Today's adventure takes us back to Corpus Christi. After spotting her during our visit to the art museum yesterday, we couldn't resist checking out the USS Lexington Museum, and it did not disappoint.
USS Lexington Museum
- Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. year-round, seven days a week
- Website: https://usslexington.com/
- Note: Wear sturdy shoes, as there are many flights of stairs that are more akin to ladders. Plan to arrive before noon, as the museum is quite large and takes several hours to explore fully.
Commissioned into the United States Navy in 1943, the Lexington served actively for nearly 40 years, with a brief decommission period from 1947 to 1955. When she was finally decommissioned in 1991, she was the oldest working carrier in the United States Navy. She has steamed more miles and served longer than any other Essex Class carrier in the world.
Nicknamed "The Blue Ghost," the Lexington earned her title because the Japanese reported her sunk no fewer than four times. She arrived at Corpus Christi in 1992, where she has since served as a naval aviation museum, educational facility, and popular tourist attraction. Remarkably, she remains a working ship to this day.
Flight Deck
We started our day on the flight deck, where more than a dozen historical aircraft were on display. We easily spent an hour walking around and observing the aircraft before making our way to the navigation bridge, where we also got a look at the captain's quarters.
Foc’sle
The second stop was the foc'sle, a vernacular term for forecastle, referring to the forward upper deck area that extends to the bow. Here, we learned about the space and some of the ship's equipment.
The most powerful collection in this section, however, was the Pearl Harbor exhibit. Featuring firsthand accounts, news releases, and a wealth of primary sources, it was difficult not to be moved to tears. You feel as though you are stepping back in time and experiencing the events firsthand.
Gallery Deck
The gallery deck opened with a history of the USS Lexington before leading us through the captain's cabin and the Combat Information Center. There is also a library on this level, though unfortunately it was closed during our visit.
Lower Deck
The lower deck offers a genuine sense of what life was like for a sailor serving aboard a naval vessel. Here you will find exhibits on sleeping quarters alongside the facilities that supported daily life, including the chapel, crew's galley, dental clinic, engine room, sick bay, and mess hall. The lower deck also houses two notable collections: the POW Exhibit and the Scale Model Gallery, the largest publicly exhibited model collection in Texas with more than 440 scale models. A personal highlight was the collection dedicated to Women in the Navy.
By this point, we realized we were running short on time. We had started this deck assuming we could get through it quickly, but we were very wrong. In hindsight, we should have known better, as each section took close to an hour or more. We found ourselves practically racing through the final portions to reach the exit before closing.
Hangars Deck
The last section is the hangar deck, but the museum was closing by the time we arrived and we were unable to explore it properly. We did pass through briefly, as it serves as the entry level of the ship and functions as the main floor, but we had no time to stop and take anything in. The hangar deck features a stage, a 3D mega theater, virtual battle stations, a flight simulator, an active mess hall, and the museum gift shop.
If you want to see the USS Lexington up close and follow along with our full visit, check out our YouTube video. Seeing the ship brings the whole experience to life in a way that words and photos simply cannot capture.
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