The Battleship offers several fun and interactive programs throughout the year. Most of the programs are free with regular Battleship admission. Group programs are also available for that “little extra” bit of the Battleship experience for an extra fee. See our 2023 list below.
Public Programs
Battleship 101
10am to 3pm. Free with admission
June 10 and October 14
Friendly, knowledgeable volunteers stationed throughout the Ship engage visitors in specific subjects and areas such as gunnery, sick bay, engineering, and daily shipboard life. Enjoy the opportunity to go behind the doors and inside normally closed spaces. Hands-on opportunities for the young and young at heart! This event is perfect for families and scout/youth groups. Bring your questions and cameras!
Celebrate the Legacy
June 23, 24. 8am to 4pm. Free with admission
Celebrate all the ships named NORTH CAROLINA! These ships have been serving America from the 1824 Ship-of-the-Line to the fast attack submarine USS NORTH CAROLINA SSN-777 currently stationed in Hawaii. Come and look at an impressive display of clothing, and equipment from knowledgeable costumed collectors/interpreters and submarine veterans.
Gear Shifters
October 14th
10 am – 3 pm, $41 (plus tax) per participant
Calling all Girl Scouts! NC Coastal Pines Girl Scout Council and the Battleship are pleased to offer this STEM program. Gear Shifters utilizes LEGO bricks, gears, and other Technic™ elements and motors to build models related to the Battleship’s engineering and computer technologies. Hands on model building promotes learning and teamwork while meeting badge requirements. This program is presented by COSMIC LEARNING CENTER.
The program occurs the same day as Battleship 101, which is free with admission, 10am-3pm. So come enjoy both!
Registration link forthcoming!
Hidden Battleship
Minimum age 16. Maximum 40 participants.
Sorry! Sold out for 2023
Perhaps the most popular program at the Battleship, Hidden Battleship is for the explorer at heart, bring a friend and join us for a unique, behind-the-scenes tour of unrestored areas of the Battleship. Participants age 16 and up explore the bow (officer’s country & boatswain locker), third deck (Radio II, brig, after gyro, storage rooms, ammunition handling, Engineer’s office, torpedo area), Interior Communications and Emergency Radio, Engine room #1, the US Marines quarters and the Captain’s Cabin, and climb inside the superstructure tower to the top of the ship! This program is approximately 4 hours long and requires climbing ladders and going through tight/confined spaces.
GROUP PROGRAMS
Behind the Hatch: The Ultimate Customized Experience!
Minimum age 16. Groups of 10 to 40.
Battleship staff will work with you to design a behind-the-scenes exploration of the Battleship based on you and your group’s interests. Possible focus areas include engineering, gunnery, fire control systems, communications, damage control and logistics. Routes include ladders (Navy stairs) and often knee-high hatch combings and therefore not recommended for participants with mobility issues. This program is perfect for military PME [Professional Military Education] requirements. Minimum group size is 10 participants, maximum group size is 40 participants. This program is available Monday – Friday, October – May, and is dependent upon volunteer and staff availability.
- Adult Groups: $12.50 (per hour)
- PME—Military Groups: $10 (per hour)
- College/University Groups: $5 (per hour)
To make an inquiry, please contact Shelly Robinson or call 910-399-9101 between 9 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday. This program requires Battleship group rate admission.
Meet the MARDET (Marine Detachment)
Minimum group size is 15 participants, maximum group size is 40 participants.
This program is available Monday – Friday. $5 per person plus admission fee.
A program designed for U. S. Marine Corps military personnel. A retired Marine gives a presentation on the Battleship and her Marine Detachment inside the ship’s Marine Compartment. The program includes an array of period artifacts and weapons followed by a self-guided tour of the Battleship. This program is dependent upon volunteer availability.
To make an inquiry, please contact Shelly Robinson or call 910-399-9101 between 9 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday. This program requires Battleship group rate admission.
HAM Radio Programs
Azalea Coast Radio Club
Museum Ships Weekend
June 3 – 5. 9am – 4pm. Free with admission.
Operating aboard Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, the Azalea Coast Radio Club will participate in the annual Museum Ships Weekend. The Battleship is NI4BK and HAM operators may contact the ship via Voice, Digital and Morse Code. Sponsored by the Battleship NEW JERSEY Radio Club, 63 museum ships worldwide will have HAM radio operators aboard ready to receive contacts from HAM operators.
Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance
December 7th, 9am – 4pm. Free with admission.
Operating aboard Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, the Azalea Coast Radio Club hosts a worldwide ham radio operator event commemorating the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. The Battleship is NI4BK and HAM operators may contact the ship via Voice, Digital and Morse Code. NI4BK looks forward to hearing from YOU! Radio operators making contact will receive a special postcard verifying the contact.
Online programs
SHOWBOAT VOYAGES
Virtual explorations of the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
Discover the Showboat
Explore the city at sea through links to digital video tours. Enjoy the compartments, equipment, documents and photographs and hear the stories of the young men who called NORTH CAROLINA home.
The Showboat Podcast
Immerse yourself in the Battleship’s adventures past and present through this series of brief audio programs.
FLAGS FLOWN OVER THE BATTLESHIP
A flag flown on the Battleship makes a wonderful keepsake and family heirloom. Bring or send an American flag, or purchase a 3-by-5-foot American-made nylon flag with embroidered stars from the Ship’s Store. Sales from the store benefit the Battleship. A certificate of authenticity confirms the flag was flown from the forward mast of the Battleship and specifies the date. For details, including flag and shipping costs, contact Shelly Robinson at michelle.robinson@ncdcr.gov or 910-399-9101.