Downtown San Diego · Navy Pier · Aircraft carrier museum
USS Midway Museum
Climb aboard America’s longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, now a museum with 29 restored aircraft, flight simulators and sailor-narrated audio tours on San Diego’s downtown waterfront.
Opens the Midway’s ticket page. Tickets bought online cost $2 less than at the door.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Aircraft carrier museum
Moored at Navy Pier on San Diego Bay
Admission
$26–$41
Adults $39 online, $41 at the door
Hours
Daily 10 am–5 pm
Last entry 4 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Time needed
4–5 hours
Museum’s suggestion; same-day re-entry is OK
Parking
Cars only on Navy Pier
No RVs or vehicles over 18 ft
Restored aircraft
29 aircraft
Plus flight simulators and 60 exhibits
What you’ll see
From the hangar deck to the flight deck
The Midway is a museum you explore deck by deck, from the hangar bay to the flight deck and the island that ran it all.
Photo: Frank Schulenburg on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
The flight deck and its aircraft
Up top, restored jets, propeller planes and helicopters line the flight deck the way they did at sea. The museum counts 29 restored aircraft across the ship, and from the deck you look out over San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.
RV tip: the museum suggests 4 to 5 hours aboard, and same-day re-entry is allowed through the Visitors Information Center at the ship’s exit, so you can step off for lunch or to move the car.
More to see
- Self-guided audio tourIncluded with admission and narrated by Midway sailors, in English, Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, French and German.
- Battle of Midway TheaterA film on the June 1942 battle the ship is named for, included with admission.
- Flight simulatorsThe museum lists flight simulators among its onboard experiences, alongside about 60 exhibit areas below decks.
- Junior Pilot ProgramKids can earn their own pilot wings. Stop by the Information Booth by the entrance to get started.
Why go
Navy history you can walk through, a short drive from camp
The Midway was commissioned on September 10, 1945, a week after World War II formally ended, and was named for the Battle of Midway of June 1942. Over a 47-year career it served through the Cold War and was flagship of air operations in Operation Desert Storm before it was decommissioned in 1992. More than 225,000 sailors served aboard, and the ship opened as a museum in June 2004.
For RVers the appeal is how easily it fits into a San Diego stay. The ship is moored at Navy Pier on North Harbor Drive, about a 16-minute drive from the Mission Bay and Chula Vista RV parks in usual traffic. Just plan to leave the rig at camp: the Navy Pier lot is for passenger vehicles only.
It also works for mixed groups. Kids can earn their own pilot wings in the Junior Pilot Program, veterans get a $26 ticket, and active-duty military, reservists and children 3 and under get in free.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why it made our list
- #1 of 946 things to do in San Diego on Tripadvisor
- 29 restored aircraft and flight simulators
- Self-guided audio tour included with admission
- Free for active-duty military and kids 3 and under
- About 16 minutes from Mission Bay RV parks
For RVers
Getting to the Midway with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Leave the rig at camp
The Navy Pier lot beside the ship is owned by the Port of San Diego and managed by Ace Parking, and it is for passenger vehicles only. The museum says no RV parking is permitted and vehicles over 18 feet can’t park on the pier, so drive in with your tow vehicle or car.
If you must bring a big vehicle
The museum points large vehicles to metered spaces along Pacific Coast Highway, the closest large-vehicle parking. Most nearby meters have a 2 to 3 hour limit, which is short for a 4 to 5 hour visit, so read the signs. Meters are free on Sundays and holidays, but time limits still apply.
Pets stay at camp
Pets are on the museum’s list of prohibited items, along with outside food and drink, glass and bicycles. Service animals are welcome aboard. Leave pets at camp rather than in a parked vehicle.
Or skip parking altogether
The Santa Fe Depot and the American Plaza trolley station are about a 5-minute walk from the ship. If you’re staying at San Diego RV Resort in La Mesa, the trolley stops at its gate, so you can ride downtown and leave the car at camp too.
What visitors say about USS Midway Museum
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
A floating city at sea.
USS Midway Museum, describing the ship · Tripadvisor listing
How the review sites rank it
Rankings the review sites publish
#1 of 946 in San DiegoTravelers’ Choice 202653,000+ Google reviews
Tripadvisor ranks the Midway #1 of 946 things to do in San Diego and gave it a 2026 Travelers’ Choice award. Google and Yelp didn’t show topic highlights for it when we checked on October 24, 2026, so we haven’t summarized review themes.
What a visit costs
Ticket prices from midway.org; parking is the Navy Pier lot rate for up to 6 hours. Checked October 24, 2026.
Good to know
Adults (13+)$39 online · $41 at the door
Youth (4–12)$29 online · $31 at the door
Veterans$26 with proof of service
Free admissionActive-duty militaryReservistsKids 3 & under
Prices from midway.org, checked October 24, 2026. Museums for All offers $5 daytime admission with a SNAP EBT card and matching photo ID, up to four tickets, at the ticket booth only.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
USS Midway Museum
- Address910 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
- HoursDaily 10 am–5 pm
Last entry 4 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. - Phone(619) 544-9600
- TicketsBuy online and save $2, or at the ticket booth
- Getting thereThe ship is moored at Navy Pier on North Harbor Drive, on the downtown waterfront. The Santa Fe Depot and American Plaza trolley station are about a 5-minute walk away.
- ParkingNavy Pier lot, cars only: $20 up to 6 hours, $25 over 6 hours, $30 for special events. No RVs and nothing over 18 feet.
Hours can change for holidays and special events, and the Navy Pier lot fills early in summer. Check midway.org before you head downtown.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near USS Midway Museum
These are the San Diego parks we’ve written up that sit closest to the Midway. Each is about a 16-minute drive downtown in usual traffic.
Mission Bay RV Resort
Full-hookup resort on De Anza Cove in Mission Bay, with bayfront sites, a heated pool and lower winter rates.
Campland on the Bay
Big waterfront resort on Mission Bay with its own beach, a marina, pools and family activities.
Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay
Newer resort-style park on the Chula Vista bayfront with level concrete sites, a heated pool and a café.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Daily 10 am–5 pm · Last entry 4 pm
Ready to climb aboard?
Buy tickets online to save $2, leave the rig at camp, and give yourself the better part of a day on the ship.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Frank Schulenburg (flight deck director sculpture; CC BY-SA 4.0), Balon Greyjoy (E-2 Hawkeye; CC0), Clemens Vasters (Seahawk helicopter; CC BY 2.0), Christian David (name and flags, Navy Pier panorama; CC BY-SA 4.0), Michael W. Kolton (island and mast; CC BY-SA 3.0) and Dietmar Rabich (stern from the bay; CC BY-SA 4.0); the images were resized. Video: Yellow Productions on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with USS Midway Museum unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the museum’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the museum and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with USS Midway Museum at midway.org or (619) 544-9600. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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