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USS KIDD Veterans Museum
305 S River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, United States
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Ma
Review №1

The ship is lovingly maintained, and it was very eye opening to see how the sailors lived on board during WWII, and we gained a whole new respect for them. My father was deployed on 2 destroyers during the Vietnam War and I had no idea how he lived during his 6 month tours at sea. I highly recommend a visit to the ship and museum. We will return again and bring our children and grandson.

Ea
Review №2

Great Museum and great tour. Our tour guide was doing it for the first time but he still did a great job! He answered our questions and took the time to be patient with everything we wanted to see and know about. Definitely recommend taking their guided tour. They cut us a discount since they had just recently opened since the pandemic opened but rather than just seeing the USS on our own, it was great to listen to little story snippets and significance of various parts of the ship and its role in history!

De
Review №3

Great experience. Went with our three little kids and took their grandparents. Right now their was not many people. I do won’t he tour was guided so we could have learned about every little detail but overall it was great and the price was good!

An
Review №4

Fun adventure, great for history lessons and taking kids through. Recommended to my family whose going Thanksgiving weekend, theyre excited to see it.

Di
Review №5

The place is beautiful, especially on fall, the Ship is really well kept. A great visit. Really recommend

Mi
Review №6

Pretty interesting. You really have to feel for the sailors aboard this ship. Tight quarters. No privacy.

Ka
Review №7

The kids enjoyed the tour of the ship and the museum/gift shop. The kids took off because they were excited and when they got to the front entrance, the guy working there wasnt quite interested in dealing with children it seemed. Rather than try and talk to them as children who were excited and ready to go check it out, with parents following right behind, he rudely told them they had to have tickets and was quite annoyed with them waiting for us at the entrance. Overall it was a good and interesting activity.

Sh
Review №8

Small but unique ship! I decided to get promoted to Staff Sergeant on this ship, and it brought back some memories of another promotion and ceremony I had on other ships! I I reccomend to anybody who enjoys a little piece of history to visit.

Al
Review №9

My wife and I had a ton of fun! Very historical and amazing views of the Mississippi River

Da
Review №10

Humbling and wonderful reminder of how our national heros lived as they fought for liberty around the globe. Must see when you visit Baton Rouge!

va
Review №11

Great experience, so much to see.

N
Review №12

Great museum with well preserved historical artifacts. I really enjoyed how the curators have chosen to display ships of different types to give visitors an idea of how important naval defenses are to national security. Local heroes are highlighted and honored as well. I highly recommend a visit to the museum to anyone!!! If your kids are younger, all about how they and a group of friends can spend the night on the ship.

Am
Review №13

We had a great experience visiting the USS Kidd on Memorial Day! They have a cute little museum with interactive features and sets mimicking the inside of a boat with cannons or a bunker built during WW2. Cases in honor of fallen men and women - some native to Louisiana - adorn the walls reminding us of the human lives of the men and women who served in order for us to enjoy our freedoms. The ship is self guided with numbered arrows matching to a pamphlet given to you at the start of the ship. Overall, it’s a well worth the trip out to see it and take the time to honor the lives served.

No
Review №14

Very well done representation of a destroyer underway. They also had some very nice memorials of other ships, as well as personnel. The museum inside is also extremely well done. I was impressed and moved, especially by their representation of the Vietnam wall. All exhibits and memorials, inside and out, were excellent.I highly recommend making this a must see on your way through Baton Rouge

El
Review №15

This has been someplace Ive wanted to visit for a while - my husbands grandfather served on the ship during WWII. It has been a part of his family lore for a long time. I absolutely LOVED it! My husband and I toured first, and then we were able to talk with Rosehn (the director) and Tim (the superintendent). Tims knowledge of the ship astounds me. He truly brought the ship to life through his stories (heard from other veterans) and other historical information. I cant wait to go back!

Ji
Review №16

The boat is in great condition and very entertaining. We did the visit with a 4 and 8 years old. No major issue, just a couple of stairways easy to take. No forbidden area where you have to run your kid after.The boat is complemented with a very nice little museum, with a great number of artefacts, like medals, clothes etc ...Great surprise.

Ro
Review №17

Great if you can walk through it but to sell bigger sailor hats at gift shop

Re
Review №18

Great place to visit and learn history. Very clean and the museum was outstanding.

Mi
Review №19

Tons of respect for the men that served on that ship. How all the moving parts need to work together....how the whole ship needed to coordinate their activities just to cruise the waters...God bless all that served on that ship or any other to protect our country!

