Muskogee War Memorial Park: Home of the USS Batfish — Attraction in Muskogee

My wife and I stopped by on a layover in Muskogee. I've known the memorial was there for a while, but wanted to go with a family member to see it.

Displays of naval artifacts, artillery, missiles, some vehicles, and the Walks of Honor, a tribute to the men who are still on patrol out there in the briny deep.

But the capstone is the Balao-class submarine known as Batfish, a veteran of the Silent Service, war patrols in the Pacific, of cramped conditions, the slamming of depth charges, and the whine of electric motors as men sweated out the fear, and exuded bravery to cripple enemy shipping.

You walk the plank to her decks, to see the equipment needed to live a life at sea and win a war. Walk forward to the forwarded hatch, and down ladder to the forward torpedo room. See the shining brass torpedo tube doors. The torpedoes in racks, the reloading gear, and the bunks right there next to a giant bomb.

Look up into the escape trunk, see the facilities, how small they are. Go thru the hatches into space by space. The Captain's stateroom. The galley, berthing, engine room, and aft torpedo room.

The boat is climate controlled, now, unlike the days she spent on patrol. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and watch your head!

A worthwhile trip into a world only so many people will ever see. Hold your breath. You can almost hear the past, if you listen...

No one ever showed up to open up!

ETA: We were there Saturday, July 29, 2023. We got there at 0950. There was another couple already there. We had looked up the hours the previous night to be sure we got there at the right time. While we waited, the other guy called the number, and left a message, since no one answered. Never did get a call back. It was getting quite warm out, as it does in July, so his wife decides she's going to sit in the car. She takes two steps and faceplants on the asphalt. out cold. We call 911, wait for the paramedics to get there. They arrive, we stay to make sure they don't need us for anything. Now, I know none of that is any of your fault, but by the time they left, it was after 1100, closer to 1130, and no one showed up to open up. There was nothing we saw that said you were not going to be open that day for some reason. No one called back when we called the posted number. It would have been nice to have that info, because the guy's wife wouldn't have two stitches in her chin from passing out from...

I really enjoyed this museum. I wasn't sure what to expect of a decommissioned sub in the middle of Oklahoma, and was really pleasantly surprised. The main room when you enter has military history items and info dating from the Civil War to present. The next room has stuff related to submarines in general and the Batfish specifically. Then you go outside and there is a terrific memorial to all the subs lost during WWII. there are some ship-based guns, mines, etc. The highlight for me outside is the mast support of the USS Oklahoma, sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack. Then you go on to the submarine. There are numerous videos which really help you gain a better understanding of life on the submarine, how it functioned, etc. Don't miss the opportunity to "launch a torpedo" just after you enter. The gentleman who was working here was friendly and well-informed. This was the highlight of my time in Tulsa. This really is an attraction not...