Plan Your Visit

/Plan Your Visit

General Museum Information

Hours

Open Friday through Monday, 10AM – 5PM

(Last entry at 4PM)

Closed New Year’s, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Days

Address

707 W Hornet Ave, Pier 3, Alameda CA 94501

Adult Admission $20
Seniors & Military $15
Students $15
Youth (7-17) $10
Children 6 & Under Free
Museum Members Free
Docent Daily Tours (see below for more information) $10

Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain reduced admission of $2.00 per visitor to the Hornet Museum simply by presenting their EBT card at the Admissions Desk.

Note: Unaccompanied Youths must be at least 16 years of age. Identification as proof of age may be required.

Group Discounted Admission rates are available for 15 or more people with advance reservation. To make a reservation, please visit our Specialty Tours page.

Current Weather on the Hornet

Docent Daily Tours

Tour Length: 1 Hour

Price: $10 per person (50% discount for Museum Members) in addition to General Admission

Departure Times: 11AM, 1PM, 3PM*

Tour Options

Engine Room

Tour Highlights: Engine Room & Fire Room

Island

Tour Highlights: Navigation, Pilot House, Captain’s Bridge

Sailor Life

Tour Highlights: Ge-Dunk, Galley & Mess Decks, Athletic Locker, Cobbler Shop, Laundry, Sickbay

*Tour times are dependent on docent availability.

*Due to safety concerns, all visitors on Daily Tours must be at least 48 inches in height.

 

Visitor Tips

Tips and guidelines to fully enjoy your visit to the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum!

Allow at least 2 to 3 hours for your visit

Allow at least 2 to 3 hours for your visit — there is a lot to see on the ship and more spaces are opened every month. Some areas of the ship start closing by 3 PM, so we recommend arriving no later than 2 PM for the engine room and other docent-led tours.

Please do not bring permanent markers, aerosol cans, or oversize bags

Please do not bring permanent markers or aerosol cans aboard the Museum.

Additionally, our hatches between decks can be narrow at times. For your safety and the security of the Museum, upon arrival Security will ask that all bags larger than 12” x 8” x 12” are either returned to your car or kept in a rentable locker by Admissions for a small rental fee. This includes backpacks, camera bags, tote bags, diaper bags, ladies purses, etc.

Please note: for safety reasons, backpack-style infant carriers are also not permitted.

The ship is mostly self-guided

The ship is mostly self-guided. A museum map is available at Admissions and you can inquire about docent-led tours at Orientation. We also invite visitors to download our Museum’s app. You can find it in your app store by searching “USSHornet.”

We have free parking

There is plenty of free parking across the street. Spaces are available for buses and RVs. Please, no vehicles on the pier (exceptions are made for those with valid disability placards).

Children must be with an adult at all times

For their safety, children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

Service animals are welcome. Pets and other animals are not allowed on the ship.

Service animals are welcome. Pets and other animals are not allowed on the ship. See service animal policy on our Accessibility Information page.

Wheelchair and stroller accessibility is extremely limited

Due to the historic nature of the ship, wheelchair and stroller accessibility is extremely limited. A virtual tour is available for viewing on the Hangar Deck; ask the orientation docent for assistance. For more information, please see our Accessibility Information page.

Size & Height Restrictions

To ensure the safety of our visitors and crew, Engine Room, Fire Room, and Primary Flight Control tours are limited in group size and by visitor height. Our guideline is to allow adults and children taller than 48 inches to go on those tours to special locations. This policy is due to having to traverse very steep ladders and stairs, narrow walkways, and significantly raised thresholds that can prove extremely challenging.

Our Flight Simulator also has a height restriction of 38″.

Cameras are Welcome

Cameras are welcome, but we ask that photographs are taken for personal use only. Keep you and your camera safe by using the neck strap or wrist strap while exploring the ship.

For commercial or professional photographs, photoshoots, or filming, please contact Private Events.

Talk to Volunteers on Ship

Talk to the many volunteers aboard the ship! They are great about sharing information about the ship, the restoration process, and their own experiences in the service. Many of our volunteers are veterans.

Docent Availability

Our Docents are unpaid volunteers. They tend to leave the ship early on weekdays. We can not guarantee that there will always be Docents available to take you on a tour. Audio tour devices are always available at Admissions.

map-500x320

Public Transportation

Public Transportation via BART & Bus: In Oakland, disembark at Fruitvale Station and then take the Line 78 bus out to USS Hornet. Please visit the AC Transit website, here, to see a detailed schedule of times and bus stop options.

