Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will celebrate their 40th anniversary on Saturday, August 27 by offering a special $2 admission fee – the cost of a ticket in 1976. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the museum will showcase many of the new exhibits and technological upgrades that have been added over the last several years. They also plan to launch a new animation series featuring the USS YORKTOWN’s beloved mascot, Scrappy.
The anniversary celebration will feature a food court and beer garden aboard the USS Yorktown, as well as live entertainment from Pin-Ups For Heroes; a three member group that will perform dozens of hit WWII-era songs. Tickets to the August 27th party can be purchased in person at the event, or online at www.Patriotspoint.org starting August 1. The following are a list of exhibits and specials that will be offered to visitors.
- Life During the Cold War: USS Laffey’s CIC
- USS Laffey Engine Room Exhibit
- Cockpit Access Inside Historic Aircraft
- Vietnam War Reenactors
- Vietnam Experience Phase II (Quonset Hut)
- USS Yorktown Fo’c’sle Tours
- World War II Veteran Meet and Greet
- 15% Off gift shop purchases
“We are inviting the community that has supported us for four decades to come see how the museum has grown and what is planned for the future,” said Executive Director Mac Burdette. “The history of our country is being told here with exhibits built using the latest technology available. Those who haven’t visited Patriots Point in the past few years will be amazed at what they see when they return. There’s a new way to walk in the steps of heroes.”
In addition to showcasing new exhibits, the museum will also unveil a new animation series designed to tell stories of valor and military history through exciting adventures of the Patriots Point mascot, Scrappy. The Adventures of Scrappy: A True American Hero will launch aboard the Yorktown at noon during the anniversary celebration. The first 200 people who attend the launch will each get a special edition DVD of the first episode and can pose for a photo with Scrappy.
Prizes, such as a free group overnight camping trip, free ghost tour, a guided tour below deck in off-tour areas of the Yorktown, and helicopter rides will be announced every 40 minutes throughout the anniversary celebration. The USS YORKTOWN at Patriots Point officially opened to the public on January 3, 1976 to an opening day crowd of 2,601 people. Since then, more than 9.6 million day visitors have toured the museum, a million students have explored its warships and an additional 555,000 campers have spent the night aboard the USS YORKTOWN – sleeping in the same racks as the sailors who once served on her. The USS LAFFEY, the museum’s famed destroyer, and the USS CLAMAGORE, a Cold-War submarine were both added in 1981.
