Patriot’s Point is located in Mt. Pleasant, SC, which is right across the bay via the Ravenelle Bridge. Patriot’s Point is the complex that houses the USS Yorktown, USS Lafferty, USS Clamagore submarine, the Vietnam Experience, the Medal of Honor Museum and the airplane displays around the complex. The USS Yorktown is the main attraction here as it is an aircraft carrier used in the World Wars and subsequent military operations. Now it is a museum that contains a fleet of airplanes used throughout history housed in the hanger and deck Visitors can tour designated areas of the ship offering a glimpse into what life was like on the ship. Many of the touring areas offer videos about the wars in which Yorktown was involved.
A variety of ticket types are available: Adults 12 and over $27, Senior Citizens 62 and over $17, Children 6-11 = $16, Children under 6 are FREE, Active Duty/Retired Military $19 with ID, Active Military in Uniform are Free. The museum has both winter and summer hours, so check their website for hours of operation during the time of your visit. Parking for the day costs $5 per vehicle. Tickets to the Ft. Sumter tour are available at the ticket window. The Ft. Sumter ferry docks at Patriot Point.
The USS Laffey is a Destroyer class ship that also fought in the World Wars and other military excursions. The Lafferty is a much smaller ship than the Yorktown but carried….The USS Clamagore Submarine was not accepting tourists on this day due to refurbishing, but if you are there when it opens again, I am sure it is worth a visit. The Vietnam Experience is located toward the front of the complex and includes.
You can easily spend the good part of a day at Patriot’s Point especially if you include a trip out to Ft. Sumter. You can pick up a ferry to Ft. Sumter at the same dock. Single-day admission to Patriot’s Point is $21 for adults aged 12-61 and includes entry to the USS Yorktown, USS Lafferty, The Vietnam Experience, Medal of Honor Museum and the Cold War Memorial. Other discounts are available depending on your status: Children 6-11 are $16, Seniors at 62+ are $19, active military/retired with ID are $19, and veterans/teachers/first responders with ID $21.
The USS Yorktown is the main attraction at Patriot’s Point. The upper and lower decks house retired aircraft on their flight decks. Stopping points and videos explain the events of WWII and other information. Visitors can get up close and personal with all the planes displayed here as well as a good view of the Ravenel Bridge.
If you are willing to climb the very steep stairs within the ship, you can explore the interior maze of rooms and ship areas that were important to the functioning of the ship and the sailors.
It is easy to spend a good part of the day exploring all these venues at Patriot’s Point. A trip out to Ft. Sumter takes about 2 1/2 hours, so if you plan to take the ferry out there you must plan accordingly. We went to Ft. Sumter on a separate day due to time constraints and reservation availability.
If you are in the Charleston area, try to visit Patriot’s Point to see a part of history!
