City: Jacksonville, FL

Category: The Military

Telephone: (912) 882-2782

Address: 102 St. Marys St. West

Description: This museum, open to the pubic, is dedicated to World War II submarines and to all members of the “Silent Service,” past and present. Located in St. Marys, Georgia, near Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, the Submarine Museum is only a 45-minute drive north of Jacksonville. By far, the biggest draw here is the museum’s operational “Type 8” periscope, which rises up through the museum’s roof for a great view of the quaint fishing village of St. Marys. Museum officials say it is the only periscope in the southeast open to the public for general viewing—unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to climb aboard a submarine. There is also an old sonar system console on display as well as the ballast control panel and a ship’s atmosphere control panel. All these panels are from the USS James K. Polk, one of the 41 original Trident submarines, which was decommissioned in 1999. Also of particular interest at the museum are drawings from several 1940s-era submarine training manuals. Crewmembers had to memorize the drawings of various submarine systems and pass a test to be qualified to work aboard a sub. The museum is also very proud of its research library, which contains information on hundreds of submarines worldwide, including foreign subs. There’s also a movie about life aboard a submarine and computer-interactive kiosks with sub information from the present all the way back to the USS Holland, the first submarine recognized by the U.S. Navy. Be sure to stop in at the museum gift shop before you leave, where you can buy a boat patch for just about every submarine from World War II to the present. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday. Admission is $4 for persons ages 19 to 62, $3 for active-duty and retired military and anyone ages 63 to 99, and $2 for children ages 6 to 18. Call in advance for a group tour.