Upon our visit to Alabama a visit to this battleship became the first thing on my agenda. Many years ago I (Sassafrass) visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri had just opened to the public, so I did not get to much of the ship. The opportunity to board and explore this ship was an incredible experience. I can still smell the oils and metals in my nose.
The tour offers three pathways to choose from and we managed to get through all three in about a three hour time frame. Mind you, we like to take our time and read everything and explore every nook and cranny. The pamphlet suggested that it would take half and hour for each path.
At the forefront, the Alabama contains nine 16"/45 caliber guns. 120 other guns help protect her during battle.
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Many times the captain had two sleeping quarters, one was used during official visits by heads of state or other VIPs, while the second was used more frequently during tours and in battle. The official quarters are adjacent to a were decorated receiving room/dining area. While the "battle" quarters are located behind the command deck so the captain could be summoned and on-hand as needed.
There are 4 engine rooms on the ship and the tour gives access to one for exploring. The boilers and turbines are not running, but you can imagine how loud it may have been to work around the engines.
This is a highly recommended tour to take when visiting Mobile or Gulf Shores (a 1-hr drive). The Battleship Memorial Park also contains an airplane hanger and a decommissioned submarine open for tours too. This adventure could easily turn into a full-day experience!