Fa
Review №20

We took advantage of admissions being free every first Sunday of the month. The only down side is they open late and close early, so kind of rushed through it but it was still a good time. Definitely a great thing for any military family to part take in. Alot of great stories on display of our local heroes. Be warned though, walking on the boat can be tricky with little ones but thanks to the great personable, educated guides they made it easier. There are other things to do here during paid admissions that were not available so we didnt get to see everything. We will be back soon!

Br
Review №21

Very nice museum great place to take families!! Me & my brother had great time!

Hu
Review №22

$10 admission. Plan on 2 hours: museum building about 1 hour, self-guided tour of the boat (WWII Destoyer) about 45 minutes. Can park for free about a half mile away - right next to the train tracks, just before the Hollywood Casino. From there you can also walk to the Capitol Museum which Id recommend.

Da
Review №23

Outstanding! After touring the USS KIDD I have even more respect for the men that served on that ship. Had no ideal of the tight confines the men lived and worked in. A must see event.

Su
Review №24

What an enlightening experience to see the destroyer first hand, but without the often treacherous conditions of being at sea, during wartime. Just maneuvering through the tight quarters and seeing the cramped sleeping conditions our troops had for a bit of rest made me appreciate their service more. God Bless our troops, then and now. There are many ladders to climb, so be prepared.

jo
Review №25

We enjoyed taking the kids to explore a piece of history like the USS KID. Our tour guide was pleasant and knowledgeable. She made the experience fun for the kids. I would recommend you visit if you are into military history.

Jo
Review №26

Cool to see a ship that has served our country. It gives you an interesting look into what living conditions were like for members of our Navy. The museum is a great place to learn about some of Louisianas greatest heroes who paid the ultimate price for our countrys freedom. The ship itself is also an interesting tour. We got our tickets on Groupon which saved us some money.

Mi
Review №27

If you ever wondered why the Greatest Generation was called such, visit this museum. This ship served as a protector and defender for the larger battleships it served. The experience is like no other. It teaches what service really meant and provides a greater understanding of the daily life serving in the WW2 Navy.

Ca
Review №28

A great display honoring our men and women that fought for our freedom! I wish there where more that work hard to show that appreciation for the sacrifices given to keep this country free.

Ch
Review №29

The museum was really great! I didn’t get to go on the ship, but my kids and husband loved it! It’s a good bit of climbing steps up and down. This is definitely on the list to do again! Also, we caught it on an interactive Saturday where they had people dressed up as soldiers from different times. That was neat!

Br
Review №30

I love touring this place and especially the ship. Its filled with lots of history and cool artifacts. Its fun to bring the family, pack a picnic lunch, and make the day out of it.

Mi
Review №31

It was so much fun to visit the USS Kidd museum. Hope to be able to come again.

De
Review №32

Very interesting and very hot go early to avoid the people and the heat.

Mo
Review №33

Nice old US navy boot to visit. Are busy with restoring it.

Ru
Review №34

Reasonably priced museum. Actual museum has some interesting displays and artifacts. The real star is the USS Kidd. Self guided tours allow you to go at your own pace. You can read as much or as little as you like. Tour takes you up and down the various decks of the ship. Some spaces are tight. Gives a true feeling of being on a WWII area ship.

Da
Review №35

A wonderful tribute to those who served. The museum was great, highly interactive and well kept. Parking was easy. I could park 10 feet from the door. The gift shop had some very nice things. The memorials to those who died in Vietnam and in many other conflicts was touching and serene. And the battleship was well kept. The tour was top notch because you could go to probably 85% of the ship. There weren’t many rules or ropes preventing you from really getting a scale of the Kidd. The sick bay, the radio room, the guns, the showers and bathrooms, the crew quarters and the various decks of the ship all were kept in really good shape and made for a great tour. If you haven’t been and you’re driving through Baton Rouge, you should absolutely spend a few hours here

Ch
Review №36

You could spend several hours here. A lot of displays honoring veterans from different eras. It seemed most were from Louisiana. The ship was cool but they could have better directions on moving from place to place.

As
Review №37

It was awesome taking my girls to tour the ship and see how war life on the boat was like. As an adult, it holds such a strong meaning and perspective for these brave souls.

Ke
Review №38

Great displays, clean and polite staff, facilities are great and clean restrooms. If you can get on one of the tours on board, its extremely informative. Our group loved the info and historical significance. Kids seemed to like it too and you get to go to most places on the ship and examine everything.

