USS Silversides Submarine Museum Reviews

Very informational museum. Loved the history about the Navy and the United States. Lots of hands on stuff for the kids to interact with. I did not go into the sub itself, a little claustrophobia issue, but the kids enjoyed it and so did my sister and brother

My wife happened to find this as she was looking for things to do. If you are an ASTC member, you get into the museum for free and get discounted rates for touring the boats. Our family thoroughly enjoyed this. Very interesting piece of history here in Michigan.

A place to learn and appreciate those who fight for freedom. Outstanding museum. So fun and interesting to tour submarine.

We enjoyed walking thru the USS Silversides and the museum was very nice. You should def check this out... there is something for everyone.

A lovely museum with a great story. An American captured by the Germans who escaped and fought with the Russians. The sub visit was excellent, a real slice of life in WWII.

Very well laid out with lots of information but not to the point of being overwhelmed.
Tied the submarine to the war and kept it interesting. Been to many WWII museums
Enjoyed this one the most by far.

Not a cheap entrance fee, but worth it given the 3-in-1 attraction - and a small price to pay for preserving history.
Part 1 - museum of all things submarine. Interactive and plenty of exhibits.
Part 2 - tour of USS Silversides. A close up view of the harsh living conditions experienced by those onboard.
Part 3 - tour of US Coast Guard Cutter McLane.
We didn't have a guided tour of the vessels but it was very interesting nonetheless.

Ok, confession first - I am a US Navy veteran and longtime admirer of our WWII submarine force, though I served on surface warships. For me to walk the decks of Creed Burlingame's sub was quite a thrill. That said, the sub is in need of hull restoration. She has a 1-2 degree list, at least when I was aboard. They are trying to raise funds to have her drydocked, so please contribute what you can. Overall, as a museum sub, this one is great. The folks who operate the museum do a great job keeping her looking fit. Lots of information on signs throughout the boat. There's even a "cutie" in the aft torpedo room. The attached museum is very nice as well. I was disappointed that there were no t-shirts in the gift shop, other than ones that said "I slept on board USS Silversides". Maybe they were out.

Tour the 2 ships and inside the museum. the sub is not as difficult as we imagined it would be. Most people will be able to do that. Lots of info on the war and the ships that actually accomplished much. Admission gives you choice of just the museum or with the ships

The facility consists of a 100 year old coast Guard Cutter, the WW2 submarine and a museum building containing quite a bit of naval history. I would advise you to watch the sub walk-through movie before walking through the sub. The sub itself does not have a lot of explanatory signage, so the movie s a big help in interpreting what you will see inside.

My boyfriend and I visited recently and were pleasantly surprised by how much we learned at this museum. We spent about an hour looking at the exhibits inside the museum before heading over to the submarine. We actually had to get off of the submarine and go to the Coast Guard ship and then back into the museum because there was a tour on the submarine. They give you a booklet that has a ton of information about it, so you can easily learn a lot without the tour.

While we learned a lot, we were a bit disappointed by the lack of editing/care on some of the displays. A few sections had dark lettering over dark pictures and obvious typos (Jananuary). Also, the tour of the submarine started half an hour before we got on the submarine and was only in the first chamber when we tried to go through it. It ended up taking over an hour, and the submarine is too tiny to be able to cut through the tour, so we had to kill some time before we could actually get on.

This place has really changed and become a very nice place to visit over the last number of years. It is a bit pricey, but I feel it was worth it. You can self tour, or go with a guide. The inside had lots of interesting things to read / watch / and do. The sub is always fun to go in. (not for the claustrophobic!) Its amazing to see the history, and how people lived in these quarters. The coast guard ship was nice too.

This is a must see if you're at all interested in what life on a sub was like. Our tour guide was energetic and knowledgeable, willing to entertain all questions. It gave me a deep (pun intended) appreciation of what our sailors endured to serve our country.

We came over Lake Michigan on the Lake Express from Milwaukee and this was our first stop. Excellent facility. Friendly and helpful staff. Great tour of a historic submarine that was so active in WWII! You really come to learn and appreciate about the crew and what they did and how they lived. The submarine tour is awesome and the museum is filled with history, stories and exceptional visuals. If you are in Muskegon, you should definitely visit and honor this historic attraction.

Very nice small museum on the Muskegon Channel. The Silverside submarine is lots of fun to tour. The museum has fun things for the kids to play with.

We enjoyed being at the Marina and walking on the ship and the submarine. My father was in the Navy during WW11. My teenage grandchildren learned things they didn't realize. Not only a learning experience, but a great family outing. A Must See.

A great tour of a USS Submarine, US coast Guard cutter, and marine museum. The museum has many artifacts for WW2. A good visit with small crowds. Both self and guided tours avail for a low price of $15.

This is a great Museum and Tour of Silversides! The hands on tour of the Sub gave the sights and smells of a real wwII submarine. Guide was very informative with plenty of back stories. You get to see the Torpedo room, control room, berths, engines (which really run still monthly in the summer!), galley. You crouch thru hatches and climb ladders and see the HoneymoonSuite. The Museum is extensive with special displays. A great way to spend couple hours.

While escaping the Wilmington, NC hurricane Florence and visiting my fiancee while he was working in Michigan, my fiancee took me to see the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. The indoor museum had a lot of history and a lot of visual information to absorb. The self guided tour of the submarine was, for me, beyond a dream come true! Being able to walk through the submarine gave me a clear view of how the Navy men during the war would have had to live their lives on the sub ins such tight quarters and under such pressure of the war.

Not only can you wander the museum, the submarine, but you can also walk through a Prohibition Era Coast Guard Cutter. If you are a history buff like myself, this is definitely a must see! You could easily spend half a day or more just wandering and absorbing the visual history of the three locations.

very interesting, i had never been on a sub before, the guides were very friendly and informative. They answered all my questions.

We did the tour with our boy scout troop. Tour guide was very informative. He made it interesting and easy to understand for the different age groups participating.

The museum has a good history of world war 2. I like the periscope view. The submarine visit was also intriguing especially looking at the right places sailors had to navigate through!! It took us about hour and a half to go through both as we did not read a lot of stuff.

You get to see a LOT of what submarine life was like in the exhibits as well as the tour of the actual sub.

This will show you how close quarters submariners lived in during WWII.

Awesome tour and the tour guide really can make it come alive.

Good historical attraction! Go into the sub and probably you won't forget it. The veteran volunteers are insightful and most helpful.

Our family visited this site on Vacation. The museum is very informational with some interactive displays and a video. The tour of the sub was interesting and the docent was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. This is a great attraction to see.

Really interesting submarine. In excellent condition. Museum is a must-see as well, full of lots of WWII information and other submarine information. Highly recommend!

We toured this museum last minute and am so glad we did. It's self-guided, but there's lots to explore! It was very hot the day we visited and made us a bit more aware of how the soldiers and sailors must have felt on hot days! The museum volunteers were very polite and helpful, too!

I arrived a little early so I looked the sub up and down and the outside displays. Other than it needs a waterline paint job I was impressed. There were many displays in the museum. I tried to take it all in and watch the videos of WWII. The most of the displays were in chronological order. I was impressed and spent over 2hours looking at everything, no one was rushing me. The lines on the floor guided me along and finally to the Silversides it self for a self guided tour. I took a lot of pictures to show with some submariner friends to help me further understand what I was seeing. A Docent walked me thru some of the Sub and explained many thing. I spent at least 2 hours on it.
Among the things I learned was I could have never been posted to a Sub. God bless the officers and crew that could put up with the rigors of submarine life.

Very informative, a lot to see outside the actual Sub. Tons of history here, Vet accounts, stories and a library full for historical books. Limited time cut our visit short, but you could speed days reading thru all the info this places has. We had an hour which was enough time to walk the sub portion and skim thru the rest. Must see if you passing thru or have the time to read thru the real account written by our Vets.

The submarine guided tour was excellent, our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. Tour was about 1.5 hours. The museum was not of much interest to us but might be to some.

Interesting WW II submarine that is open for tours plus some other historical materials to observe. Good place to visit on a rainy summer day.

Lots to see and do for everyone. The displays are informative, some are hands-on. It was great to visit the submarine and the coast guard boat, an add on, but worth it.

We had visited the USS Silversides years ago before the addition of the museum and enjoyed touring the submarine. The museum is a definite added bonus with many more exhibits to see and things to read than we had time for...especially with a 7 year old. Teenagers and adults would get more out of all the WW2 exhibits. Both kids and adults will enjoy looking through the periscope that has a view of outside the museum. My granddaughter really loved going on the submarine. It is a self guided, although sometimes there is a volunteer available to do a tour. Behind the sub is a Coast Guard ship,however, due to the heat...90°...we were not able to tour the ship. The only reason I didn't rate 5 stars was the admission cost is a little high. If you are in the area don't miss this! How many people can actually say they have been aboard a submarine???

Take a tour and get transported back in history. The park near the sub is great also. Plan a picnic and swim in lake Michigan. Watch the boats come through the channel. Careful, the boy scouts that spend the night say it is haunted.

Great location. A must see for history. I’m glad I made the effort to check it out. There is a lot of information and photos- I enjoyed my visit

The museum is in three parts -- the USS Silversides submarine, the USS Mclain Coast Guard cutter, and a two-story museum of the Silversides, submarines in general and World War II, including a 45-minute video about the actions of a different submarine in World War II. We had a guided tour of the Silversides itself that lasted about 45 minutes and was led by a former submariner. You don't need to take the tour -- you can wander (if that's the right term, given the confines of a submarine) through the sub on your own if you want. The sub is not handicapped accessible -- short but steep ladders and the watertight doors are small but, after the first few, you get the hang of it. The Mclain is docked right next to the Silversides and you do that on your own. The museum is quite informative, with lots of detailed, explanatory displays. Kids can go hands-on with the mounted deck guns and a working periscope (the deck guns don't work -- to the disappointment of our grandkids). We were there for almost three hours and, if we didn't have the kids, would have probably stayed longer looking at the displays. A first-class attraction.

It appears that there is a continuous Groupon offer for the museum and it would be worth your while to check for it -- we saved about 40% on the admission by using the Groupon.

What a surprise find! This museum was an unexpected find on our vacation to Michigan and was worth the visit. We are all history buffs and and it had something for everyone. We visited with our 9 and 15 yr-olds and spent about 2-1/2 hours touring the sub, the CG cutter, and on-site museum. Great storyboards, good hands-on displays, and interesting local information. The gift-shop disappointedly did not have a model of a WWII sub for purchase but it had a great book selection and was nicely stocked. Keep our history alive by including this wonderful museum on your visit to the area!

This museum exceeded our expectations. We were lucky to visit on the weekend and receive a guided tour of the submarine buy a submarine veteran. He spent over an hour showing us the boat, describing its history, and explaining the various equipment. The museum building itself is spacious and well designed, with tons of displays and information about world war II. We didn't even get to the top floor. For food nearby, we recommend Dockers restaurant just down the street.

A two story museum with a lot of pictures and words telling a story. It is well laid out for what they have. They don't have a lot of artifacts, but what they do have is very nice. Next to the building is the Uss Silverside Submarine. It is amazing the complexity of the old hardware to run a boat underwater in WWII. It is not made for someone over 6'. The regular spaces are fine. The hatches between sections are murder. Still in the end it was worth it. The submarine is a must see. They also have an old Coast Guard Cutter you can explore.

Service was excellent and the museum is worth the $15 entrance fee. Overall a 4 star experience. Would I return? Yes.

Right around the corner from the Pere. It was nice to see the big Submarine. but we didn't go on it. ($15 per person to go on it) we chose to just look from the out side. They had ships hall/gun thing for the kids to play on to.

