Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Just across the sparkling span of the Arthur J. Ravenel Jr. Bridge from downtown Charleston, Patriots Point preserves naval history in its centerpiece: a World War II aircraft carrier named the USS Yorktown. Both kids and adults alike love to scramble up and down the 13 decks of this 888-foot-long ship, which was commissioned in Newport News, Virginia, in 1943. As you roam the decks, you'll find 26 naval aircraft on board as well as the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum (in Hangar Bay #3). Also on-site are a recreated Vietnam Support Base, the Cold War Memorial, and two other World War II ships: the submarine USS Clagamore and the destroyer USS Laffey. Beyond impressive naval history, Patriots Point serves as a departure dock for boat tours to the Fort Sumter National Monument, where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired.