Patriots Point

History

The museum was born out of an idea by former naval officer Charles F. Hyatt to develop a major tourist attraction on what had once been a dump for dredged mud. Initial plans for the museum called for a large building onshore to display exhibits related to the history of small combatant ships in the U.S. Navy. On 3 January 1976, the aircraft carrier was opened to the public.

The destroyer was added to the museum in 1978. The museum was expanded again in 1981 with the addition of the submarine in May and NS Savannah in October. was acquired in 1984.

The Patriots Point Development Authority attempted to capitalize on its financial success in 1987 when it announced an plans to build a hotel and marina. However, the museum encountered controversy in 1989 when it was revealed that Comanche, which never opened to the public, had been used to conduct cruises for private tours and VIP parties. The same year, arrived at the museum, replacing Comanche. The latter was removed from the museum and sunk as a reef in 1992, but not before suffering damage during Hurricane Hugo. By that time, the development project had failed, and the development authority was forced to declare bankruptcy.

A replica of a Vietnam War-era naval base was opened in 1993. Savannah was removed from the museum and towed to the James River Merchant Marine Reserve Fleet in 1994. On 2 September 2003, Yorktown served as the backdrop for the formal announcement of Senator John Kerry's candidacy as he sought, and ultimately won, the Democratic nomination for President of the United States for the 2004 election.

Laffey was towed to a shipyard for repairs on 19 August 2009. The following day, Ingham was removed by the Coast Guard. The destroyer returned to the museum in 2012. Clamagore was towed away for scrapping in 2022 due to structural issues that were too expensive to repair.

In 2025, 568,000 USgal of contaminated liquid and 13.38 ST of asbestos and sludge were removed from Yorktown. In addition, 35 structural repairs were completed on the ship.

Exhibits

Ships

• , an aircraft carrier The centerpiece of the museum’s fleet is the USS Yorktown (CV-10), an Essex-class aircraft carrier that earned an extensive combat record during World War II. Commissioned in 1943, Yorktown participated in major Pacific Theater operations, including campaigns in the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines, and Okinawa, ultimately receiving numerous battle stars for her wartime service. The carrier later supported operations during the Vietnam War before being decommissioned in 1970.

In 1968, the ship played a prominent role in the recovery of the Apollo 8 command module, connecting it to the early history of NASA’s space program. Since arriving at Patriots Point in 1975, Yorktown has been preserved as a museum ship and has become the site’s most recognizable landmark.

• , a destroyer The USS Laffey (DD-724), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is one of the museum’s most historically significant vessels. Commissioned in 1944, Laffey earned the nickname “The Ship That Would Not Die” after surviving one of the most intense kamikaze attacks of World War II during the Battle of Okinawa, when she withstood repeated strikes while continuing to fight. For her actions in the war, the destroyer received multiple battle stars and recognition for extraordinary resilience under fire.

After World War II, Laffey saw additional service during the Cold War and supported operations throughout the 1950s and 1960s before being decommissioned in 1975. The destroyer joined Patriots Point in 1978 and remains one of the few preserved Sumner-class destroyers in the United States.

Aircraft collection

• Boeing-Stearman N2S-3
• Douglas A-4C Skyhawk
• Douglas AD-4N Skyraider
• Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior
• Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless
• General Motors TBM-3E Avenger
• Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
• Grumman A-6E Intruder
• Grumman E-1B Tracer
• Grumman F-14A Tomcat
• Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat
• Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat
• Grumman S-2E Tracker
• Grumman TF-9J Cougar
• Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH
• Lockheed S-3B Viking
• Ling-Temco-Vought A-7E Corsair II
• McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II
• McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet
• North American B-25D Mitchell
• Sikorsky SH-3G Sea King
• Vought F-8K Crusader

Vietnam Experience

• Bell AH-1J SeaCobra
• Bell UH-1D Iroquois
• Bell UH-1M Iroquois
• Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight
• Sikorsky UH-34D
• M35A2 cargo truck
• M42 Duster mobile anti-aircraft gun
• M101 howitzer artillery gun
• M114 armored fighting vehicle
• Dodge M43 ambulance
• Naval Support Camp
• PBR-105 river patrol boat
• Willys MB

Other exhibits

• Medal of Honor museum, with biographies of all medal recipients. The Medal of Honor Museum was designated by Congress under the National Medal of Honor Memorial Act in 1999 as a National Medal of Honor Site. It reopened onboard the Yorktown in 2024.

