A family of four walking on a bridge away from the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.
A family of four walking on a bridge away from the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.
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Patriots Point to Celebrate 40 Years, Asks Visitors to Name Their Own Admission Prices

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The Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is asking visitors to name their own admission prices for the weekend of January 9-10, 2016.  The special offer will serve as a kick-off celebration of the museum’s 40th anniversary.   Instead of paying standard admission prices and parking fees, during “Pay-What-You-Can” weekend guests are encouraged to pay whatever they can afford.

“We want to start 2016, our 40th year as a museum, off with a bang,” said Executive Director Mac Burdette.  “What better way to do that, than to offer a chance for everyone in our community to walk through the steps of heroes, regardless of their financial situation.  Later this year, when the weather warms up, we’ll have a party to further commemorate the milestone and honor the folks who helped create this wonderful museum we share today.”

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The USS YORKTOWN at Patriots Point officially opened to the public on January 3, 1976 to an opening day crowd of 2,601 people.  Since then, more than 9.6 million day visitors have toured the museum, a million students have explored its warships and an additional 555,000 campers have spent the night aboard the USS YORKTOWN – sleeping in the same racks as the sailors who once served on her.  The USS LAFFEY, the museum’s famed destroyer, and the USS CLAMAGORE, a Cold-War submarine were both added in 1981.

The normal museum admission rate for Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is $20 for adults.  Parking is usually $5.  During “Pay-What-You-Can” weekend, visitors can pay whatever they feel comfortable paying for both admission and parking.  Every ticket will include all three historic vessels, the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum and the Vietnam Experience Exhibit. The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.   Details regarding the spring anniversary celebration will be released at a later date.