The museum began recovering aircraft from the bottom of Lake Michigan, where they crashed during World War II carrier qualification, in the early 1990s. This exhibit takes visitors to the depths, preserving an F4F Wildcat and SBD Dauntless in the conditions in which they were found after spending decades underwater. A short film produced exclusively … Underwater Treasures of Lake Michigan
The first of a series of dioramas depicting the World War II experience paints a portrait of life on the home front where rationing and scrap drives were a part of normal life. Many of the businesses represented are actual establishments from Pensacola in that era, and a number of the “Hometown Heroes” whose pictures … Home Front U.S.A.
Stepping through the facade of the U.S. Navy Recruiting Station, visitors leave Home Front U.S.A. and find themselves at a Pacific island airfield with an FM-2 Wildcat fighter as its centerpiece. From rustic tent living quarters to an oil barrel shower to the ubiquitous sign showing the distance to Tokyo and places back home, the … Pacific Island
The final element of the World War II diorama takes visitors through the passageways of a wartime carrier to include the sounds of circulated air, pounding hammers and the high-pitched bosun’s pipe. Shipboard spaces include the ready room where aviators received briefings on their missions, the all-important parachute loft and the gedunk, the naval term … Life on an Aircraft Carrier
The most decorated ship of World War II, USS Enterprise (CV 6) fought in nearly every significant battle of World War II. The exhibit devoted to her history features original components from the ship and a highly detailed model depicting the aircraft carrier during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. A flag … USS Enterprise Exhibit