USS Hornet Museum

The USS Hornet Museum is a museum ship, located on the southernmost pier of the former Naval Air Station Alameda in Alameda, California, US.

USS Hornet (CVS-12) (Aircraft Carrier)
USS Hornet docked in Alameda
NRHP reference No.91002065
CHL No.1029[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 4, 1991[2]
Designated NHLDecember 4, 1991[3]
Preserved F-14 on deck, February 2009

The museum is composed of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, exhibits from the NASA Apollo Moon exploration missions, and several retired aircraft from the Second World War and the transonic and early supersonic jet propulsion period. A number of compartments contain exhibits concerning contemporary carriers that are supported by related associations. The flight deck, hangar deck, and first deck below are open for self-guided tours. Docent-led tours are available into the ship's navigation and flight deck control areas of the island and down into one of the engineering spaces containing two of the four ship's propulsion turbines.

Mission statement

Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation preserves and honors the legacy of USS Hornet, a national historic landmark,[4] and its role in naval aviation, the defense of our country, the Apollo Program, and exploration of space. The USS Hornet Museum connects the greatest generation of Americans with future generations, educating and inspiring them to meet their challenges.

Opening ceremony

The USS Hornet Museum officially opened to the public on October 17, 1998. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin was the principal speaker. Attending dignitaries included Congresswoman Barbara Lee; Honorable Jerry Brown – Mayor-elect of Oakland; Honorable Ralph Appezzatto – Mayor of Alameda; General Richard Hearney – Vice President for Domestic Business Development, Boeing Company; and Rear Admiral Robert Chaplin – Superintendent, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.[5]

Aircraft on display

The USS Hornet Museum has a number of aircraft on display including propeller aircraft, jet aircraft, and rotorcrafts. The aircraft are from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Museum guests can get up-close to the aircraft displayed on the flight deck and on the hangar deck. Aircraft are sometimes moved between decks utilizing the ship's #1 aircraft elevator. Exhibit highlights include:

<https://www.uss-hornet.org/visit-hornet/exhibits/aircraft>

Apollo splashdown display

USS Hornet was selected in 1969 to serve as the Prime Recovery Ship (PRS) for the Apollo 11 Moon mission. Hornet led the recovery of the first astronauts to land on the Moon following their splashdown back on Earth. Four months later, Hornet recovered the all-Navy crew of Apollo 12. The USS Hornet Museum has the largest Apollo Program exhibit on the West Coast of the United States. Artifacts on display include:

Tours

The ship is mostly self-guided. A tour map is available at the admissions desk and museum docents are available throughout the ship to answer questions and lead special tours. A short video on the history of the ship is shown in the orientation area.

Overnight programs

The USS Hornet Museum offers a Live-Aboard Program that is available to any organized youth group or family. Guests can experience the life of a sailor by touring the ship at night, eating in the crew's mess, and sleeping in the berthing compartments (bunks).

  • The island
  • Flight deck and the island
  • Flight deck, with San Francisco in the background
  • Hangar deck
  • Hangar deck
  • Apollo Command Module CM-011A for AS-202 mission
  • A steam turbine in the engine room
  • Control panel in the engine room
  • Enlisted berthing
  • Marines' head (term for bathroom)
  • Passageway on the second deck
  • Pharmacy
  • Mess deck

See also

References
  1. "USS Hornet". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. "USS Hornet (Cvs-12) (Aircraft Carrier)". National Historic Landmark summary listing (where year designated appears as 1992, believe to be incorrect). National Park Service. September 28, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
  4. http://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/CA.pdf List of National Historic Landmarks located in California
  5. Opening Ceremony program
  6. "PERMANENT EXHIBITS". USS Hornet museum. Retrieved October 22, 2016. the Apollo Command Module – CM-011. It was used for the uncrewed mission AS-202 on August 26, 1966
  • Official page USS Hornet Museum and Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation
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