A family walks down the pathway toward the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point, surrounded by American flags and calm waters.
A family walks down the pathway toward the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier at Patriots Point, surrounded by American flags and calm waters.
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The Fighting Lady Turns 80: Celebration and New Exhibition

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The price of general admission for the Fighting Lady Turns 80 is $19 for adults and $16 for kids 6-12. Children under 6 are free.

On Saturday, April 15, 2023, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will host “The Fighting Lady Turns 80” event to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the USS Yorktown’s commissioning. Nicknamed “The Fighting Lady” by her crew during World War II, the USS Yorktown was commissioned in Portsmouth, Virginia on April 15, 1943, officially making her a part of the fleet of the United States Navy.

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The museum will open at 9 a.m. with activities running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests are welcome to enjoy hands-on learning opportunities for kids and adults, guided tours, discount flight capsule rides, trivia, music, face painting, food, and a birthday cake cutting. Visitors will also have a chance to meet veterans who served aboard the ship during a special meet and greet. The price of general admission will be reduced for the day by $8 to symbolize the USS Yorktown’s eight decades of service. Parking will be $5 per vehicle.

A new temporary exhibition will open just in time for The Fighting Lady Turns 80 event. The exhibition, entitled “All Who Served: The Uniforms of World War II,” will feature over 20 uniforms and other clothing articles representing each branch of the military.  The Charleston Museum, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the National Museum of the US Army, and the Charleston Air Force Base all generously provided loans to this exciting exhibition.  It will be displayed in the temporary exhibition room off the Hangar Bay, to the left of the Smokey Stover Theater.

“This event welcomes the community to enjoy and participate in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the USS Yorktown’s commissioning and the crew who served aboard the ship. Our staff, volunteers, curators, and partners have nourished the ship while working to produce exhibitions and programs we share to keep The Fighting Lady’s story alive after all these years.” – Allison Hunt, Executive Director

Tickets to “The Fighting Lady Turns 80” can be purchased in advance here. This event is made possible thanks to the USS Yorktown Foundation.