References

References

1. (2025-11-17). "Who We Are".
2. (23 August 1981). "Patriot's Point". The State.
3. (25 March 1975). "Charleston, S.C. to Get New Naval Museum". Evening Journal.
4. (4 January 1976). "Small Crowd at Yorktown Dedication". The State.
5. (30 November 1978). "New Ship for Patriots Point". The Times and Democrat.
6. (15 May 1981). "Sub Returns to Charleston for Final Place of Rest". Greenville News.
7. (23 October 1981). "Savannah Arrives at Berth". The State.
8. (12 April 1984). "Museum Claims Vessel". Daily Press.
9. (21 September 1987). "Patriots Point Makes History Good Business". The State.
10. (10 September 1989). "Patriots Point Will Cut Loose Ship Used Only by State VIPs". The State.
11. (21 August 1989). "Historic Cutter to Arrive at Patriots Point Museum". The Herald.
12. (10 September 1989). "Patriots Point Will Cut Loose Ship Used Only by State VIPs". The State.
13. (7 December 1991). "Shipyard Says Plan to Sink Ship Wasteful". The State.
14. (19 July 1992). "Coast Guard Cutter Comanche Sunk for Offshore Fishing Reef". The Times and Democrat.
15. (17 April 1991). "Lawyers Agree on Patriots Point Payment". The Times and Democrat.
16. (2 March 1993). "'Somewhere, South Vietnam'". The Herald.
17. (16 July 1994). "N.S. Savannah Headed for 'Ghost Fleet'". The State.
18. (3 September 2003). "Kerry Notes He Fought in War". Orlando Sentinel.
19. (20 August 2009). "Laffey Towed to Shipyard for Repairs". The State.
20. (24 October 2009). "Big Debt Looms for Patriots Point". The State.
21. (25 January 2012). "WWII Destroyer Returns to SC Home After Repairs". Yahoo News.
22. (14 October 2022). "Navy submarine Clamagore towed from Patriots Point to be scrapped". The Post and Courier.
23. (12 November 2025). "McMaster Announces USS Yorktown Clean-Up Completion". Moultree News.
24. "USS Yorktown (CV-10)".
25. "Apollo 8 - NASA".
26. "USS Laffey (DD-724)".
27. "USS Laffey Association".
28. "N-2 Stearman-Kaydet".
29. "Airframe Dossier - Stearman-Boeing N2S-3 Kaydet, s/n 07526 USN, c/n 75-7130".
30. "A-4C Skyhawk".
31. "AD-4N Skyraider".
32. "EA-3B Skywarrior".
33. "SBD Dauntless".
34. "Airframe Dossier - Northrop-Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless, s/n 36173 USN".
35. "TBM Avenger".
36. "Airframe Dossier - Grumman-General Motors TBM-3E Avenger, s/n 69344 USN, c/n 2083, c/r N66475".
37. "FG-1D Corsair".
38. "A-6E Intruder".
39. "E-1B Tracer".
40. "F-14 Tomcat".
41. "Airframe Dossier - Grumman F-14A Tomcat, s/n 159025 USN, c/n 086".
42. "F4F Wildcat".
43. "Airframe Dossier - Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat, s/n 3956, c/n 0838".
44. "F6F Hellcat".
45. "Airframe Dossier - Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat, s/n 79593 USN, c/n A-10738".
46. "S-2E Tracker".
47. "TF-9J Cougar".
48. "QH-50 DASH".
49. "Airframe Dossier - Lockheed S-3B Viking, s/n 159731 USN, c/n 394A-1060".
50. "A-7E Corsair II".
51. "F-4J Phantom II".
52. "F/A-18A Hornet".
53. "B-25D-NC SN 41-29784 "Furtle Turtle"".
54. "SH-3G Sea King".
55. "F-8 Crusader".
56. "Airframe Dossier - Vought F-8K Crusader, s/n 146939 USN, c/n 648".
57. "AH-1J Cobra".
58. "Airframe Dossier - Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra, s/n 159210 USMC, c/n 26050".
59. "Airframe Dossier - Bell UH-1D Iroquois, s/n 65-10132 US, c/n 5176".
60. "UH-1 Huey".
61. "Airframe Dossier - Bell UH-1M Iroquois, s/n 66-15005 US, c/n 1733".
62. "Airframe Dossier - Boeing-Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight, s/n 154009 USMC, c/n 2360".
63. "UH-34D Seahorse".
64. "Airframe Dossier - Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse, s/n 147171 USN, c/n 58-1087".
65. "Vietnam Experience Exhibit".
66. "Medal of Honor Museum".
67. "H. Rept. 106-351 - NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MEMORIAL ACT".
68. "Medal of Honor Museum".