We went to visit the USS Midway during our visit to San Diego. It was named after the Battle of Midway. It was commissioned in 1945 and served through Desert Storm. The ship was decommissioned in 1992 in San Diego. In 2004 the ship opened as a museum for all to enjoy.
Here are some fun facts about the USS Midway. In 1945 it was the largest ship in the world. The ship held 4500 crewmembers. They served the crewmembers 13,500 meals daily including 500 pies for dessert. With that many people on board, they did 43000 pounds of laundry weekly. The ship was 212,000 horsepower and consumed 3.4 million gallons of fuel. There are 18 decks and the ship measures 1,001 feet long.
One of the coolest things we got to see on the trip was the Island Tour which lasted thirty minutes. The tours are led by volunteers. During the Island Tour, you got to see the operations of the ship. This is where they viewed the planes taking off, where navigation occurred and where the captain sits. It was a really neat experience. You need to try and do this first since the line gets long later in the day. It is included in your ticket price. One of the things to know is that you have to climb up and down 4 flights of a ladder to see everything. It is not a huge deal but if you are afraid of heights or confined spaces this tour might not be for you.
You can explore lots of ship areas including laundry, the engine room, and the sickbay. My favorite area was the kitchen area. I thought it was really cool to see the place where they prepared 13,500 meals daily. They also had a cookbook that showed some of the types of food they ate. Did someone say Tuna Noodle Casserole?
We spent three hours there and could have spent more time. There is a parking deck and metered parking right next to the ship. If you find yourself in San Diego make sure to add the USS Midway to your list. 