How interesting to be able to walk through a submarine. Learned a lot of information. Nicely set up for a tour.

The museum is very interesting to visit. My kids enjoyed at as much as my in-laws did. We enjoyed the personal stories about various sailors and local soldiers.

My only gripe is that I'm a member of Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, which is part of a consortium of museums that allow free entry into museums all around the country. It's a great deal. However, at the Silversides, you only get into the museum and not onto the sub or coast guard cutter. That was paid separately, and the cost was much higher to see the sub than the cost of the museum itself. I ended up spending a lot more than I was expecting.

They saved the ship from the scrap yard, Nice piece of history. It has been in Muskegon for many years if you like WW2 history you have to stop and see this.

Our family of four, including our teen son and daughter, really enjoyed walking through the sub. It just kept going and going! We could almost put ourselves back in history.

The museum itself is pretty basic but the submarine, along with the walk-through of the Coast Guard boat, were worth the price of admission.

Visiting family Chesterton, IN we all decided the long drive (2.5 hours one way) would probably be worth the effort to experience a unigue piece of US history.

We were not disappointed; however I would allow at least 2-3 hours to fully enjoy the experience. I was a bit disappointed in the labeling of some of the exhibits (small print, hard to read, poor lighting), but the museum is heavily dependent on volunteers and donations to keep an incredible piece of American made machinery in tip top shape.

We arrived just in time for a tour of the submarine. Our young grandchildren were bored with all the details from the tour guide. If you have young ones skip the tour and explore by yourself at your own pace. You can also go on a Coast Guard boat. Museum had a lot of interesting displays. Nice gift shop. Friendly staff. Good for a rainy day or if you have had too much fun in the sun! It is cool that you can actually go on a submarine from World War II. Interesting markings on the outside showing how many boats they sank or damaged.

I drove the family across Michigan to see it. It is an amazing site! First tour the museum, which is well done with many hands on exhibits. Then there are guided and self guided tours of the sub. A pure wonder how those heroes function and thrived in that vessel. Lastly, the Prohibition-Era Coast Guard Cutter McLane; gem in its own rite.

We thought, when buying our ticket, that this was a sel- guided tour. Once we were in the sub, the crowd began to back up. We spent 15 minutes in a room with a few bunks because the people ahead of us weren't moving. We found out toward the end of our "journey" that there was a guided tour in front of us with a long- winded guide. Everyone in the rooms we were in became extremely frustrated because we were a standstill most of the time. If everyone had been allowed to go through at his/her own pace, it wouldn't been much more enjoyable. The sub itself and the history there was quite interesting.

We decided to visit here during our vacation when it was raining pretty bad. You are able to go in both the submarine and a coastguard ship. My wife is 7 months pregnant and was able to go in and out of all the places in the submarine. I would not bring a toddler, older kids would enjoy the museum more than smaller ones. Over all a good 90 minute visit, is one of the better museums we have visited.

My husband and I went on a tour of the submarine with one of the docents, and we still learned a lot even though we have been on a few other submarine tours. The tour lasted for about an hour, so go to the bathroom first and bring a bottle of water! Afterwards, we toured a Coast Guard boat on our own and then went to the museum. If you are interested in WWII, you will enjoy this museum. I especially like the very detailed timeline of the entire war.

Amazing and educational and all around great museum! Our family enjoyed it greatly and highly recommend this museum. It was very interesting seeing history hands on.

We took a very informative tour of the sub and then explored the rest of the museum. Our guide was great, he explained everything and even sounded off the different noises that go with subs. Definitely worth a stop.

We decided on a whim to stop here during our trip to Muskegon and I am so glad we did. There was tons of interesting things to see. I definitely recommend paying the extra money to tour the submarine. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and we both really enjoyed the tour!

Wonderful exhibit showcasing our nations nautical history. Getting onboard was so amazing and the exibits inside are so well done.

I am pretty clausterphobic and afraid of ladders so I was very nervous about being in a ship underwater and climbing through portholes, it was worth it! You don't need to be athletic to move throughout the ship easily. It is impressive to be in a place where 70+ soldiers would have lived at sea during the war.
We came in the off season so there was only one other group touring the museum and ship at the same time as us. This is a fantastic place to go, especially if you are interested in WW2 history or submarines. I am not really interested in either, but it was still GREAT! and my boyfriend who loves this stuff was over the moon. The exhibits throughout the museum are interesting and there are so many real artifacts to look at. The front desk worker was friendly and offered a great lunch spot suggestion.

How often to you get this kind of access to a ww2 era submarine? Never unless you are in the silversides. This sub was one of the most decorated in ww2. I have gone a couple of times and the guides are great. I have not been during covid but the signs say they are open.

This is a World War II submarine, one with tons of history. If you haven't been on a sub, realizing how they lived, how small, how stifling, it is a must. It is also fun though there is a bit of climbing and effort involved. I have been several times and enjoy it as much each time.

They have a smaller museum that was nice. However, it was really neat getting to walk through the USS Silversides and the USCG clipper. For the submarine we had an ex-mariner that gave a group a tour. The tour was really informative and it was nice to hear his stories. The clipper was self-guided, but it was also neat to see as you were able to access several parts of the ship.

I highly recommend this. Also, check out the LST (landing ship - tank) 393 tour - it is amazing as well and also located in Muskegon.

This is a must for anyone in 100 miles! You can learn so much about history and the conditions our soldier endured during WWII to keep us safe.

The kids all ages loved the submarine tour, they loved the history of it and enjoyed all the i go they learned from the museum part. Recommend to everyone

Always have a good time when we visit, very knowledgeable guide. Plan to spend at least 2 or 3 hours when you go to see all of the exhibits and tour inside the sub and the Coast Guard cutter.

I brought my 16 year old Grandson to this exhibit. Absolutely fantastic staff that was so helpful and informative! Highly recommended. Wear good shoes to get on and off the submarine and other vessels. September was a good time to visit. Light jacket or sweatshirt is recommended. It gets windy and chilly by Lake Michigan.

We visited the museum on our way back from the beach. We hadn't planned on going, but we saw it and it looked interesting. They have an extensive indoor history exhibit to World War II. To do this honors and with respect, you'd need to dedicate a couple of hours to meander through the two stories of exhibits and artifacts. The museum tour can be purchased separately from the submarine tour if someone in your party cannot handle the submarine.
The submarine tour was excellent. While we did go on a self-guided tour, things were well labeled and we were able to see so many parts of the vessel. Rooms were not blocked off like other tours that I've been on. I felt more like I was a part of the ship than the removed feeling that I can get on other tours. While I'm not the big history buff, my husband is and he greatly enjoyed the experience. My mother stayed in the museum and I'm glad that she did. If you have trouble with balance or mobility, you might want to sit this one out. The stairs are narrow and steep. You probably won't feel claustrophobic, but you will have to step through the port hole doors. I have troubles with tight spaces and heights, but none of it was troubling to me.

The Silversides Submarine and Museum and a WWII era Coast Guard ship are all included in the price. We got there at around 4:00 p.m. and it closes at 5:30. The ticket salesperson thought that would be plenty of time, but we tend to really spend a lot of time reading in museums and our tour guide was quite thorough. So, the facility was ready after we basically just got the tour of the sub and about 1/2 the museum. We ended up going back the next day and they allowed us to finish the museum and the coast guard ship. The tour of the submarine does not cost extra and is well worth the extra time to learn about life aboard and the workings of the submarine. It is well worth a visit.

USS Silversides is docked in Muskegon Channel so you have spectacular views of all the boaters coming into Muskegon Lake and going out to Lake Michigan. We did a tour of the submarine, which was very interesting. They had the Boy Scouts spend the night, the day before, so overnight parties are available. They have a nice museum.

Went to visit on a rainy day. Cool stuff to see but expensive for what you get. No "tour guide" on the submarine. So you just walk around and read the signs....

We stopped off at this museum whilst en-route to Traverse City. The USS Silversides is a WWII submarine that fought with great success against the Japanese. The ticket price includes entry to the submarine (self-guided or with a tour), a self-guided visit to a US coast guard cutter and entry to the museum. We skipped the cutter because we still had a way to travel but easily spent a couple of hours on the sub and in the museum. My husband, our three sons (12, 10 and 6) and I all hugely enjoyed the visit. I would recommend taking the tour of the submarine, rather than self-guide, as we learned a lot of fascinating things. The museum focuses largely on the war between the US and Japan as the Silversides was deployed in the Pacific. Living in England, our war was with nazi Germany, so it was very interesting to learn more about the war in the Pacific. In short, I'd happily recommend this museum for a visit.

What a wonderful piece of history! Really enjoyed touring the USS Silverside. And the museum contains authentic pieces from that era and great educational information.Really gives you a humbling appreciation for the sacrifices our military makes for our freedom! A must see

I will preface this to say that we are biased in that my wife's grandfather served on the silversides in WWII. that being said, it was great experience and a great museum. The exhibits and tour captured life on a sub and had a great deal of information to give about the history of the sub and it's crew. the night spent aboard was the icing on the cake. Kudos to the staff including Scott and T.J. and the others. highly recommended, especially if you are looking for something a little different to do.

My wife and I toured the submarine with our nine-year-old and our 11-year-old it was excellent. You probably need two hours to cover the inside museum and maybe another hour to look through the sub and the Mclane Coast Gaurd Cutter if you going take your time. It cost us $50 for everything but it was completely worth it we may even go back.

Enjoyed touring the Silverside and the Coast Guard ships. Very informative visit. In the museum building they have a working periscope that goes to the roof top and you can see all around the area!

This museum chronicles the US Navy and it's involvement in WWII. The displays and videos are informative- a great tribute to our veterans. The submarine and Coast Guard cutter are docked and available for tours. Our college aged kids really enjoyed this. Our grade schooler even learned a few things.

Wonderful, educational experience. The museum was exceptional. Would highly recommend for individuals and school groups alike.

Quality gem! Some amazing stories about local heros this memorial museum. Strong displays and videos.

Really enjoyed this place. Great learning experience. Especially liked the pow display. The video of the sub crew was very interesting.

As a Navy Veteran, this was an attraction made for me. You enter the near the bow and travel from watertight compartment to the next and so on. The doors between compartments are about 15 inches from the deck and about five feet high. So unless you are really short, it is contortion city moving about the sub. You can see and touch just about everything on the sub. They ask you not to though. Everything except the conning tower is open. Nice piece of history. Part of your admission covers the nearby Coast Guard Cutter McLane. She is 125 feet in length and is also nearly totally accessible for people able to climb ladders. Tight quarters on her also.

Great walk back in history. Go on a sunny warm day. Ware comfy shoes and athletic clothes. Watch some WW11 sub movies first. Das Boot, in German, is one that comes to mind. On You tube there are numerous Silversides videos. I like the Slant cake video by the Mustang Chef, he bakes on the sub!
We went with a bunch of guys, had a blast on the sub.

We took our two kids to visit. The hubby had been there before, having spent the night with our son's cub scout pack. It's awesome to view a sub from all over the inside. Our kids were able to test out bunks and move equipment.

We recently took our two kids, 4 and 7, to visit the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. My Father-in-law is a navy veteran who served on a sub and has told us all so many stories, it was pretty surreal to tour a submarine and see everything in person.
I thought the kids would be bored and antsy, but they loved it. They were very fascinated and wanted to learn everything they could. The museum itself is surprisingly nice too. Not too big, but a lot of information in there and they make it fun to read/learn.
I'm so glad we went and I'd encourage anybody on the fence to go for sure.

You must stop in and visit this. Our guide was actually on this sub and he gave a very informative tour. He is not always there so check times. Otherwise you just go through in yourself, which isn't as exciting.

Our family had a free day and decided to visit the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. My kids, 8 and 10, loved going down into the submarine and also visiting the Coast Guard cutter next to it. The museum was also very informative about the dangers of serving in a submarine. And, the video and personal testimonies in the display cases added to the experience. This is a worthwhile stop for those visiting the area.

Wonferful place for a good date with a history nerd like my partner & I.

Highly recommend for those with WWII or nautical/aerospace interests.

Has a wonderful setup and easy to understand guides.

Checking out the submarine & cutter was so much fun! I recommend buying the tickets to see those if you go!

Looked interesting but didn't want to spend the money to get inside. Just enjoyed looking on the outside.

Take the time to see the museum and walk through this WWII submarine. What a hostory lesson. Incredibly valuable experience.

What a Great find! This was such an interesting museum. Lot's of WWII history stories about the men and the war. The sub is fascinating to tour, especially with a guide. You can easily spend and entire day there, exploring it all.

The museum and tour were very interesting. However, the tour guide needs improvement. There were a lot of things that he didn’t know and more often than not, he would start talking about himself. We thought the tour would be around an hour. After 90 minutes we weren’t close to being done and we had to leave to go to another place. So, need to get the guide brushes up on things more and not add time to the tour by telling personal stories and other things that don’t relate to the tour.

Great place to,spend your time and money. The sub tour is amazing and some good exercise to boot. The museum has a lot more stuff to see and do than I had anticipated. A hands on place for sure. There are two videos to view, too. Plan enough time, especially for the museum. Not a cheap place to visit but worth it.

Even though I am claustrophobic, I would recommend this to any history buffs. It’s truly eye-opening to imagine how those who served on this “underwater city” adapted to such a “compact” lifestyle!

The museum itself is fine. It has some neat stuff about submarines and WWII and I enjoyed most of it. There were a couple "special" displays that didn't add too much to the exhibit, but they weren't bad either.

The center piece is certainly the sub itself. It's been well kept, has lots of great information and shows just enough to really enjoy it, without it taking too long or being overwhelming. The coast guard cutter has a couple neat rooms, but overall isn't in as great of shape and wasn't as enjoyable.

We toured with a range of people, a 2 1/2 year old up to 60 years old, and all really enjoyed it.

I did feel like the price was a bit steep, but not unreasonable.

Very interesting to see the museum and be able to walk through a 300 foot submarine. Watch the short movie before going on the submarine.

Amazing experience. Definitely take tickets to see the sub and cutter. Great for kids above 8. Museum is great too. Very informative.

Very popular with the Boy, club and Girl Scouts for trips. Also popular for school trips. Historic Submarine. Beautiful location. A must see when visiting Muskegon.

Affordable and enjoyable slice of history. I had the entire museum to myself and was amazed by the amount of historical artifacts and accounts from the era. The sub and cutter were lovingly maintained and really gives us a look into that time and place in history.

This little sub is excellently preserved and well worth the visit. She sunk a ton of Japanese ships during WWII, but is most famous for being the first US warship to sink a Japanese warship as just after Pearl Harbor she sank a Japanese gunboat. She may also have sunk a Japanese submarine as she engaged and hit, but unknown if sunk, one on 13 MAY 1942.

She also engaged the enemy while 'flying their flag' as just prior to engaging a convoy her periscope became entangled with some fishing nets that had Japanese flags up on bamboo poles so she drug them into combat...

The tour was very informative and my wife who is normally a bit claustrophobic had no issues as it was so fun that she didn't even think about the tight confines. I'm 6'5" and made it through the tight bulkheads, so you can as well I'm sure.

There is also a really neat little retired Coast Guard cutter here, named the McLane that was the only USCG ship to sink a u-boat in WWII.

This experience was eye-opening as to how primitive conditions were on the WW2 submarines. They weren't called "pig boats" for no reason. Between close quarters, poor sanitation, being on "high alert" all the time and the possibility of no fresh air or not seeing daylight for up to 50 days sounds like a nightmare to me! Evidently Navy recruits signed up for the prestige, great food and luxurious 2 week vacations. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.

The Silversides was one of the most successful and lucky boats of WWII (she only lost one Sailor during her wartime service). The museum is an excellent overview of submarine warfare, and the Silversides is an very well maintained boat. In fact, two of the diesel engines still work and the Silversides staff have fun making the Coast Guard nervous when they light them off every spring and send large puffs of smoke into the air. Take a guided tour of the sub; you'll be amazed how much you learn, both about the war, and about submarine life.

The USS Silversides is a submarine from WWII. You can go inside the submarine on a guided tour. It is located in Muskegon Channel on the south side, near Pere Marquette Park. The museum is right next to the submarine and is very interesting...it tells all about the involvement in WWII and beyond. This is definitely worth seeing! There are many great displays, and also stories of men and women that were involved in our naval history. Don't miss this chance to see a great museum and tour an actual submarine!

It was a great experience! They also had a great museum. Super friendly staff
And wonderful gift shop

Great self guided tour of a museum, submarine and coast guard boat. What a great piece of history. The inside of the sub is tiny though, so if you have difficulty getting into small spaces, climbing over things, or going backwards down tiny staircases, I'd avoid it and just hang at the museum. Still worth the trip though because the museum has tons of interesting stuff.

Scott led a great program for our scouts!! Very informative and the boys loved building the ROVs and learning about how submarines work. The museum was awesome and well laid out! Submarine tour was fun and sleeping on the submarine was a neat experience though was very hot! Highly recommend this place!

This museum was a great part of our trip. We were traveling with our 20 something age sons. The museum itself has strong exhibits of all branches, genders, and races of WWll service people. The submarine itself was impactful for even my veteran husband to witness, even after we have toured other subs in the past. Definitely a worthwhile activity for a Muskegon stay.

You can tour a submarine that was active in WW2 (World War 2) and also examine the museum that contain many artifacts & articles from WW2. There is a guided tour of the sub on most days, or proceed at your own speed; and also examine the museum. Don't miss the working periscope that extends through the museum roof, that was our personal highlight.

Although there was a Groupon available, due to mobility issues, we decided to just take a peek in the gift shop and the exterior of the boats. We spend about 20 minutes reading placards and looking around. If you have more time and want to invest, it looks like it would be a good time.

We stopped here on the way home to the Detroit area after a weekend trip to a nearby Boy Scout camp. Our Venture Crew (14-18 year old Scouts) requested this as our Sunday activity. They really got into the history connected to the sub. We spent a lot of time discussing what life would be like in close quarters for an extended period of time. We had discussed coming back to spend a night on the sub, but the time spent in the cramped quarters may have changed a few votes. We had recently spent a night on the USS Edson in Bay City and the Scouts expected pretty much the same conditions on the sub. They no longer have those same perceptions. But they do have a truly healthy appreciation for real life on a WWII era submarine.

We loved going in the USS Silversides. We went mid-March and were the only people touring the submarine. They let us go in by ourselves and we could stay as long as we wanted. Awesome experience. Kind of creepy, kind of cool. Hard not to think about what those soldiers endured for our freedom. Not for people who are claustrophobic. Worth every penny.

Museum is very nice and interesting and worth the price. Lines are not long and a lot of information and history. Well worth it!

While on vacation in Grand Haven we decided to visit this submarine and museum on a day that was too chilly for the beach. The museum has lots of interesting exhibits in it and you an sit and watch a war movie in a small theatre. My three year old loved all the hands on stuff that they had. We got to tour a coast guard ship as well as the submarine. I was worried how my three year old was going to transverse the submarine. The stairs are extremely steep. Go backwards going down! My husband went first and then my daughter right in front Incase she slipped. This is not for people with bad knees or claustrophobia. The submarine is very closed in with little space to maneuver through. My 15 year old daughter was fascinated with everything and I couldn’t get my three year old off the Cots. She wanted to stay the night. This was an amazing sight to see and my family enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend it!

This sub is awesome, you have to see it for yourself. The engines still run and are maintained. It does not go out anymore due to most likely coast guard regulations. But you can go inside and tour it, and even more cool, you can stay overnight in it !! This is a floating museum, so there is a charge of about $ 15.00 I think.look it up on your computer for more information.

Well led tour, but not as detailed as I would think it could be, keeping in mind that I am a former Submariner. I served on the USS Grouper SSK 214 that was of the same Vintage and Type so I was very aware of all the details of the boat ( Some will try to correct my calling it a boat and not a ship, but the Submarines were called Boats.) Also did not let anyone in the conning tower, but think their reasoning was they would have to go up into it they would need to in small groups of 3 or 4, and with a 40 or more tour group size it would take a great deal of time and might have required an additional Tour Guide. Over all a good tour for civilian groups.

An amazing piece of WW 2 history here. The tour is done by an experienced tour guide who knows all the ins and outs of the sub. We were fortunate enough to be on hand when they fired up 2 of her engines! 75 years old and they still run like tops! Incredible.

Big museum with lots to see and tour including the USS Silversides submarine and two other surface craft.

Nice tour through an actual submarine and a few historical displays in the building. Easy to visit on the Muskegon channel and leaves you close to a couple nice beaches on both Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan.

Me and my family thoroughly enjoyed our visit at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. We were entertained the whole trip thru both the sub and coast guard ship. I highly recommend!

The USS Silversides is a great piece of history. There are three key pieces to this attraction including a great museum, a tour (guided or self-guided) of the USS Silversides WWII submarine, and a tour of the US Coast Guard Cutter Mclane. The price of this attraction was a bit more expensive than I was expecting, but the money goes to a good cause of preserving this piece of history. The Museum is great. The museum is primarily dedicated to WWII submarines and Navy Tactics (I loved the Aircraft Carrier fleet formation display). They have a lot of the equipment and gear that the soldiers used at that time. In addition to this they also have an exhibit honoring a local WWII POW veteran. That part of the exhibit was also very informative and interesting. I had two elementary and preschool age kids with me and there was enough things for them to do in the museum to keep them interested. The tour of the USS Silversides was great and eye opening. The ship is in great condition, you can tell they spent a lot of time and effort in restoring this ship. My whole family had a great time imagining what life was like on the ship. The USCGC McLane tour was ok, but not nearly as interesting as the Silversides. I highly recommend a visit to this attraction while you are in Muskegon.

The museum was great but the guided tour of the submarine was amazing, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. 10/10 recommend.

loved it!!!! got to go in a Submarine!!!! it was so much fun to see it all. i would love to see it again.

Who can be the first to get this right: how many gauges are on the USS Silversides? Clocks count (a gauge of time); indicator lights do not. Just ballparking, maybe 300? Subs are highly complex - no wonder they required a large crew. I've toured many historic warships; I don't recall seeing one in better condition inside. Kudos to the preservers of this historic sub! There are a lot of interesting things to notice, like diesel engines that compress the fuel & air mixture from both sides! We enjoyed the museum too; it was like a WWII refresher course.

In town to visit LST 393 and decided to see this underwater creature. Met a very nice ex Coast Guard sonar an who works as a volunteer. He gave us some wonderful additional

information on the boat. My hat I soft to those brac
Ve sailors that took these boats to sea. You will note the confined spaces. At 6' 4" I had some trouble getting about but made it. My grandson was interested to learn that a sailor had an appendectomy while she was on patrol. This boat sank lots of enemy to age during WWII and is well worth the time to visit

This was a really educational tour of an amazing WWII submarine! Getting to get down inside of it and explore the compartments was such a cool experience! The tour guide was so good - he told us all about the sub and it's history, and some really fascinating stories too!

Our pre-teen son is really interested in the armed services, weapons and this was a great experience for him. He attended with his scouting troop. Comfortable spite the winter temperatures. He used a lightweight summer sleeping bag. And yes, this submarine is in the water year around. They were not allowed to utilize the kitchen nor bathroom facilities on the boat. But they had options available for the troop to use a camp stove in a covered area nearby. They could not touch any of the internal buttons of the sub as it's still functional but they had plenty of hands-on options on site. You do need to be physical fit to able to go down ladders backwards and bend down to fit through the doorways of the sub. Nice little museum. Looks like they also offer other experiences from the classrooms which were set up in the building.

Did self guided tour. Museum is very nice submarine is cool. The coast guard clipper is also a neat tour. You can get guided tours but we already toured a sub so we opted for self guided tour.

We stopped to tour the submarine and were not disappointed. Visit the museum and watch the movie before the tour to get a better feel for what you are seeing.

It's an antique now, but this is submarine history that should be seen. This makes the Mil-Musk Ferry more worth it. A great chance to get a lot of quality photos. . They have done a great job with this museum. This is a fantastic place & the price is completely worth the tour & seeing a real submarine.

I cannot recommend this enough if you have any interest in history, WWII history, military history, or are just in Muskegon at all. Michigan isn't necessarily a prime location for military history, so this gem is a surprise if you don't already know about it.

The site is an informative self-guided tour of a real shots-fired World War II submarine. It starts with a walk-through of a land-based museum that explains WWII history, then goes into submarine history and the history of this particular submarine in the war. There are enough interactive displays to keep kids interested too. Then, you go on the submarine itself and see how the sailors actually lived on tour.

The submarine is not for the highly claustrophobic and is not handicap-accessible. That's ok though because upstairs in the museum they show a video (also available for purchase at the gift shop) of a guide walking through the sub.

One slight downside (and I blame COVID for this) is the understocked gift shop. In the past it has been full and a book does exist about the sub, but it wasn't there this time.

We stopped in with my dad (WW2 fan), my son (7), and myself (American History teacher). The museum itself is kind of scattered and doesn't have a real rhyme or reason to it's layout. That said, there are some neat artifacts to see, and stories to read if you take the time.

The tour, however, was well worth our time. As many have said, the bulkheads haven't been widened or opened up, so accessibility can be an issue. I'm a large person (round) and sometimes those kinds of places make me claustrophobic. This wasn't too bad, but the doors between sections of the boat are a little tough to get through. My dad is tall and his back isn't the best these days. He got through, but it took a little time for him. The guide was knowledgable. I really enjoyed what he brought to the tour. I'd recommend it to anyone that hasn't been on a sub before.

A really thorough look at a WWII submarine. Lots of interesting details about life on a sub. Well worth the visit

The tour guide did a nice job and was very knowledgeable. Be aware very steep steps so not for everyone. The museum was also very nice.

Great little museum! A museum about submarine warfare and a tour of an actual WW2 submarine. Tour guide in the sub was very knowledgeable.

We went on an afternoon during the week and just walked into the museum with no wait.
We enjoyed the inside of the museum first with the photos, presentations and hands on before we went outside to walk thru the submarine. Definitely an educational experience.
There were young children to older adults and it seemed like all were looking and learning. It takes about 2 to 21/2 hrs. The price was 15.00 and a little less for young children and seniors.

We visited the USS Silversides during the "offseason", which means we had a self-guided tour of both the USS Silversides and Coast Guard boat. It was perfect for us with two little ones and a preteen. We were able to skip the things that the little ones weren't interested in and spend more time in the Hands-On areas. We would love to come back with an older group to get all of the details and interesting facts at the Museum. Staff was very friendly as well.

After a weekend trip to Grand Haven decided to drive up to Muskegan for the day. Well the town was a great disappointment. But found this treasure in a Muskegan Guide.

Do not be dissuaded by the drive thru a lackluster neighborhood. The museum doesn't look like much from the outside. But the entire experience is a must see.

The entry is $6 adult for just the museum. $15 includes the sub and coast guard boat. Spend the extra. The sub tour is just awesome.

The museum is small and a bit dusty. But the history and stories painted on the walls plus some historic items are well worth the trip.

The sub tour is self guided. You board the sub and head downstairs. Everything is original on this WWII sub. So the climb down is a bit steep as is the climb up. I'm normally quite clumsy and have an injured sense of balance but I made it and I'm glad I did.

The sub is cramped, I wouldn't expect otherwise. It originally slept 80 men. Walking thru from area to area thru the very small circular openings was an adventure.

My husband enjoyed it very much. No restrictions on picture taking inside the museum or sub. There's even a functioning periscope in the museum.

A nice gift shop finishes up the tour. The visit to this museum was the highlight of our weekend.

Pretty cool to see especially if you haven’t been to a sub before, to see what 80 men had to live in was awesome to see I’m sure not to do haha

Silverside Sub Museum is a very nice way to spend a couple of hours. The museum is very well done. The focus is on the Pacific theater of World War II, but there is some information on other aspects of submarines. The highlight of course is getting to tour an actual submarine.

Very interesting museum and being able to check out a submarine was awesome. The whole museum is very informative. Definitely worth a visit.

This museum is what a museum should be: educational, thought-provoking, and fun. I appreciated the documentation, not only of the USS Silversides herself, but also of the timeframe in which she operated. The ability to tour the submarine at my own pace was the absolute topper!

Did not use a tour guide but had the benefit of being with my brother who is a retired navy submariner. Gives you a good idea of life on a WW2 submarine. The museum has the control room of the nuclear sub Silversides.

We were camping in nearby Hoffmaster State Park and came here on a bit of whim for something to do in Muskegon. So glad we did. The museum itself has an overview of the navy's role in the Pacific during WW2 and some nice exhibits on technology and sub' developments through the years, and a somewhat tangental but locally significant review of "Jumping Joe Beyrle, a paratrooper who ended up fighting for both America and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany in WW2. However the best thing about the museum is the sub' outside! USS Silversides.

We were lucky and got to go on a tour, and the what a tour-guide he was! a very good balance of technical and human interest, and very knowledgable about all the varied and odd questions we had about life on board. The guide takes you all the way through the sub from for to aft, with lots of stops between the compartments to fill you in, though it takes about 45 mins to an hour its well worth it! Do wait for the tour guide rather than go on your own, because he makes all the little points about sub life come alive, with stories of sleeping in the bunks, to the appendectomy performed in the officers mess, to the derring do of the main control room as they prepped for an attack and the depth charge response from the Japanese.

Though there is another ship, the USS McLane it was still undergoing refurbishment when we went and isn't as good as the sub, for it only takes about 5 mins to go over the whole ship.

Overall if you're looking for a great day out and you're interested in military history, go visit the Silversides in Muskegon.

Happened to run into this museum on the day of the LOST SHIP memorial. Very humbling to visit along side the very men and women who have served our country.

I've had the opportunity to tour this vessel a few times. I always marvel at how anyone could serve on a submarine, let alone during a world war. Very grateful to those who served.

There are three parts to this museum. The USS Silversides decommissioned submarine from WWII, a coast guard patrol vessel (which I've forgotten the name of) and a traditional museum. Being a history buff, it was really, really cool to walk through the actual submarine and see the bunks and equipment. The museum itself was also very fun!

Was a great tour to walk through by yourself. We had a lot of time to tour the sub and the museum. Would recommend stopping by

After a quick walk one day from Harbor town Beach went inside to explore . Ended up spending more time than thought and should have stayed longer. Will go back. So much detail and nicely presented. Highly recommend this to families and anyone of any age. Will touch your heart and educate you through the various experiences from exhibits to small theaters throughout. You wont be disappointed. Do this and the Submarine tour take 4 hrs to see it all. Well worth the experience. Cannot wait to go back through .

Phil was an extremely knowledable guide. His Vietnam stint and stories of the submariners life were captivating. Totally reccomnend this. Tske the itty bitties top side when they start to get cranky though ,folks.

It's a bit pricey. However, there is a museum in the adjacent building and the sub is very well restored. It's worth the price to get in.It is amazing to think that there would be 30 - 40 people living in this sub. We can't wait to take our kids through it next time we're in Muskegon.

Tour the submarine, visit the very interesting and well done museum. Kid friendly, nice for families.

I am a huge nerd when it comes to history and I highly recommend visiting this museum when visiting Muskegon. The staff were friendly and I think for what you get the price was reasonable.
The museum is cut into three parts: The museum itself, the submarine, and a cutter ship.
The museum was full of useful information and interesting artifacts some of which you can interact with. My favorite section of the museum was the POW section where they told a couple prisoner stories as well as showed artifacts from the time period.
The submarine was an amazing experience and because I arrived early to the museum I had the entire sub to myself to walk through and take unobstructed photos. The sub alone I recommend people visiting its an amazing piece of history worth touring through.
The cutter ship was interesting, but it is currently going through restoration so there was not a whole lot of information on board and compared to the submarine it seemed pretty barebones, regardless though it is still worth walking through and taking photos.

We have visited several times. You can take a guided tour or go by yourself. The other boats are nice, but the sub is the best. It's a great reminder of wag the greatest generation endured to keep us free! The museum is very nice. A new one was built several years ago. Before that it was a small trailer. It is worth the trip!

Grandma and grandpa took her to 10 year-old grandkids and they enjoyed it thoroughly but grandpa could not even get into the sub got down and looked at. I said no way Jose so if you are a claustrophobic or probably anything over 6 foot I would say cause I’m 60 and there was no way so I should’ve gotten a big break or they should tell you tell you upfront you’re not gonna make it down there

All the exhibits there in the museum were fine for quite a few gifts for spoiled the grandkids from the gift shop but 56 bucks for two seniors and two juniors was all the money

We visited on a Sunday. The staff was incredible, very friendly and knowledgeable. The interior museum is neatly laid out and had interactive displays.
The submarine was very interesting to see - and fit through. Even though there were a few more families, we felt as if we had a private self guided tour. Would like to go back again.

We stayed in MI for spring break so we had to find something neat to do. Our family had a great time here!. Loved exploring the submarine and reading about the sailor's lives on board the ship. We enjoyed the museum and found it was full of tons of information. Our youngest had a harder time staying focused (a lot of reading). What a great find on MI lakeshore!

A must see for those interested in history and knowledge of submarines and their workings. Anyone intrested in military service. Tour of the sub and museum and details of it's tour of duty.

You should do this if you've never been in a submarine before. It's incredible the amount of switches, levers, etc...that makes up running a sub. The building has a very nice museum and gift shop as well. Was my second time here and enjoyed it both times.

Just awesome. Took my 2 teenage girls and they loved it. They wanted to stay overnight on the ship but there wasn't a group of 30 to stay. Would highly recommend.

I have been to various museums in Detroit, Chicago etc. This museum is not a stuffy, high end type that caters to the wealthy or receives tax payer funding!!! The exhibits are for the common people, the citizens that actually fought & died for this country. The self guided tour of both the sub & coast guard ship was well worth the price. The museum itself was very informative with plenty to read, different displays and a lot of artifacts & models.

We had a lot of fun and only wish we had more time to watch the films in the museum.

Be sure to take the tour to see the submarine. We were fortunate enough to have an ex submarine person lead our tour. He was very informative and being it was an old sub he quickly told us when he was unsure of any thing we asked.

Stop here if you're in the area. It's an excellent museum and presented beautifully. You can take the complete tour of the building and the ship, or just the building which was only $6. We toured only the building as I didn't want to climb around and down on a sub with my bad back. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The museum is two floors of great exhibits including lots of written material on each. They also have several movies to see which were well done and interesting. We were in the building about 90 minutes are really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this museum.

