American Victory Ship

705 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, USA

Address:	705 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
Phone:	+1 813-228-8766
Site:	americanvictory.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	12–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Crussian Doe

I feel bad giving 2 stars. But this ship could be so much more. All starts with confusion, its not that clear how to get to museum, and where to park. If you want to park near the ship, you have to go under "authorized vehicles only" sign or park at public parking for Aquarium and cruises. Next the girl at reception is the first bummer, shes greeting you with the legs on the table, but for $10 I guess thats fine. There are no outlay, or information about tours, no path - youre just wonder around peaking here and there without any system or learning something. The final bummer is the shop... Even smallest museums have magnets, shot glasses, coasters, tees and all other stuff to display or bring as a gift to family and friends... Here was nothing even related to the ship... Empty shelfs... So I decided to get some patches so I would have at least something... But when girl at reception finally finished texting she surprised me that their card machine isnt working for past two months, because it has to be replaced with chip reading one. So its cash only. No ATM around. I was able to scratch $5 for a single patch to avoid coming home empty handed... Hopefully someone will make visiting this awesome living piece of history - a life time experience which you want to repeat, and not one to run from.

Michael Hogue

This is a great experience, especially for those WWII buff and Navy buffs. This ship actually makes sail annually, or so I was told. :) It is supported by donations, so help if you can - as in all navel vessels, keeping up with the rust & corrosion is a chore. This is an excellent example of a navel ship, lightly outfitted for warfare, and it takes 2-3 hours to walk around, more if you are really into it and the fine "stuff", like details. It is a worn ship, and yes there are repairs that need made, but it is in wonderful condition, airy, breezy despite being steel, and gives one a good appreciation for what life on these small ships was like. My wife & I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and appreciated the fact that unlike some larger ships, it was doable by an older couple. Following the arrows is important! by the way, if you want to see everything and not get lost. As for the location - it was *easy* once we spoke to a local and they said: "Behind the Aquarium - go to the left (of the aquarium)". A nice experience & I would do it again. Really enjoyed ourselves. :D

Joe Achberger

OUTSTANDING !! ,.....I will certainly be going again and again, I recently had family visiting and toured the ship when we went to Tampa Aquarium , it was hot and humid so the kids didnt last too long , I could spend a week there. Ive always been fascinated by big ships and WW2 history so Im sure I will go back as often as I can. Hats off to the fine folks who maintain the ship and to those who served during wartime. Im not sure if they take the ship out , but I would love to sail aboard such a wonderful piece of history. The fact that you tour the ship on your own is great , but I saw a few aboard that might have served in WW2 , they answer questions and they deserve your thanks when you meet them. I will be there "exploring " and day dreaming of what it would be like to serve on a vessel that was so important to our freedom and security,...Thanks to all Vets ,.....dont miss this attraction when visiting Tampa,....Im sure you will love it.

Bradd Robinson

My niece and I happen upon this gem when we were walking from the Aquarium to look at the cruise terminal I will coming into later this year. I am so glad that we found it. For just $10 per person, you are able to wander the ship pretty much well without restriction. Some of the sites that you will have a chance to see are things you will never see anywhere else. Because you are not restricted, you get a much more up close and personal view of the ship. You will learn the history of the ship, and find out more about how supply ships are used in our military. The volunteer onboard on the day we visited was actually on this exact ship in Vietnam, and he was able to tell me a lot more about the ship from his perspective. He explained to us just how the ship was made, and how much red tape there was when making more ships. If you are in the area, this gem is well worth the money.

This Old Runner

The S.S. American Victory ship was so interesting. Its a cargo ship that was used during WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It is huge! For a small admission price ($10), you can tour the ship and support the museum. The day we visited there were some nice breezes, but I can imagine it is unbearably hot in the middle of summer. It was eye-opening to see the inside of the ship and the cargo holding areas. Its a decent workout to walk the decks, and climb up and down all the ladders. Its fascinating to see what life on the ship was like for the brave people who served on it. There are some beautiful views of Tampas harbor. There is plenty of nearby parking. The ship a nice addition to a trip to the Columbia Cafe and History Museum or Aquarium.

Sean Anderson

I loved this ship! Its really not that hard to find..idk why people had such issues with it. It clearly states its located behind the FL museum so you just follow the path & signs down to it. I was there for two hours walking through it which surprised me. Its very open and there arent employees hovering over your shoulder to watch you. I got a lot of cool shots because nothing is roped off except lower cargo areas and the engine room (although you could see part of the engine room). While we were there they actually were doing a lesson on the life boats so we got to see them moving them & lowering them down. Nice people running it as well, mostly veterans. Definitely worth going to! :)

Randi Drew

I would rate it at a 2 and a half if that was an option. The ship its self is a treasure and would be an awesome museum if someone put a little TLC in her. Its definitely worth a visit. The reason I am giving it a low rating is because of the 4th of July Family Fun Night. It advertised as having arts and crafts and games for kids and the best view for fire works. I paid $39.78 on ticket web for 3 tickets plus $20 for parking and I got rude staff, side walk chalk, corn hole boards and we watched the fire works on the side walk outside the ship because the view from the middle and back of the ship was horrible! A complete waste of money.

DR V

WWII history buffs will enjoy this attaction! It is nice that its self guided but they could repaint the arrows on the floor. Some were a little hard to see and that made it confusing on where to go next. My GPS took me to the Florida Aquarium parking lot so we parked there. We were very confused on how to get to the museum ship. There were signs pointing in 2 different directions and when we finally were going in the correct direction, we found out that we could have just parked right next to the ship! Be sure to read the map on the website carefully. It tells you directly where to go.