Mare Island Museum in Vallejo

2nd attempt to visit but not open. 😂😂

Great place to see some history about the US Navy

They have done so much with this museum. There are so many artifacts, pictures, etc that it is very moving to the soul. I miss no longer working at the best Naval Shipyard on the west coast! It was a great place to learn while supporting your country. Thank you Mare Island.....

Take a once-in-a-lifetime visit back into the history of Mare Island the roots go as far back as the Civil War believe it or not this place Documents the original United States Naval porch on the Pacific ocean it is nothing less than amazing to see the history right in front of your eyes many ships including the Nautilis submarine we’re both here Rick over the father of the nuclear navy was on base and even has a Street named after him don’t miss historic Admiralty roll with the mansions are lined up like the pink ladies in downtown San Francisco stunning...

Great History, architecture and scenery. Had an amazing time.

I worked here in the 70s great to see the museum and share memories

Beautiful, interesting, and informative island rich with Bay Area history of working shipyards and Navy stewardship. I would like to know more about the indigenous roots, did not specifically look for those exhibits.

Fascinating place, brings the wartime SF Bay Area to life.

I purchased some tickets for an upcoming winter concert. The operator Gigi /Joyce was more than happy to take my details and cc info over the phone, but when time came to cancel one of those tickets and credit my account, there was a problem. not only did she not let me speak about my non credit to my account, but she had the nerve to hang up on me !Get into the current century and have 3rd party ticket sales so folks dont have to talk to someone who doesnt know what theyre doing, and stop being so rude to your customers !!

It displays how the ship yard built ship for many years. Very interesting and informative.

Great place for Naval history from all aspects.

Great museum. New addition of the USS Vallejo sail.

Still the best place to go.

Enjoyable historical museum.

This place was fascinating and informative and the drive around the island itself was very pretty

The folks who run this place put a lot of work into it and for no funding what so ever. The parascope is really neat and stands out. Would love to see them get a ship.

Museum great opportunity to see the enriched history of the island and the city that adjacent to it. I hope to see the island and the docks fully working some day

A great piece of our history

Outstanding, varied collection dating to the 1800s, including submarine cockpit, women in ww2, machine tools, vietnam river patrol boat; great for kids and adults of all ages!

Lots of interesting exhibits. A must-see for naval history buffs!

This is the only place that mare islands story unfolds to the peaceful land it is today!

Great museum with lots of exhibits! Models of ships, uniforms, equipment and tools for shipbuilding. Photos and articles on Mare Island and the many "first" things accomplished there. Look through a real periscope!

Very nice place to visit 👍

fascinating museum with history of mare island. definitely a must see.

So historical. Great gift shop with sweaters n cool shirts. Take your military friends here!

There is A LOT of info here. Its a self guided museum so you can spend as little or as much time as you desire but be sure to check their hours of operation. The staff are all volunteers and have stories to tell from their day on the Island. Its absolutely fascinating to learn all that happened right here on Mare Island. First Naval Base on the West Coast, first to receive notice about Pearl Harbor attack, real life Rosie the Riveters and welders worked here, oldest golf course west of the Mississippi River, and so so so much more. It is a must see!!!

Shows much of the history behind this hidden gem of a former naval base.

Although navigating the maze of Mare Island and finding parking for the museum isnt particularly easy, the museum is worth it for anyone with an interesting in local or naval history. The museum is extensive and covers the history from the Gold Rush to the present. The displays tend to be collections of "old stuff" without as much interpretation as one might expect from museums these days. Nevertheless, from shipbuilding to the technical aspects of naval machinery to modern naval weapons the museum offers a tremendous array of artifacts and learning opportunities. Theres a special emphasis on submarines from the 1930s to the 1990s that I found particularly fascinating. (At the time of my visit in 2016, the museum was building a replica of a ballistic missile submarine control room out of actual submarine parts complete with operating periscope. So, I need to revisit the museum and see how that final product turned out.)You can also walk around the area and visit a number of historical buildings using a map available from the museum. There are officers quarters, sure, but the shipbuilding facilities were much more interesting to me. Make sure to save time to check out at least one of the dry docks where ships of all sorts were build over the past century (also the site of several episodes of Discovery Channels "Mythbusters" TV show).

Wonderful place people should see! A lot of history there and real exhibits of the USS Vallejo submarine periscope deck with a working periscope.

Great history, of oldest Navy Shipyard on Pacific ocean.

The directions given could have been better I went to a house for a bridal shower and the shower itself was beautiful so I cant complain too much I had a wonderful time and it was a very nice beautiful dry just going around and looking so yeah I give it all the stars it can get

Just off the beaten track, staffed by friendly volunteers. Top of the hill has beautiful view of the bay. Leave a donation.

I wonder view into the history of Mare Island

A really great place to learn about local history, worth the visit!

Very knowledgeable and all of the people that work there are volunteers and the majority of them are veterans that were stationed there

Wonderful 2 hr tour guide. So much history here!

Cool little museum that highlights the many brushes with history that have occurred on Mare Island. Ever wanted to look through the periscope of a real submarine.. You can here.

Like navel history? Youll like this place. Lots of Historical items and pictures here relating to Mare Island.

Pro: free parking, public restrooms, variety of naval history & cold war exhibits. Only $5 admission.Con: surrounding warehouses look very run down so whole island has a past its glory days look/vibe w/little else to see outside museum.

Absolutely lovely park. Fascinating trees and other Flora, beautiful houses (the old ones), and incredible history. Not to be missed!

Nice place for photography. But access is restricted. Helps if you know someone who lives on Mare island.

Nice museum. There are lots of things in the museum. It may not be good for small kids as most of the item displayed require reading. Expect to spend a lot of time here if you look at everything. There is a real periscope you can look through.

The amount of stuff to look at here is amazing. Deffinity worth visiting.

Great place for photography and portraits , dont miss the two nature areas, the ghost ship and the bunkers !

They have a lot of history about Mare Island and Vallejo. Check the periscope from the sub Vallejo they have it set up for a 360 degree view. The art work on posters will take you back in time.

Because I am rebuilding a 1953 Plymouth two door station wagon which has an entry sticker from Mares, I plan to drive it to the museum when I know it is road worthy. I am keeping it as close to original as possible including the exterior. It would be interesting to find the sailor who owned it back when. The sticker remains on the bumper and will NOT be removed.

Relaxed, lots of exhibits, room to roam, unpolished but enjoyable for anyone interested in submarines, shipbuilding, (including square-riggers!and local history. Well worth the effort. Plus lots of old industrial buildings in general area including the ship ways and drydocks.

We frequently visit Mare Island. We love the history and all its beauty. We have enjoyed the Chapel at Christmas and the museum several times. My husband lived on Mare Island for the first five years of his life on Quarters 131 Walnut Avenue. We were wondering why this house still remains ? My husbands Grandfather, William Wiley lived there from 1931 to his retirement in 1948 after 47 years of employment and in charge of dry dock operations for the last 17 years of service.

Very cool museum about the history of Mare island Naval Shipyard. If you are a maritime buff then this should be on your list of museums to check out.

Make sure you call first. After two families drove almost 2 hours to meet at the museum for adventure, the museum was unexpectedly locked. Apparently the lady got cold and decided to close early.