Wook Chung

Review of National Liberty Ship Memorial...

Compared to the Pampanito (submarine) next door, t...

Compared to the Pampanito (submarine) next door, the ticket price here definitely was worth the length of the tour. However, the entire heritage site was really badly managed. It was peak tourist time when renovation and painting would continue on, the kitchen was actually making hot dogs for some private events, and the ship lacked a lot of explanation boards that describe what you are seeing. Essentially, you walk onto a historical boat without any explanation or history and somehow need to make sense of it all, all while your illusion broken by people "fixing" and renovating the boat.

There are definitely jewels of the tour. The engine room is unique, there's a great WW2 museum in the lower level, etc. However, the entire presentation looked liked a junkyard. Visitors simply cannot get in the illusion that they were roaming around a WW2 ship. Also it would've been amazing to know exactly what role this particular ship played in D-Day at Normandy.

Somehow all the presentation coming together felt badly managed and presented. A lost opportunity I would say. Won't probably return even with tourists visiting from out of town.