Awesome museum and submarine for anyone at all interested in WWII. You can easily spend more than two hours here.

The Museum has some neat stuff here and there so check it out, but by all means go for the boat itself. The Silversides is one of the few still in WW2 trim. The only modification to the boat are the visitor entry and exit gangways, a flaw to the purist but WAY easier to come aboard ! If you are a fan of subs you must take the tour and get below decks on this submarine.

My teenagers love playing the unique giant version of battleship. They also enjoyed all the hands on items. I think their favorite part was being able to go on and look around the coast guard boat and submarine.

Really well done and interesting museum. Highly recommend. Surprisingly full access on the sub and coast guard ship too. So much history to see in the museum, we’ll be back.

Take your kids here! My son is now obsessed with submarines. It's a great museum to spend a couple of hours learning about some interesting history and touring cool ships. We happened to be there on a day when there was an event, so we were not charged an entry fee, but this little gem is worth it if you love history or have kids.

We were playing tourist in Holland and saw the ad and drove to Muskegon to see the USS Silversides Submarine and Museum.

The museum was very educational and easy to understand. Nice displays and exhibits. Also very good videos/film. Learned a lot about submarines. It's two stories and we used the elevator.

Recommend 1.25 hours for the museum. The gift shop had a nice selection of items and especially military items.

I toured the sub - USS Silversides. Spent 45 minutes in the sub which is more time than most but I read the signs and took pictures and enjoyed the pace. The condition of the sub was excellent. My Dad was in the USAF and i have always liked military museums. The sub was a highlight of the tour. Most people should allocate 30 minutes for the self guided tour of the sub. I did not check out the Coast Guard Cutter, the only one that sunk a ship in WW II.

Regarding the sub, the entrance requires you go enter the front of the sub via two ladders. it really is not that difficult. The exit requires you to climb one ladder, again, easy climb.

The toughest part of the tour was going through the bulkheads. That rectangular hole/hatch is really small and requires you to bend over and extend one leg through the bulk head and then move the head through and the trailing leg being careful to not bump your head. I am not flexible but had no problems but I also took my time.

This sub tour was the highlight of the tour and well worth the time. The museum is very good and you will learn a lot about subs and how they operate.

Note, if you plan on going, check the Grand Haven Area Visitors Guide 2015-2016 edition. Their ad included a buy one get one free coupon. The senior citizen discount is really a nice discount.

This museum is terrific! We visited with our 10 and 13 year-old boys and we all had a blast. I am a US Navy vet and have served on 2 nuclear attack submarines and I really enjoyed the tour as well. Even though 688 class attack subs are obviously way more spacious, this tour really made my mind go back 25 years to when I served. The smell, the sounds, the watertight hatches, the smell.

(I said smell twice because Mobil-Red grease and 2190-TEP oil are like play-dough in that they have very distinct smells that jar memories and emotions when you get w whiff)

This is a good "side trip" during a vacation. It is definitely not an all day visit but should definitely kill 2 hours of your day. If you can, try to schedule for a day when they have tour guides there....we were on a self-guided tour and though it was terrific, it would've been nice to have someone explain some of the stuff on-board.

A great learning experience! Walk through time as you view displays of Navy history and WWII. Meet heroes of military actions over the years, with emphasis on US Navy history. This is a great family activity.

Took Grandsons they were thrilled to go through it. Lots of history! They also liked the museum and gift shop. They each got a couple of things to remember their trip

This is a very impressive museum with lots and lots of history. There is quite a bit of reading, but not necessary to enjoy the exhibits. We loved the self-guided tour of the submarine and the coast guard boat where you can spend as much time as you want. The staff was friendly and helpful. We loved our visit!

Great, accessible location close to beaches. Fishermen can bring pole and fish the Muskegon Channel while rest of family views Silverside Submarine and Museum. Authentic World War II vessel. Really fascinating, how did men live in these things while battles were going on above them? Scary thought!

This was a great tour. We walked through all levels of the submarine. We caught up to the end of the guided tour and heard some interesting facts. The tour guide took time to answer questions as well. If your in the area definitely check it out

Could have spent hours here but the kids wouldn't have it. LOL. Very interesting place and walking through a real sub was eye-opening. Do it!

Went to the museum with my children, ages 5 and 7. I could have spent more time there but my kiddos were bored after an hour. They enjoyed climbing on the sub outside the best. We did not take the submarine tour, which is available for an extra charge. There are picnic tables outside if you bring your own food.

Our 9-year-old son is really interested in all things WWII right now so we were excited to find this museum in driving range. The whole family enjoyed the museum, especially touring the ship and submarine. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch and then spent a few hours at Pere Marquette Beach just around the corner from the museum.

What a good time. The staff was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. The sub and coast guard boat was very interesting.

The quality of the museum displays are good and the museum is clean and well organized. The museum is about WW2 but does have a focus on submarines. Many artifacts are on display and in great shape. USS Silversides is a gem that must continue to be preserved. I dislike war but the museum and the submarine are worth seeing.

Both of my kids loved seeing the submarine. We ran through it many times. The submarine is not something for people with mobility issues, but there is a large museum to see, too. The kids loved the old Batman movie playing in the theatre. We watched most of the movie. It was a great way to spend a few hours on our way to the beach.

The Silversides was the fourth submarine we visited. It was very refreshing that the visit inside the sub is self-guided. There is more time to see the gears and levers and experince what it was like to live for moths in a sub. There is a film with a detailed guided tour before you go in, so you know what's what.

The museum has a lot of interesting WWII artifacts.

This museum must be visited!!!

There's an awful lot to see here. I spent over 90 minutes in the museum building and probably only digested half of the exhibits. They have a wide variety of WWII artifacts on display -- and at least five videos running in different areas as well. But touring the submarine was the main reason for my visit, and that was extremely interesting. The tour is self-guided and you can spend as much time as you'd like. They give you a booklet with color photos, so you can see and read about the various compartments as you move along. As far as I could tell, the only part of the sub that's truly "off-limits" is the conning tower (it has a very narrow ladder and no place to go at the top because that hatch is sealed). They tell you not to touch anything -- because mechanically, much of the sub is still in working order (more than 75 years after it was built)! The USS SILVERSIDES was #2 among all Allied subs in terms of enemy tonnage sunk, so it's highly decorated -- and is one of the few remaining WWII subs that's still in good condition. It was commissioned 8 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, so it saw a lot of action throughout the war. It's 312 feet long and 27 feet wide, and carried a "normal" crew of 80 men; so it must have been darn cramped when it was submerged!! The museum also has a Coast Guard Cutter (the 125-foot McLANE) that saw WWII action in the Bearing Sea. Fitted with depth charge racks, most experts believe it sunk a Japanese sub in July of 1942 while on patrol protecting the Alaska coastline. Docked a short distance aft of the SILVERSIDES, the McLANE looks quite small when compared with the sub!

We came from Chicago, having seen the submarine at the Science and Industry Museum, so we were aware of the inaccessible situation for our 1 wheelchair patron. The staff was very kind to play the film showing the interior of the sub, detailing the historical events and work conditions. It was such a well done tour that we didn't feel like we missed out so much. As there are Asians in our group who are far more familiar with World War II in the Pacific front, which is often scantily covered in American textbooks, it was moving to hear of America's role in saving the world from Imperial Japanese invasion. Thank you for your service!

Lots of good info in the museum. Pressed for time we didn't go on the sub. Wished there was an option to just view the sub, not just a combo with the museum. Lots of nice videos.

This museum is currently operating under winter hours. Sunday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

This is a wonderful place to visit if you are new to Muskegon ,,even if you live here....great tribute to our Military....I wish I could go down into the sub,,but I don't do tight/small spaces....its a must..

What a great place to visit if you are a history buff or have an engineering related mind. It was amazing to see what we were capable of accomplishing from an engineering and technology perspective in the 1940’s. I could have spent hours in the museum and sub. Museum was very well laid out and worth the admission fee which goes towards keeping our history alive for younger generations to experience and learn from. Nice staff as well.

The museum was well done and informative, and the submarine and coast guard ship were interesting. I would recommend watching the video in the museum before touring the ship, as the video provides context for what you are seeing during the walkthrough. Staff needs work on interactions. One of the volunteers freaked out on a person in our group for "touching" things on the ship and ordered him to leave the ship. Mind you, there were no posted restrictions and everyone on the ship was touching everything accessible. Serious overreaction, and it appeared that the volunteer was targeting this particular individual, who happened to be a young biracial male. When a complaint was made, the manager acknowledged that the volunteer could be volatile about people touching things on the sub. The point is this: it's a nice museum and worth a look, but staff needs to get their volunteers under control. If you go and you have a teenager in the group, steer clear of the tall skinny white guy with white hair that stalks around the grounds.

Be sure to see the movie in the main showroom ..helps so much understanding the submarine way of life

This is a must-see attraction. You are able to tour a submarine in the water with a hands-on experience good for all ages. You will climb down into the sub and experience what crew lived in during WWII.

Excellent opportunity to experience an actual submarine and see what one looks like up close. This museum has plenty of history and exhibits about submarine history. The sub itself is incredible - hard to believe something like it could even be built given all of the moving parts.

I enjoyed walking through the sub. The museum itself is okay but nothing that I would go see if it were not for the chance to view the sub. I had a coupon for BOGO from the Grand Haven Area Visitors Guide. My wife and I paid $12.50 instead of $25.00.

Very nice grounds and well maintained submarine The museum had great displays as well as a well stocked gift shop.

If you're a WW II buff like I am you must visit this museum/WW II submarine. The museum itself is loaded with good info about the war in the Pacific and specifically about the role that the USS Silverside played in the war. I have never been on board a submarine before, this museum gives you the opportunity to walk throughout this WW II sub and see just how amazing the men were who served on these ships. It's an amazing opportunity, if you planned to travel in the area of Muskegon you need to check this museum out. There is also an LST within a few miles from this museum.

Harley and I spent the day at the museum. We had a blast. We really enjoyed walking through the submarine and learning about women and business efforts during WWII

My husband took our 3 daughters (3, 6, and 9) here to explore the museum and submarine. We were a little surprised how expensive it was ($15/person), but it was well worth it! Most museums have a strict "no touch" policy, but not this one! You could sit on the gunners, they had a control room set up that you could pretend to drive, and a periscope that you could look out and see the lake. One of their favorite spots was the mural and blue light that made it look like you were underwater. They liked sitting in the submarine pretending to eat in the cafeteria. The museum was very informative, and I wish that we could have stayed a little longer to read some more. There were quite a few different displays and lots of artifacts and models. We had a lot of fun, and we learned a lot!

Overall, an interesting and educational site to visit. Museum gave a good timeline of WWII. I didn't feel the museum itself did the best job of explaining any info about the ships on display. It's a good thing we watched the movie before touring the ships as it gave a lot of insight to what you would be seeing. You really need to watch the movie before touring the ships. They also have a coast guard cutter on display, but don't give you much info about it.
You'll have to look out for your own safety here, as they get a lot of visitors and hardly no one was wearing a mask. It is very tight quarters aboard the sub. I suggest wearing gloves when touring the ships as you will have to hang on to a lot of heavily touched areas to navigate about.
Tip -definitely go through the doorways sideways, it is much easier. This is not a place for people with mobility issues.

This museum is well worth a visit. Our whole family loved walking through the submarine on a self guided tour. The museum also has a lot of interesting exhibits. I would even go back without my kids to spend more time reading about the exhibits and watching the films in the museum.

Great stories and artifacts. Nice self guided tour of 2 ships and a 2 story museum with a gift shop. Nicely priced. Fun for a hour or two. Staff was very knowledgeable and helpful when asked questions.

