attraction for them!). Having visited other floating naval history (e.g. the USS Midway in San Diego and “Old Ironsides” in Boston) the USS Turner Joy compares as a second-tier attraction at best. It’s not that it couldn’t be an interesting experience, but the fee to visit was out of line with how the information was presented and how the ship has been (not) maintained. It really did feel like a “mothballed” shop, as another reviewer put it.
Overall, there are worse ways to spend an hour, but definitely don’t make this a destination highlight of your visit to Kitsap County/Bremerton. On the bright side, two boys (ages 12 and 6) were quite interested. Though the younger one was a bit fearful of some of the dark, smelly spaces on the ship at first, his curiosity got the best of him and he certainly will remember the visit.
Written April 7, 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.
FondyCheesehead
Fond du Lac, WI30 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
Self-guided tour, but the volunteers working on board were more than happy to chat & guide. They are still working on opening up more of the ship.
Even without using the guide, most items are well described with signs and plaques.
The head (bathroom) onboard was not open as the water was turned off for the "cold" winter weather, but the giftshop was kind enough to allow me to use their facilities even though clearly marked that no restroom was available. - I recommend "going" in the ferry terminal before you meander over to the ship.
Limited access for those in wheelchairs. Strollers and babes-in-arms NOT recommended. as there are 70 degree ladders for getting from level to level. Closed toe shoes are a better choice than sandals.
One-hour free marina visitor parking available, so suggest one of the nearby lots for $7 to $8.
Save your shopping for after the tour so you can have your hands free.
The website is www.ussturnerjoy.org
After I recommend you meander over to the free Puget Sound Navy Museum on the other side of the ferry terminal for more history & hands-on exhibits even the kids will enjoy
www.pugetsoundnavymuseum.org/
Even without using the guide, most items are well described with signs and plaques.
The head (bathroom) onboard was not open as the water was turned off for the "cold" winter weather, but the giftshop was kind enough to allow me to use their facilities even though clearly marked that no restroom was available. - I recommend "going" in the ferry terminal before you meander over to the ship.
Limited access for those in wheelchairs. Strollers and babes-in-arms NOT recommended. as there are 70 degree ladders for getting from level to level. Closed toe shoes are a better choice than sandals.
One-hour free marina visitor parking available, so suggest one of the nearby lots for $7 to $8.
Save your shopping for after the tour so you can have your hands free.
The website is www.ussturnerjoy.org
After I recommend you meander over to the free Puget Sound Navy Museum on the other side of the ferry terminal for more history & hands-on exhibits even the kids will enjoy
www.pugetsoundnavymuseum.org/
Written February 3, 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.
gleefulexplorer
Freeland, WA168 contributions
Sep 2019
Going through this ship feels like an adventure. To see as much as possible, you have to be comfortable going up and down iron ladders. There is a lot of history and explanatory text on the ship to read to increase understanding about the ship and what things are in there.
Written September 9, 2019
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.
When will the Turner Joy reopen for tours of the ship?
Written June 8, 2020
Schelie H
Poulsbo, Washington
Once our county moves into Stage 3 we are eligible to open. We are currently putting precautions in place to ensure the ship is safe for our visitors and staff once that time comes.
Written June 9, 2020
Some are depending upon the location in the ship. If they are not doing maintenance, most of the engineering spaces will probably be open.
Written October 22, 2017
It is my understanding that summer hours are in effect. That would mean they are open on Sundays.
Written May 17, 2016
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