Save The PT Boat, Inc. — Attraction in Portland

This is the museum for PT-658, a WWII-era restored Patrol Torpedo Boat. This is a MUST-DO in Portland. This is literally the only PT Boat in the US that you can climb aboard and explore on a regular basis - and it is readily accessible, with a little planning. The boat has her own boathouse right inside the grounds of Vigor Shipyard, and the boathouse leads right to the EXCELLENT Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum (LCI-713, an infantry landing craft from WWII). So, this museum and that of the adjacent ship really go hand-in-hand despite being two separate non-profits. Plan accordingly! You really should see both (and I will do a separate review for the LCI). Here's some tips for visiting:

CALL ahead! There is a contact email address on the Save the PT Boat, Inc., website. They are open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays from 9am to 3pm - and Saturdays by reservation. Because the PT is only 78' long, space aboard is limited - and the boat is functional. So, call ahead, let them know what day you're wanting to visit, and they'll take it from there.

The gate to visit the PT boat is right across from the Peterbilt at 5555 N. Lagoon Ave - what I did was use that address for my GPS, then called the number on the gate when I arrived and waited for Jerry to come unlock the gate. You can wait either in the Peterbuilt parking lot, or you can park temporarily in front of the PT boat's shipyard gate - once they open the gate for you, you drive into the shipyard and park right outside the PT boat's maintenance shed. I've included a labeled Google Earth map at the end of the photos in this review, hopefully some folks find that helpful.

Bring a camera! Everything is SO well restored - you'll want to document these rare spaces for sure.

Bring closed-toed, well-fitting shoes - to access the PT boat's interior, you have to navigate several steep staircases with 3-4 steps each, and the engine room and aft crew quarters are down vertical ladders. Note there is not air conditioning.

Plan on spending 3+ hours. As I said earlier, this really goes hand-in-hand with the landing craft museum next to the boathouse. You can opt not to do both and they'll go unlock the gate for you to drive out - but I don't really see a good reason to skip either vessel. Both are unique experiences and very special, each very different in their own right.

Be respectful! The PT is exquisitely restored - lots of little items have gone into this. While they're happy to let you handle the artifacts, let the crew lead the way - if they hand something to you, it's safe to handle. Otherwise, a good rule of thumb is to look but not touch. These things are not playgrounds - and the oils from human hands does deteriorate them. If you bring kids, they certainly encourage interactive activities in the museum, but as a personal recommendation, I'd keep kids under close watch aboard the PT. They'll have a BLAST - just saying to respect the artifact. Plus, the boat is floating, and when other vessels pass outside, the wake does make the boat rock just slightly.

DONATE. There is no price of admission. It is a FREE attraction. But these organizations run on donations and volunteers. They have no paid staff. The guys showing you the museums and doing repairs are volunteers. There is a donation box inside the boathouse, and a separate one for the landing craft over inside that ship. They are separate organizations.

Overall our group was seven in total, plus our guide. That was a good number to prevent crowding. I hung at the end of the group so I could take pictures freely. Total tour of the PT was right at 2.5 hours. Some folks opted not to go into the engine room or the aft crew's quarters based on how confined those spaces were.

All-in-all, this was a day we will never forget. Everything was so well done - packed with detail, clean, and fascinating. The crew even gave us pizza and water (you'll want water) - their hospitality was above and beyond. The knowledge Jerry brought to his tour was extensive and thorough - I learned...

I arranged with a volunteer to meet on a Saturday as a family member's birthday surprise. It was extraordinary!   The volunteer let us in the gate and showed us where to park.  We were excited to be headed behind the gates on Swan Island. It was cool to see an area we would never see otherwise.  Ships , equipment, and birds including a Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron flying over. The volunteer was incredibly kind.  He showed us impressive Packard engines before we headed down the ramp to the boathouse. We explored the museum area. There are a variety of displays including some hands-on displays. There is a lot of information in a small space. All questions were welcomed. You can learn about so many aspects of life including writing home to family during war.  It was great that the volunteer checked with us to see how much information we wanted and how much time we had.  We were interested in everything and had plenty of time. The volunteer obliged and generously shared his time.  He also arranged for us to visit the LCI-713 ship that is next door. We didn't even know it was there. The PT Boat was so interesting and fun to climb through. The museum room is heated, but the rest of the boathouse is not. Wear warm clothes if you're visiting in the winter. It is amazing to see everything that the volunteers have accomplished in preserving...

I did in-home care for an elderly Navy veteran that helped restore the PT 658. He and I both got to steer that thing. What a rush! He passed away just before the quarantine began. His daughter had his ashes in an Oreo (his favorite) cookie jar. A few months later, he was buried at sea. I was honored that his daughter wanted me there. That was my second time on the PT 658. I would absolutely urge anyone that reads this review, that you really should check it out. There's a museum in the building where the boat is docked that I would suggest, as well. Just throwing this out there, donations are always welcome. To my knowledge, anyone involved with the PT 658, are volunteers. But maintaining that bad boy isn't cheap....