Je
Review №39

The USS Kidd has been beautifully preserved and is an incredible sight to see. I would recommend going on a day when the volunteers are there to give tours, at their pace. I believe it was Friday but definitely give them a call to check and see which day they are offering this when you go.The destroyer along with the museum have been done extremely well and are managed by a fantastic team. I was lucky enough to attend their Veterans Day Celebration last year and what an honor it was to meet all of those distinguished men and women.

Ca
Review №40

Its a small museum, but a great one. Staff is great.

He
Review №41

I enjoyed the self tour ,but having a guide would tell more about the areas and stories

Ji
Review №42

The USS Kidd is a fascinating look at a ship that does not gain the popularity or reputation that battleships and aircraft carriers tend to garner. Its a real working ship however that acts as a crucial support vessel to the capital ships. The USS Kidd was a key player in many significant battles in the Pacific theater during World War 2 and it has earned its place in history.The self guided tour is a thorough investigation of much of the ship and the attached museum is a great place to see the history of warships. Its not the most conveniently located museum but its reasonably easy to see it and other attractions in the area.

Sa
Review №43

Self directed tour. Fascinating look at what it would have been like to serve on a destroyer in WWII. Must not have been an easy experience for those sailors. Worth a look if you are into military stuff and dont mind climbing around in close quarters

Gr
Review №44

I was visiting Baton Rouge from Seattle with my daughter and father in law (who is from the area) and the USS Kidd caught my eye as something fun to do. It is a WW II era destroyer that is permanently docked on the river there along with a museum on shore. Be sure to buy your tickets in the museum first. There is also an outdoor area next to the museum set aside to honor all of the folks from Louisiana that have died in war. All of their names are carved into the wall and it is very humbling. My father in law even found the name of a friend who died in Vietnam.

Sa
Review №45

The USS Kids was very interesting and informative. Theres quite of area to cover but it only takes about thirty minutes to check it out. The whole ship takes you back in time. The attendants were very nice.

La
Review №46

Hubby and I really enjoyed the tour inside the USS KIDD and their exhibit at the veterans museum. It has several information about the early military history.

E
Review №47

Lots to see. Indoor and outdoors. Wear good walking shoes!

se
Review №48

Its one Baton Rouges hottest places during Covid-19 for family ! I love downtown its been our go to place to site see. Thanks for the art and clean environment

Ke
Review №49

Loved it... My son and I love exploring the decks of the ship and learning about its amazing history and the heros who served!

Sa
Review №50

Nice to see this place has been being updated!

Be
Review №51

A wonderful museum and a ship tour! My husband and I had so much fun. If you are sensitive to motion the ship is in the water and does move. Keep that in mind when visiting.

Ma
Review №52

Great tour around USS Kidd, lots to see and well informed, although we was cut short because a thunderstorm rolled in we still had time to see most of the ship.

Al
Review №53

Wonderful ship. Kids loved it. Good price

ce
Review №54

Really interesting place and glad it’s here. Just be warned it’s a little hot and claustrophobic because well this isn’t the titanic but a super cool part of history.

An
Review №55

Awesome experience! We went to see the Kidd because my Grandpa was on the Fletcher class destroyer USS Porterfield. His ship is not around anymore but I wanted to see the things he would have seen on the ship. It has been kept in great shape. The self guided tour is easy to follow. My kids enjoyed it a lot. I wish we could have stayed overnight but I dont have a group of 20 people to bring with me. The memorials to the sister ships near the end was very emotional to me. The Porterfield didnt have anything in its shadow box so I bought a patch and I am sending it to the museum so it wont be empty. As soon as I stepped off of the ship I was overcome with emotions. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves history, ships, the military, or anyone who wants to retrace the steps of the people they love.

Pe
Review №56

What a great experience. For a wheelchair user to be able to board a US battleship is unheard of. Admittedly, we could only access part of the main deck, but it was well worth it for us.

Er
Review №57

The museum was amazing hard to carry a baby through but doable we loved it I wish we could have seen the complete museum but HVAC repairs are being done also more areas in the boat would be amazing to see I hope to visit again and see more

M
Review №58

The museum is a great place to learn about our past naval history. The models on display are amazing as well as other exhibits. The staff and volunteers are very friendly. Youth groups with children ages 4-18 can spend the night on the Kidd. What a great experience!