Public Transportation via Ferry: A much more scenic option is to take a ferry from the SF Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street and a 20 minute ride will get you to either the Seaplane Lagoon Terminal, a 10 minute walk from the ship, or the Alameda Main Street Terminal, a short  cab or rideshare or a 2.1 mile walk.

 

Driving

Parking is free and plentiful adjacent to the Museum’s pier.

From San Francisco and the Bay Bridge

Cross the Bay Bridge towards Oakland and follow the signs for I-880 South/San Jose/Alameda. Take the Broadway/Alameda exit and turn right at the bottom of the ramp onto 5th Street. Continue straight on 5th Street, remaining on street level. At the Broadway intersection, veer to your left to enter the Webster Street Tube (the Alameda entrance to the tunnel is under the freeway).

Alameda from the Webster Street Tube: After emerging from the Tube, follow the sign for Webster Street. At the corner of Webster and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy (directly after College of Alameda), turn right onto Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy and drive approximately one mile. Turn left onto Ferry Point and keep driving past the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal to a cluster of large ships. USS Hornet is at the final pier, Pier 3, with the aircraft on her Flight Deck.

From San Jose and I-880 Northbound

Proceed toward downtown Oakland and take the Broadway exit. At the end of the ramp, follow the signs to Alameda, turning right on Broadway and then immediately turning right on 7th Street. Go two blocks to Webster Street and turn right again, entering the Webster Tube (tunnel) to Alameda. (Alternate: Turn left on Broadway and left again to enter Tube under the freeway overpass.)

Alameda from the Webster Street Tube: After emerging from the Tube, follow the sign for Webster Street. At the corner of Webster and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy (directly after College of Alameda), turn right onto Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy and drive approximately one mile. Turn left onto Ferry Point and keep driving past the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal to a cluster of large ships. USS Hornet is at the final pier, Pier 3, with the aircraft on her Flight Deck.

From Sacramento and I-80 Westbound

Take I-880 south and take the Broadway/Alameda exit. At the end of the ramp turn right onto 5th Street. Stay in the right lane. Continue on 5th Street, remaining on street level. At the Broadway intersection, veer to your left to enter the Webster Street Tube (the Alameda entrance to the tunnel is under the freeway).

Alameda from the Webster Street Tube: After emerging from the Tube, follow the sign for Webster Street. At the corner of Webster and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy (directly after College of Alameda), turn right onto Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy and drive approximately one mile. Turn left onto Ferry Point and keep driving past the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal to a cluster of large ships. USS Hornet is at the final pier, Pier 3, with the aircraft on her Flight Deck.

From Walnut Creek and 24 Westbound

Take Highway 24 to I-980 to downtown Oakland. Take the 11th/12th Street exit onto Brush Street. Proceed to 5th Street and turn left. Make a slight left on Broadway which will take you into the Webster Tube (tunnel) to Alameda.

Alameda from the Webster Street Tube: After emerging from the Tube, follow the sign for Webster Street. At the corner of Webster and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy (directly after College of Alameda), turn right onto Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy and drive approximately one mile. Turn left onto Ferry Point and keep driving past the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal to a cluster of large ships. USS Hornet is at the final pier, Pier 3, with the aircraft on her Flight Deck.

From Oakland Airport

Follow Airport Drive out of the Airport and turn left on Doolittle Drive. This will lead over a bridge into Alameda and become Otis Drive. Proceed on Otis to Westline Drive/8th Street (end of road before park entrance) and turn right. Turn left on Central Avenue and follow the road approximately one mile and past Encinal High School. Central Ave will merge into Main Street. Turn left onto W Oriskany Ave to enter the former naval air station. Turn left when it ends at Ferry Point St. and continue to the end of the road, past the the cluster of large ships. Parking is located across the street from the pier.

Detour for Tube Closures:

From I-880, take the 23rd Street exit. Follow the signs to Alameda and go over the Park Street Bridge. Turn right at Lincoln Avenue and proceed approximately 3.5 miles. Lincoln Ave will merge into Pacific Ave. Cross Main Street to enter the former naval air station. At the intersection of Skyhawk St, turn left and drive to the end of the street. Turn right onto W Hornet Ave and proceed towards the cluster of large ships. Parking is located across the street from the pier.

 

To find Alameda hotels nearby, visit HotelsCombined

Verified by MonsterInsights