Get hands on with a real naval destroyer...
At the USS Turner Joy naval museum ship you can explore a fully preserved Forrest Sherman class destroyer that served from 1959 until 1982 and earned nine battle stars during the Vietnam War. Walking aboard lets you see most of the ship from the bridge to the engine room and crew quarters and read original signage and stories that bring naval life into focus. See the compact bunks and steep ladders, eye-opening reminders of what serving sailors experienced at sea. The destroyer now sits on the Bremerton waterfront within easy reach of the ferry terminal and nearby museums for a layered day of history. Volunteers and former service members on site share insights that deepen the sense of place and context for the ship’s role in the Cold War and Vietnam era.