Br
Review №59

My daughter stayed overnight on the ship on a school field trip and she couldnt stop taking about it. We drove from Shreveport. Its definitely worth seeing! So much history! And while the parents werent allowed on the ship with the kids, we definitely plan on making another trip for the whole family to see it!!

Ad
Review №60

Had a great time. Havent been here since I was a kid. My wife had never been and she really enjoyed it. Didnt realize it but by the time we were almost done looking at the ship 2.5hrs had passed, and we were moving pretty quick.Its something you can definitely sink some time in to if you try to see everything. We didnt spend much time taking photos, but there is lots of things to photograph.

Do
Review №61

This is an amazing place to visit and take a tour of the ship. Learn about the men that gave their lives in service of our country.A Must Visit.

M
Review №62

Staff was nice and helpful. We got a ton of rain, so watch your weather report because the ship has to close down for a bit if theres lightning. The museum has a lot of interesting artifacts and historical uniforms and weapons. They had some rooms set up with historical uniform parts, keyboards, and photos, to help visualize what it really would have looked like. we went on the self guided tour- which follows the map based on different numbered points- but really we just roamed around and looked ourselves at our own pace. parking is right in front of the ship- but is limited, so you have to watch out. and if it rains, you can go look at the museum and gift shop inside the building.

Cl
Review №63

Thoroughly enjoyed my time both in the museum and on the ship. We spent over 4 hours there and couldve easily stayed longer but they were closing. All of the employees we encountered were knowledgeable and more then eager to answer any questions you could ask. Only issue was the ship is not handicap accessible, so a member of our group could only view the top main deck. But we went knowing that ahead of time.

Sy
Review №64

A must see, very Interesting, the volunteers are so nice and informative. We really enjoyed our visit.

De
Review №65

One of the best museum I been to in years. And, its only 10 dollars!

Ch
Review №66

A lot of history very interesting even the kids had a great time. I definitely want to go again

Du
Review №67

Ship is in excellent condition given its status as a historic fleet vessel. The museum itself is also excellent albiet small like the ship. The gift shop has almost nothing for the ship itself its majority of products are just general items. Staff is knowledgeable and very friendly and educational.

Co
Review №68

Awesome WW2 destroyer

St
Review №69

Well worth the price of admission for both the museum and the USS Kidd. Self guided tour of the boat was fun, but NOT for those that are mobility impaired. Reference numbers on the boat versus the guide handout were off just slightly. Being retired from the Army, Im glad I didnt enlist in the Navy. Youll have to see the boat to understand why.

Ka
Review №70

My first time exploring a real Decommissioned Destroyer battleship. Absolutely eye-opening, exciting and educational!Great for all ages! You can stay overnight as a kid too. I wish there was a night for adults!It was awesome to see the halls of memorials to the multitude of veterans of Louisiana. Louisiana surely is a home of brave people.

Ma
Review №71

This a self guided tour, would have been nice to tour guide to answer questions, the first day the museum refused to sell tickets after three pm so I came back the second day to see the USS Kidd. Too many areas closed off for general viewing, such as the the engine room, the wheel house, etc.

Co
Review №72

The ship is cool. Need more information on what were looking at.Preferably add an audio tour. Like a tape recorder thing. You could charge for the audio part to offset the cost of getting it made.

Sh
Review №73

This was amazing tour , loved the ship cause get to walk on and inside the actual uss kidd

An
Review №74

It was a great exibt that honored our veterans. I loved getting a tour of the old retired naval world war 2 battle ship and learning the history about it. I liked that I was actually able to tour the ship and go almost everywhere in the retired naval battle ship. I also liked going to the attached inside part of the museum were I got to read up about the history of World War 2, see world war 2 artifacts, and many other interesting and touching stuff about it. The front staff at the register was very nice and so was every one else besides this one old lady who was cleaning the floor and yelled at me for no reason. I did not allow that old cleaning lady to bother me and ruin my experience as I realized she was delusional and should be retired. This place is a must see in Baton Rouge.

Jo
Review №75

Our family visited on a Saturday afternoon. It was a lot of fun. We enjoyed seeing first hand what it feels like to be on a battle ship. We met and talked with one of the volunteers that keep the USS Kidd maintained. The ship is well cared for. The museum was very interesting. Our young boys really liked the model ships.

Mi
Review №76

This was my Dads ship from WWII. It is a wonderful place loaded with history and information.

