A Visit to USS Hornet with Discounted Tickets

Editor's note: This article by Parke Ballantine originally ran on Patch in May, 2011. We are reintroducing it in case readers would like to learn more about the USS Hornet and take advantage of a Living Social deal, which is offering a 50 percent off admission for two adult and two child admission tickets.

The other day, my son, husband and I were off to the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier in Alameda.  I have to say that this was my husband's idea.  Our son is enthusiastic about World War 2 (WW2) and hubby likes to support his learning.  Not that I don't, of course, but, left on my own I probably wouldn't search out a WWII ship for our weekend adventure.  

My husband did all the driving.  The mystery of where we were going made it fun–he didn’t tell us what the plan was.  We first went to the Lego Store at the Hillsdale mall.  We haven’t really visited many malls other than the close-and-easy Stanford mall–so our son and I had no idea that there was such a thing as a Lego Store, or .  We ooo-ed and ahhh-ed over all the many Lego sets, until we got thirsty and headed back to our water bottles in the car. 

Then it was off to Alameda by way of the Bay Bridge. As an aside: “Whoa! Does that bridge make me nervous!”  All those precautionary words from the local news anchors about the S-curves, cracks in the cement, and the tight feeling on the lower deck? I was a bridge-crossing, back-seat driver. 

"Watch out for the S-curves!" I exclaimed. "Go slowly across the bridge." Then, "Stay in this lane and don't move."  At the other side of the console, my husband was probably just as relieved as me to be off the bridge. 

The Ship

Much to my surprise CV12 Hornet (the 8th US ship to have that name) turned out to be a lot of fun.  (There are beautiful views of San Francisco across the water.)  The ship was launched during WWII in August 1943.  Its aircraft played a role in the critical naval battle known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot," the Battle for Leyte Gulf, which was the largest during WWII, and helped sink the great Japanese battleship Yamato.  But, possibly the neatest thing about the USS Hornet it was the ship that picked up Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins as they splashed home in their Apollo 11 capsule. 

There is a nice Apollo exhibit on board.  The first footsteps made by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are painted on the hanger deck to commemorate their first steps back on earth after walking on the moon.  The USS Hornet museum also has the Airstream the three astronauts where quarantined in for three days after arriving back on earth.  It seemed to me the Airstream, though small for three men for three days, must have been spacious compared with the capsule, service module and LM of the Apollo mission. 

There are three decks that you get to tour on the Hornet plus the "Island" that stands up above the flight deck.  We started with the hanger deck which is where you enter and pay.  The hanger deck was the place where all the planes would have been kept and worked on during war.  Now it is open and spacious with a few aircraft to look at.  For me the most interesting aircraft was a helicopter that picked up astronauts after five missions.  While warplanes might have symbols counting out the number of planes or ships they had hit, this SH-3H Sea King had the five capsules symbols painted on it's side.  (If anyone remembers the last scene of Apollo 13 where Tom Hanks steps off a helicopter to shake the hand of the admiral on the deck of aircraft carrier (not the USS Hornet because it was the recovery ship of Apollo 11 and 12) it was this same helicopter in the movie.) 

Next we went up to the flight deck, which was a bit intense.  It was a wide expanse with a railing going around the whole deck but still you get the sense that you are high about the water with very little keeping you from being blown off.  The flight deck had great views of the mountains and cities that circle the bay.  The flight deck was concerning for our son as well.  And the idea of going even higher up into the island where the navigation bridge and flight control where held was too much for him.  He felt safer down in the body of the ship so went down to tour the second deck which is below the hanger deck. 

The second deck was where you could imagine what life aboard a ship was like, with cramped quarters, no windows and everything smelling a little of oil.  We had a good glimpse of the life of a pilot watching launch and landing movies in a “ready room” with reclining chairs which still work.  And, in the rooms for living, working and eating there are also exhibits of some of the other Navy ships such as other carriers in the the “Essex Class” (Hornet was the 4th built).   

We finished the day by going up to Berkeley to outlet. Then we walked up the street to where we had great food in a kid-friendly environment.  

Basics:

Location: 707 W. Hornet Ave., Alameda, CA 94501

Cost: $15 for adults, $6 for kids

Parking: Free 

Food: A small “galley” on the hanger deck with burgers, hot dogs, chips, soda and candy 

More information on the day:

The website for the USS Hornet Museum.

More information on the Hornet.

More information about the Lego store in Hillsdale Shopping Center

Jimmy Beans A kid friendly place to eat in Berkeley with good food served in generous portions.

A great place to get all things "North Face" at deep discounts.

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

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