Spent much of our day in Muskegon here. This museum is a class act.. very, very well done. The museum has a ton of stuff to occupy young-uns and lots to interest adults. I really enjoyed the self guided tours of both the USCG Lane and USS Silversides.. especially meeting a 90+ year old WW2 Submariner visitor belowdecks who was busy telling the guides a thing or two about Silversides (he served on a sister-sub). The Sub is INCREDIBLE.. a must-see!!

We really enjoyed this visit. Enjoyed the WW II History inside the Museum. Also enjoyed the Video presentation regarding the Submarine. Then it was a real Treat to step inside the Submarine and view the layout. It is small and cramped.

We had a blast exploring the ships. The staff - volunteers were knowledgeable and friendly. Come and pay your respects to those who sacrificed all for our freedom.

The Silversides is one of the most decorated sub of WW2. The only drawback to visit it is, like any sub, you have to climb in and out of it. If you would like, you may be able to spend the night on it.
well worth the time to step back in time, to the second world war!

We took our grandson to the museum and found it very interesting, they have a large amount of pieces from World War Two, it is air conditioned and comfortable. We also went on the submarine and we were surprised at how cramped the quarters were, if you were on this for a long voyage it would have been very close, you would have wanted to be friends with the whole crew.

We've visited many WWII American submarine museums over the years: Cod, Pampanito, Bowfin, Cavalla, Becuna, etc. Frankly, they are pretty similar to one another - some have self-guided tours, some have audio tours, some have WWII submariner docents (well, they used to, but yes the greatest generation has mostly, sad to say, passed on), but this is the first such museum where they a knowledgeable retired nuclear submariner giving a tour of the boat. His perspective was very refreshing and informative, comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences from serving aboard today's nuclear boats (he had tours on both fast attacks and boomers) and their Diesel predecessors.

In addition to the tour, there's also a nice, slick museum of WWII history, including Michign's roll in the war effort. Another interesting display looks at the second USS Silversides, a nuclear fast attack boat that served during the Cold War.

As a bonus, the museum has another ship that visitors can tour (self-guided this time), USCGC McLane. This prohibition era Coast Guard cutter served with the Navy during WWII, patrolling the Bering Strait. She sunk a Japanese submarine and rescued American fliers during the war.

After touring the exhibits, visitors can stop by the museum's gift shop where there are a variety of souvenirs and some submarine related books for sale. You can easily spend an hour or more here. Admission is $17.50 for adults ($13 for kids) to see the museum and tour the sub and cutter.

We just made a quick stop here to see the sub. From the reviews we new that we would not be able to take the tour because my husband has bad knees and I am claustrophobic. I had just never seen a sub before and wanted to take a quick look. It was interesting to see from the outside. They even had some missals in the parking lot which was interesting to see their size. So we snapped a couple pictures and were on our way. We might have done the museum but it was closing soon.

Great World War II sub to visit. The whole complex was very well laid out with the museum and the sub and a coast guard cutter all for one price.

We got lucky and the day we were there they actually fired up the engines on the sub. We were able to stand on deck and feel the rumble under our feet. Could have been below deck too, but decided to stay on deck.

Walking around the sub was very interesting and you had access to most areas.

Did a tour of the Silversides last month. Beautifully restored on the inside, and looks like it could sail tomorrow. Not for the claustrophobic. Highly recommend it.

Best submarine to tour anywhere. Lots of WWII history with this boat. Very interesting tour, especially if you can go with a vet who served on a GATO class sub. Tours are a little pricey, but they have special deals on occasions like veterans day, etc. I would be sure to watch "Hell Below", (Smithsonian Channel) who has an hour long episode entirely about this sub.

Exceptiolly we’ll done museum. Kids love wandering through the submarine and other ship. They also enjoy the periscope inside the museum!

Cool opportunity to see a WWII-era submarine. Being on it definitely gives you an appreciation for those who served on them! The museum also had some well -done displays on naval action during the war with a submarine focus. Overall, definitely interesting and worth a visit.

A great Museum to learn about WWII. Based around a actual submarine. Worth every minute. Could spend a whole day just looking and learning. Although the war was so sad it is presented in a way that projects the spirit and pride we once had as a nation.

The tour of the Silversides helped us learn the experience of what the servicemen accomplished and sacrificed.

If you are visiting Muskegon or even if you live in Muskegon, the USS Silversides museum is a must do! The tour of the submarine is wonderful and very informative. The people who do the tours are VERY knowledgable of the Silversides. You get to tour the deck and inside of the submarine. It is so authentic and neat!! Check out the actual museum too!!

We only had one hour, but we were able to soak up quite a bit of the submarine museum. We would recommend that you don't wait until one hour before they close though. A guided tour would have been awesome, but they provided us with a booklet that we were able to give ourselves a guided tour. A short video gave our kids an idea of what being in the submarine during the Japanese attack would have been like. We aren't huge history buffs, but loved this! Take some time to see this if in the area!

We got to walk through a submarine, see what it's really like, how they eat and sleep. It's not far from michigans adventure. They show all kinds of photos and you can take pics by the submarine, very cool place.

I had recently seen a different sub in Cleveland on a trip, so I wanted to see how this one compared. It was much larger, so that was nice not being so cramped. The museum was one of the smaller and better put together one's I had seen. Typically when this small, they do not have a rich history to go along with them. The price is fair, and parking free. It kept us busy most of the afternoon.

Excellent Experience, informative museum. Submarine tour was great, and since it is in the water you could hear the waves from another boat bouncing off the hull when you were inside.

I spent some time at the Pioneer County Park near Muskegon,Mi. One day, I took a long walk on the beach to south, reaching the Pier of Muskegon. I was surprised to see there...the submarine! Some tourists don't even know that there is a submarine by the city Pier. Nex day I took my son and we went to the other side of the Bay to check this boat out. It's really nice attraction. Yo can go downstairs, through whole submarine, to see all details of the boat, to see how the soldiers had to exist during the operation time. Me and my son were very exited to be there and we enjoyed it very much.
RomanP

there is nothing to dislike about the uss silversides museum i'm a tour guide there and i'm honored to work with such a great bunch of people that honor our vets everyday and pour there heart and soul into it.

Anyone could enjoy exploring the SS Silversides and is museum - no need to be well versed in military terminology or WW2 history. (I only remembered the basics from high school). The museum refreshed my memory, then added some interesting stories and perspectives.

A beautiful piece of naval history. Well worth the price of admission. Plan on at least 3 to 4 hours to properly see it all. Steep ladders and strong diesel oil smell inside the sub. Well lit up inside

A wonderful place to learn military history, esp the navy, and actually go aboard a working WWII submarine!

I had mixed feelings going here, I thought it may be boring. My husband has wanted to do this tour for years. I ended up enjoying both the museum and the submarine tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. The experience of being able to walk literally in the foot steps of the men who sailed and fought on the USS Silversides is awesome. Silversides is so well preserved and is a must see for anyone interested in history.
The museum honors all branches of the Armed Services. The exhibits are all interesting and very well done. The people who work there are very nice too. I would recommend this tour to everyone.

We spent 3.5 hours touring the submarine, the cutter and the museum with our 2 teenage grandsons, aged 15 yrs. I suggest watching the movie first but the boys were anxious to get on the submarine. Every staff member made us feel welcome and answered questions. I took tons of pictures. All 4 of us enjoyed ourselves. If I could I would give more than 5 stars!!

The museum part is lacking a little. It is mostly pictures and signs not much artifacts. The really attraction is the submarine. You get to go thru the main body of it, and walk on the deck. It is really nicely restored and gives you a good idea what life was like on one of these old subs.The parking is easy and free and the access is right by the beach and park so you can do both super easily.

Staff are delightful and friendly, exhibits are well maintained and represent so much of our military history in the US. Truly a hidden gem in Muskegon. The ride out to the museum is worth it as the beach, pier and channel view are breathtaking additions. Children stay engaged through this activity as well! Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Nice place, lots of information and things to read. The sub was awesome. Only negative was the price. $15 seemed like a little too much. $10 would be a better price point. Unique place to visit

The museum is very fascinating and the submarine brings about a whole new level of respect for the men who sailed her. It is not easy to move from compartment to compartment, as the hatches are much smaller than a surface ship. But, it is well worth the trouble! After touring the sub, my wife said that she will never complain about her berthing on the USS Yellowstone AD-41. This is a true treasure that should not be missed.

A unique experience that will last a lifetime aboard this WWII submarine. If you want the basic sleeping accommodations just as the sailors did this may be the place for you. Have a night free of cellphones as no reception is available, thus providing more time for conversation, board and card games.

So....not every museum has a WWII submarine. We are more familiar with Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry's German sub. This was interesting....maybe the American subs had more space....maybe it's because the one in Chicago is more blocked off.....regardless, this was a great opportunity to see what it was like during that era....difficult times, for sure.

This is a a small museum but with TONS of great information and displays focusing on WW2 era downstairs, and a rotating display upstairs that was being changed over the day we visited.
Outside you can explore the submarine USS Silversides. You get a real feel what it was like to live and work in such tight quarters.
Next door is a coast guard boat you also can climb aboard and explore.

An impromptu stop, we were very pleased visiting the USS Silversides. The kids enjoyed the outdoor displays. We did not opt for the full tour for fear that might not keep kids' attention due to their younger age, but definitely want to return to give museum our full attention, an honorable history. Very clean amenities!

I was going to be in Kalamazoo, when I heard of the USS Silversides. Being a fan of history, I wanted make the detour to see a WWII Gato Class Submarine. It was well worth the Trip. It was wonderful to see and explore such a well preserved example of one of these historic vessels. I only wish that I had been able to spend longer, as my afternoon was already spoken for. I hope to revisit her again sometime soon.

This museum was very interesting and the ability to enter into a real WWII submarine and clipper and see and experience the space that the military had to maneuver through is absolutely worth it.

Son and grandchildren visiting from out of town. They loved it,. Wanted to go thru the submarine several times. Very informative and interesting facts. Well worth the visit

This is a self guided type of place. It was interesting to go through the sub. As we were at the end we wound up behind a group that had a guide...I'm not sure how they did that. But because of the small space we could hear some of the information the guide provided. In retrospect if you can hire guides for this tour I would recommend it. By going through the sub you definitely get even more appreciation for the men who were there and the guide added so much more. Spending some time in the museum was worth it too. We split it up a bit-did some of the museum-then the sub-then back to the museum. That worked well. I probably would have not gone through the whole museum if I did it all at once.

The submarine is absolutely first rate! There was no guide on the day I was there, but there were plenty of signs with explanations of what was in each room. The restoration of the boat was fabulous. There was no crowd, only a few people there, so the chance to see all of the boat at my own pace was not cut short at all. The Silversides is really a Must See.

My husband, son, and grandson had all visited USS Silversides as scouts, and I figured it was my turn. So glad I did. Being in an actual WWII submarine - itself a piece of history - and seeing how the crew lived and operated really helped bring their experience alive. The coast guard cutter McClane was also interesting, though not as much to see. I loved the museum. It both gives a very informative overview of WWII and focuses on specific points of interest, including the development of submarine technology from beginning to present; Silversides' career; WWII POW camps; and the stories of a couple particular individuals. All told we were there two hours, and I could easily have stayed another hour. Kids likely wouldn't last that long, but they'll love exploring the submarine and cutter.

Very historical and family friendly it's a great place to visit and interesting. Great fun with the family

Thought we were just touring a submarine. However, the attached museum is wonderful. The ship is amazing and the guide was excellent

Class museum and wonderful tour. It's hard to believe what our WWII sailors had to endure to keep America safe. Exceptional day's activity.