Ja
Review №77

Amazing experience! We absolutely loved touring the area as well as the displays. They have done a great job on maintaining the historical items.

Do
Review №78

Great museum. Nothing better then being able to walk around and explore on your own pace.

Ol
Review №79

Wow what a visit! Its self paced and we loved it. We took lots of great pics.

An
Review №80

Im from a military family and I loved the water and the tour.

Ba
Review №81

Loved the experience. My family had a lot of fun.

Do
Review №82

Love it.I love US History

Jo
Review №83

Very good experience. Very easy tour and the information in the building was very good also.

Jo
Review №84

I didnt actually go onto the ship but the museum is definitely worth a visit.They have a whole life size portion of Old Ironsides reproduced so you can see what it looked like as well as other scale models of ships ranging from the Korean War all the way back to the 18th century.

Ja
Review №85

Had a great time with the family, even though it was a slightly rainy day. My youngest (8) wants to have his birthday party here now!

Ri
Review №86

In paying tribute to those who sacrificed everything every memorial ship has a deep rich history to tell about those whom served and lived aboard. Not everyone comes home to enjoy the freedom they gave up, and todays society should honor that sacrifice daily. Thanks, to the taxpayers, volunteers, committees and continued government support for these national treasures.

Da
Review №87

First tour of a classic Destroyer! Good history lesson.

Je
Review №88

Whats not to love about a retired battle ship?Everyone enjoyed the time spent on the ship itself and also the museum. I loved the detailed tour of the USS Kidd, and the newly installed trenches display.

La
Review №89

Its difficult to forget what all these men and women have done for our freedom. i appreciate this place and my kids learned a lot. i wish more and more people can come and visit because the place was very deserted and it seemed like there wasnt a lot of interest. my grandpa was in the navy and my family has a special bond with this place. everyone should come and visit!

ni
Review №90

This was well worth the time and money! It was very interesting to explore the ship at your own pace, our only complaint was that the self guided tour pamphlet wasnt always very clear on what you were looking at.

Sw
Review №91

Took the wife and KIDDs here. We are very blessed to have a museum like this in our state. Big thanks to the men and women of our armed services. Could not imagine living on this ship much less having to fight for my life on it.

Da
Review №92

The only remaining Fletcher class destroyer that looks as it was during World War 2. Knowledgeable staff and much to see. Dont forget to visit the museum exhibits as well if you have the time.

Ta
Review №93

A really awesome experience! The ship and the WWII feeling was cool!

Ki
Review №94

The people who worked here were nice. My father in law lived on a destroyer for 4 years so he was able to give us a bit of a guided tour. I loved it.

Rk
Review №95

This shop is really fun. Its still in its WWII configuration. They have a great self guided tour with lots of information. They even have a soundtrack playing of the music during its time and sound effects in different areas. Like in the radio room you could hear mores code signals playing. It was. lot of fun. If you like history you will love the whole thing.There is a museum on shore next to it that was interesting as well.

Ma
Review №96

There was a veteran and guide on the Kidd who was very informative and was willing to answer any and all questions we had. I would suggest visiting for anyone in the Baton Rouge area.

Cl
Review №97

Nice place to take a walk and make this stop if your in Baton Rouge. I think it should be open later..

Ha
Review №98

Not just the ship! There is an inside museum as well that surprised me. Even my 3yo was entertained, but we blew through it pretty fast with a hyperactive toddler. We could have explored the ship for hours!

Ki
Review №99

This was not a tourist attraction. This was a piece of who we are as a nation and a staunch reminder of my own past. This place pays honors to all branches of service. I am greatfull for the opportunity to see this place. Semper Fidelis!

Be
Review №100

Coolest veterans war museum Ive been to. Great historical portraits along with their history from many different vets of all the wars. Many scale model ships. War artifacts, swords, uniforms and guns, along with live actors once in a while to perform their living history. Best of all was the USS Kidd gunship moored along the levee that you can tour. Walk through the ship and get to see what our sailors lived through. Overall, great museum.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.7 Rating
  • Address:305 S River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, United States
  • Site:http://www.usskidd.com/
  • Phone:+1 225-342-1942
Categories
  • Museum
  • Tourist attraction
Working hours
  • Monday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Tuesday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Wednesday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Thursday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Friday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Saturday:9:30am–3:30pm
  • Sunday:9:30am–3:30pm
Highlights
  • Active military discounts:Yes
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
  • Restaurant:No
Crowd
  • Family friendly:Yes
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