The museum had lots of info about WWII in general and specifically about the submarines. The video helped explain many features of the submarine. I would recommend seeing the video before you board the sub.
The entry fee was reasonable and the gift shop had neat stuff at good prices.
The submarine itself was amazing. To be able to walk through it and see the close quarters is fascinating.
This museum and tour is very worthwhile.

We were lucky enough to have a former veteran as our guide to give us some very good information on the old and the newer submarines. A piece of history that needs to be remembered.

We took our time walking thru the self guided tour of the museum. Lots of full color displays and hands on things. Very much worth your time.

USS Silversides is a venerable boat and the most decorated submarine you can still visit. She was one of the most successful submarines during the Pacific Theater of World War II, with 23 confirmed kills over 14 patrols. In all that time, only one crew member was ever lost, Mike Harbin, ironically KIA while manning the guns on deck while surfaced in her very first enemy engagement.

Volunteers have spent thousands of man hours restoring Silversides. Today, she can still sail the harbor on special occasions. Unlike many submarine museums around the country, this one still works.

But while the submarine tour is the star attraction here, the museum is crammed with two floors of artifacts, exhibits and information, and there's also a Prohibition Era Coast Guard Cutter you can tour.

A few highlights are worth calling out. A guided tour of the submarine is available most days, subject to demand and availability. Call ahead if you want to be sure you can get a guided tour. Most of the time, the tours are led by someone who actually served on a submarine, so they offer a unique perspective and thoughtful anecdotes you would not get from a self-guided tour. At other times, the submarine tour is self-guided and you will be given a map with your admission. The day we visited, a Saturday, there were no guided tours available.

The main museum is self guided and very accessible, but the sub, by its nature, is not accessible. On the sub, you'll have to walk up and down two narrow flights of stairs, and move from compartment to compartment through narrow corridors and duck through watertight hatches.

We were surprised at how much time we spent in the museum. There is a small theater with a film, and exhibits on submarine warfare during WW II, focusing on the Pacific Theater. For the younger ones, there are buttons to press and a periscope to look through.

There is also an extensive exhibit about a remarkable man, Jumpin' Joe Beyrle, from Muskegon who participated on D-Day as a paratrooper, got separated from his unit, performed several sabotage missions solo, and was eventually captured by the Germans. After escaping the third time from German POW camps, he made it to the Soviet Army where he has the distinction of being the only American who served in both the Russian and US Armies during the war. His Soviet comrades eventually liberated the same camp he'd escaped from, and shortly thereafter being injured, was sent back to Muskegon, which was quite a surprise to his family as he had been declared KIA. He married his sweetheart the following year in the same church and by the same priest who had held his funeral mass. The exhibit is located at the far end of the museum and will entertain the kids with recreations of the POW camp while you read about this amazing man's exploits and medals.

Be sure to check out the second floor of the museum, there is an excellent exhibit on women who served during the war, and another engaging exhibit on books printed for GIs stationed around the world. Publishers gave away (6 cents each cost to the armed forces) 122 million books to the troops. Many soldiers said it was a lifeline and helped them keep their sanity. The museum has a bunch of actual books from the time period which you can examine - to keep costs down they were printed on the cheap and to fit in the pocket, they were printed at half size. The gift paid off it turns out because the soldiers returned home more literate than they'd left, and became a nation of voracious readers.

I don't need to tell you about the submarine, you'll discover it with your guide or on your own, and I probably don't have to tell you that there are no public restrooms on the boat so make sure you go before you go. The submarine smells like oil throughout like any ship. Make sure you watch the video in the theater before you go to the sub as it will enhance your experience. Don't miss the good luck Buddha statue on the sub, and take the time (if on a self guided tour) to read the various plaques and inscriptions throughout. For instance, read the story of how a torpedo got stuck in the tube and how the crew removed it, fearing to be blown to bits at any second since it was fully armed. Speaking of fear, don't touch anything on the sub, since it's operational, you could easily damage the boat or yourself if you pressed the wrong button.

The Coast Guard cutter was a big disappointment. There was practically no signage on the ship, and no staff members to tell you what you were seeing. If you have to cut your trip short, I'd advise skipping the cutter. It almost seems as though the cutter is being neglected due to the more glamorous cousin parked just ahead, but honestly, the Silversides would be hard to beat by any other craft.

This is an awesome museum, you'll likely spend more time than you think here. There are two other subs that were more decorated during the Pacific Theater campaign, but the USS Tautog was sold for scrap in 1960, and the USS Tang lies 180 feet below Taiwan Strait along with 78 of her crew, sunk during the war by a malfunctioning torpedo she had launched. Silversides is the most decorated WW II sub you can visit.

This was an unplanned trip that we just decided last minute. I have worked on submarines in my navy career but this was a tight walk! Love the sights and smells of the ship. The museum is pretty extensive - we didn't have enough time to fully appreciate it all. I could easily have spent the day there.

Very good history of the USS Silversides submarine. Allot of photos and news paper articles about World War II. You can tour the submarine at your own pace..There is also a Coast Guard cutter open for tour.

I was first introduced to this museum because of an educational series on WWII. I have attended many programs now and have become a member. They hav ongoing programs, changing musuem venues and a real WWII submarine, which is open for tours. If yo like histroy you won't be disappointed.

Visited the Sunday before Labor Day and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. First, toured the submarine where they actually had a modern submarine veteran provide the tour which was very informative. The submarine was in very good condition compared to some other ships I have seen. Afterwards, we toured the US Coast Guard ship next to it and the museum afterwards. Parking was free and the museum was full of submarine information and the experiences of the sailors. There were torpedoes and numerous other items available to see, including film footage. The Silversides famous war history was well documented and there were other World War II items for viewing as well. The entire visit including a 10 minute visit to the gift shop lasted about 3 hours, but we could have stayed longer if we weren't pressed for time. I would definitely recommend a visit to this ship and museum.

Amazing! Well done! Could have spent hours here, but then I love history. The pride in the men and women working here shows. Keep up the great work.

Had lots to read but many videos which were very informative. Watched video about inside of sub since I wasn’t physically able to do. Felt like I learned about important facts about sub. Enjoyed video about local boy who was POW in WW II. Stayed about 2 hours.

My daughter and nephew, both in their mid twenties, described the submarine experience to me. "It's really tiny," said my 5'4" daughter. "It's HUGE!" said my 6'3" nephew. Turns out, they were both right. Touring the retired WWII submarine, I was crawling in and out of narrow doorways and tight halls, wondering how able-bodied men much taller than I could run through these spaces. But the submarine is much longer and more complex than you could ever imagine. Would you want to sleep above missiles, or only get to shower once every 13 days? I have even more respect for the US Navy than I did before. And both kids were right; it is tiny and huge at the same time.

The U.S. Coast Guard also retired one of its service vessels, and touring that ship was a treat. I could not imagine braving ice and waves in frigid conditions in such a small but effective vessel. There is also a very interesting museum, and people can just visit the museum without paying the full fare to board the vessels.

The only reason I counted this as 4 stars is that the tours were largely self-guided, and I wished they had more artifacts and simulators for handicapped people who cannot climb the narrow ladders. Other than that, great time!

We went to see the Silversides today because it was raining and we needed something to do. So glad we went. We purchased the Two boat and museum tour $15 for adults and $10 for kids. It was totally worth it. A real submariner gave us a tour of the entire submarine which lasted at least 45 minutes. Museum is on the light side of information/artifacts but has some cool stuff. The two boats and touring those totally make up for it. I highly recommend.

We went to visit this sub during a break while at a marriage retreat. I was amazed by the information and history given in the museum. Then, we went on the sub I learned about the ship and 80 men who were willing to give part or all of their life to keep America free during WWII. Going into the submarine and traveling room to room really opened my mind to what these men went thru while serving on this submarine. The bathrooms and beds were unbelievable in how small they really are. The kitchen was too small to cook for one person alone a group of 80 men. The men could not take a shower until they ate the supplies that were stored in the shower because there was no other place to store the food. The beds were small pieces of material hung 3 deep and so small they had to sleep curled up around the bombs they would be firing during the war. Tall men were at a great disadvantage when walking thru the sub. THE MEN WERE WILLING TO LIVE IN these conditions while serving to keep America free. Good lesson for people of this day who don't have any idea what people have given so we can live the life style to do in this day and age.

This submarine is a gem from WWII, very well preserved and right by a channel off Lake Michigan. We got the tour (free) with an amazingly knowledgeable Navy veteran. The museum is great too. It has a cafeteria (closed when we went, 12/22) and a gift shop. Worthy to visit with kids ages 6-99+

My wife and I had visited the Wisconsin Maritime Museum across Lake Michigan earlier in a month so the opportunity came to visit another submarine from WWII. Unlike the one in Wisconsin this one is can be toured at your own pace without having to worry about people on top of you. There’s a nice Museum with exhibits inside that’s worth seeing before you check out the boats. The submarine is the same model as the one in Wisconsin so it will look familiar if you’ve done that one. The cutter ship adjacent to the submarine is nice to explore to though they are in the middle of restoring it. Be forewarned that in the event of rain the exit hatch may be closed so you will have to come out the way you came in. Not a big deal though!!

Father in law was submariner during WWII so we felt like we were walking in his shoes. Do not miss the videos. Large museum. The sub requires dexterity to climb and decend narrow ladders and get through hatches. The video near the restroom will give you tips on how to maneuver through the sub and better appreciate what you will see. Plan to spend several hours.

Visited with kids 7 and 9. Parking lot adequate for parking 30ft RV. We have visited many military museums of similar size and this one is about average. Displays inside were below average in quality but informative. Gift shop was nice. Not very crowded so we got to take our time walking through the sub and letting sons imagination run wild. The boat next to the sub really isn’t worth going up and down the steep steps. Place could be amazing but needs some $$. Kudos to those who try to keep it up best they can. Close to public beach.

Pretty amazing to have that part of history in Muskegon. I always visit here just to go through the gift shop as I have been through the rest so many times being from Muskegon. A great place to visit.

Interesting museum and we loved looking at the USS Silverside floating outside the museum. We arrived at closing time so don't make the same mistake ! Great souvenier shop. Pleasant employees.

Fascinating and informative. Very close quarters for big crew for 53 day tour. Hold 16 torpedoes. Very small hatches. Guide was excellent. This ship was launched within 2 weeks of the Pearl Harbor attack. Had many successful kills and rescues. Only had one fatality at its first battle. Brigade of 3 sailors moved the 50 pound shells to the large deck gun. A heavily armed Japanese fishing boat shot one sailor in the line. There is a memorial to him on the deck by the canon. Prompts great respect for the brave crew.

One of the most decorated WWll submarines. Amazing to be able to go down into the sub. It has tours and also you can stay over night in the sub, if you choose. Many systems remain operational, do NOT touch anything ..lol

My husband and I really enjoyed this museum! It was interesting and a great place to visit! We took a tour of the submarine and we really enjoyed seeing where all the sailors lived so long ago! The tour guide was an older gentleman and he was very interesting to listen to and tell all the details.

We stopped in coming home from a family wedding. Our son has been here a couple times before with his Boy Scout Troop. Infact, they had the honor of sleeping in the submarine overnight. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. The museum inside, and out is very informative. We learned a lot of information about the luck of this submarine during WWII. I loved how everything was at our own pace so we could truly absorb all the history. If you’re in the area, and love history, this is a must see stop. If you have any sons in the Boy Scouts, this was really a wonderful experience for my son. One he’ll always remember for sure.

There are other good Marine museums on the Lakes, but this submarine is more accessible and the staff more knowledgeable. Plus they have two other retired Coast Guard vessels at this museum. Also, the LST museum and the Milwaukee Clipper are nearby, so you can spend an entire day exploring ships.

This in my mind was made by the guide that enjoyed his job and explained very well all the items.
This is a real submarine from WWII and is well signed
The museum has a lot of details about other submariners etc

My wife found this attraction on the internet. I had never heard of it and being a submariner I was interested. Got to take my wife on the USS Silversides SSN 679. The Silversides is a Sturgeon class attack submarine. It is well a WWII hero. It is well maintained and it was exciting for this old sailor to tour this boat and take my wife aboard. The rest of the museum was also very educational. I particularly liked the educational films. Staff were friendly. Souvenir shop was a little weak which was a disappointment.

We recently were in Grand Haven Michigan for a few days. The weather was very cold and it was pouring rain. We saw the museum advertised and decided it would be a good indoor activity. It was worth the drive! The staff was very knowledgeable, the museum is small but interesting, several movies were playing, lots of reading. But the submarine was amazing! It is very interesting to actually go inside of a sub! We also toured a coast guard ship. Getting in and out might be a challenge for some and it is very close quarters. We were the only ones on the sub so we were able to take our time to see and read everything.

Never thought I would learn so much in 3 hours. Frankly my husband and I didn't think we would spend 3 hours in the museum but once we started....we were hooked. The museum itself is filled with all types displays, the outside of the building has several torpedos & props on display and the tour ends with you being able to board a retired USS Coast Guard Cutter and the USS Silversides Submarine. Absolutely fascinating

A visit to the museum and the boat are a must do if you are in Muskegon. For a real treat schedule an overnight sleepover on the Silversides. The undersea war in the Pacific comes to life before your eyes. Great for all ages

says open till 5:30…. be carefu, won’t sell tickets at 4:45. brought a couple Navy veterans and got turned away. Lady selling tickets also was very rude.

If you were in the navy or are into military history than you absolutely owe it to yourself to take the time to stop. You can get a real feel of what our men went thru and felt like while under water sinking the Japanese ships. sleeping on top of the torpedoes and the tight quarters they endured to keep our great country free.

I felt as though my kids would learn a lot from this museum. It doesn't take long to get thru. If you are an active military you get a discounted price as well as seniors. This good for anyone to see and see how far military life has come in the last years.

This was our first time touring a submarine. We decided to check out this museum/tour since our family is into historical stuff. Because we got to the museum later in the afternoon, we weren't able to go with a tour guide, but it was still worth checking out on our own. I'm fairly claustrophobic, so I wasn't sure how I would handle it, but it wasn't too crowded when we went, so it wasn't too bad until we caught up to another group and there were a bunch of people behind us. You need to be able to crawl through the little openings inside the vessel and be able to climb/descend very narrow stairs. It is not handicap accessible...there is really no way to set it up that way, unfortunately. Again, you need to be fairly flexible to fit through the narrow passageways. The inside of the sub was very interesting to see. The museum was okay...seemed like it was a work in progress, though. It was definitely worth the time and money to check this place out. The employees were all very nice and friendly. By the way, you also get to tour an old Coast Guard ship. This one is currently being restored, so it's not in the greatest shape, but still interesting to see how the people live on these things.

Not only an impressive museum but to take an actual tour of the submarine and "touch the room" (galley) where an appendectomy was performed during the war. Talk about efficiency of design for "living" underwater and in wartimes !!!

Great museum. Awesome sub tour. Tour guide Gary very knowledgeable and informative without sounding like a tape recorder. Very interesting. Reasonable cost. Small kids may get a bit bored. Worth waiting on the guided tour.

This was a nice, well-organized museum that my military-history enthusiast husband and sons (ages 8 & 10) enjoyed very much. We spent several hours here. It is also on the canal, adjacent to the beaches so walking the grounds, watching the bird and being near the water was pleasant, too.

The museum contains a great deal of history that extends beyond what directly relates to the submarine. Anyone with even a little interest in American history should enjoy the experience.

The main event of course is the Silversides submarine. Before walking through it, be sure to watch the movie in the theater. Doing so will help you better understand and appreciate what you see when you walk through the submarine.

Also on site is a hundred year old Coast Guard cutter. While it may play a back seat to the sub, it is still very interesting to walk through.

Be aware, moving around on the sub and cutter involves climbing up and down very steep stairs (about 75 degree angle). Also, moving through the sub involves going through somewhat small hold doors (exactly like what you see in movies). Most people will have no difficulty but some will.

If you are in the Muskegon area, don't miss the opportunity to visit this great museum. You could squeeze in a visit in as little as an hour but 2-3 hours would be much better.

I recently attended a meeting at the Museum and couldn't wait for it to finish so I could look through the museum...but more importantly I wanted to check out the USS Silversides, which is an actual WWII submarine that saw a lot of action in the Pacific Theater. Tight quarters (like any Navy ship) and the smell of oil and fuel is throughout the sub. Beautiful gauges and craftsmanship that isn't around anymore. You do have to be pretty nimble to tour the sub since there are steep stairs and watertight hatches to navigate. The museum is very accessible. There is also an old US Coastguard Cutter next to the Silversides which is also open for a look. There are guided tours of the sub, but I skipped that (I did hear a bit and it sounded interesting). Nice gift shop with lots of good Navy swag (got a lapel pin and a Silversides ball cap).

This ship is true break from Hollywood in that this was an active ship not a set. Touring the ship one can appreciate the sacrifices made. The living quarters are tight. The displays show not only locals who served but also a film of how the ship was loaded with tanks. There is plenty to see. The staff is friendly and helpful. This is a must see.

We really went into a WWII submarine that served. Very cool worth the $$ just for that. However little hint- no one to show you how to board the sub and what direction to go down and the CG cutter no attendant to assist. We took it in stride and enjoyed it

The visit to the museum was more educational then I expected. We learned alot. They have some hands-on things too. The tour of the submarine is a must. It's amazing to see how the men lived. Not something I would be able to do.

It is a great place to visit & learn more about World War II. The museum is incredible. People are so helpful & friendly. Boy scouts for example, can spend a night on the sub. It is quite an experience to go inside the sub & see the tight quarters the men had to endure. It is amazing to be an American & realize the great country we live in.

A submarine in Muskegon??? Yes...and yes you should visit it!!! The staff is wonderfully informative! I must say that I was very interested. They even have a life size version of the game, Battleship! A must see in Muskegon!

If your a veteran or not, this piece of history is a must see. You will get a real sense of what war time in a cramped space was really like. Enjoyed every minute of the tour.

The kids didn't want to go inside, but once the tour started they didn't want to leave! This place is a must!!

I chose this activity mostly for my husband since he's a good sport and goes to lots of places I choose. The volunteer who did our tour was awesome. It's the stories he told, and imagining the guys living in the sub and what they went through that was so interesting. Since there is a lot of standing and listening to the stories, I think it would probably appeal more to ages 10 and older. They tell you not to touch the knobs, levers, etc. And they bring on whole groups of kids -- I don't know how they keep them from touching everything, so many things look tempting!

Everything except I was not able to enter the bowels of the sub on the particular day that I visited.

A self-guided tour of the history of the submarine USS Silversides, submarine history in general and WW2.
Some very interesting personal accounts that were very moving.
I would have liked to have seen space given to and explanation of the various classes of submarines, especially WW2.
As other reviewers have written, not your typical museum. This one is up close and personal.
Also, take the time to read these reviews here, some are awesome!
You will be glad you took the time to visit this museum.

The self-guided tour of the sub was amazing. However the staff could care less about the sub or anything else except taking your money. They couldn't even be bothered to come out and take the chains off the entrance ramps to the sub, so we had to do that ourselves. No briefing on what the sub was what it did or anything.

That said, the sub and museum are awesome. I highly recommend it, just don't expect anything from the staff.

The submarine was really neat to see! Our boy( 4) and girl (7) year really liked it too! That sub went through a lot of action. In the museum, I liked seeing the old pictures of the soldiers who were on the sub in the same places we had just walked. Some interesting stories are told in the museum along with some hands on things for the kids.
You also get to go on an old coast guard boat as well, cool little extra I wasn’t expecting. Nice gift shop, don’t forget to pick up some freeze dried astronaut ice cream….yum!
Great experience and would recommend.

We had a work retreat here in one of there board rooms and then toured the museum and ships. What a cool experience to do a hands on tour of a WWII Submarine. If your even close to this, you have to check it out.

This place really exceeded my expectations. It's a rather simple museum however there's a lot of interesting and unique information and exhibits on submarines in general that I found quite educational. I recommend staying around for the 60-90 minute guided tour of the Silversides!

The Silversides in a storied World War 2 submarine that is tied up at the channel in Muskegon. There is a musuem on site that explains the history of the sub and other WW2 facts. You have the opportunity to move thru the entire sub and marvel at the small spaces that the sub's crew had to work and live in. You can easily image the life of a submariner in war time. You will not be disappointed.

We really enjoyed the museum, it is very well laid out. The video in the theater was great, it allowed my 87 year old father to experience the inside of the sub, without going down ladders which was beyond his ability. My wife and I will eagerly return later in the summer for the full submarine tour!

This was much more interesting than I expected. Make sure you go in gift shop and talk to the staff because they have a lot of knowledge about this ship. Great job of putting it all together

I when here with my grand kids on a Scouting trip. The museum has lots of displays geared to kids and adults.The guided tours were terrific and offered lots of historical tidbits. It was amazing touring the sub and seeing the tight quarters the crew lived in. When worth the price.

Unable to enter the museum due to late arrival. However the overall dock area is impressive. There are outside exhibits which give you a insight into submarine life. Just seeing the submarine in person is must visit

My husband and I went to this museum. It was done very well and we found it interesting. Getting to walk through the actual submarine was really cool.

This is a super neat place! I highly recommend it.

The museum is nice and informative.

You can tour just the museum or the museum, the sub, and a coast guard cutter. I recommend the full tour.

Note: the ships are NOT handicapped accessible. They are actual WWII era vessels.

The sub has a ladder down and a ladder up. The doorways are the issue for people with health problems. They are big enough even for large people, but can aggravate back and knee problems; lots of bending.

The cutter was ok, but nothing special in my opinion.

The sub was an amazing tour!!!! It's still fully stocked and operational. It's amazing how small the areas are that people had to live in. I learned a lot including that life on a sub is not for me.

Highly recommend this tour!!!!! It's good for all ages that can walk.

Absolutely amazing piece of history.

So nice to see real WW2 Submarine and museum. Worth it to find and drive to. If you like history, you will like this.

Our family spent the better part of a chilly afternoon checking out the indoor museum, as well as the submarine that you can walk through. Our teenage boys seemed to really enjoy the time we spent, even though it was a learning activity. It's a little pricey, but worth the time to learn about the tales of the WWII heros.

WWII history buffs will love this place. Museum is very informative, with artifacts and much information. Took a self-tour of the USS Silversides, was not too busy, so we were able to take our time and see it all.

This museum and ship was very interesting. The museum portion is inside and takes you through World War 2. There are a lot of personalized stories that are worth taking the time to read. Be sure you find the Buddha statue that crew members would rub the belly of for luck. I would highly recommend taking the time to watch the video inside BEFORE going out to the sub. The video really brought the ship to life and gave background information that made the self guided tour much more purposeful. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because there is a Coast Guard boat you can tour as well but there is virtually no information provided about it and no one on the ship to get information from. Be on the lookout for discount tickets from Groupon or a coupon from the visitor center in downtown Muskegon.

I had a great time with the great history of our country and honor all military for protecting and fighting for our country our freedom and our flag