Florida has more than its fair share of hidden gems, and now you can count visiting the SS American Victory among them. This World War II cargo ship sits quietly docked in downtown Tampa and it’s fully open to the public. Take a look at this point and then be sure to stop by the next time you’re in town.
What is the SS American Victory?
The SS American Victory is a cargo ship that participated in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Today, the still-fully-functional SS American Victory is one of only three working WWII-era cargo ships in the world.
The ship’s main purpose was to carry ammunition, equipment, and other cargo from West Coast United States ports to Southeast Asia and back. After the war, they added troops to that list. The ship was slated to become scrap metal in the late 1990s but was saved by preservation efforts.
Also check out: 8 Reasons U.S. Battleship Museums Are the Best Museums
American Victory in Florida
The SS American Victory arrived in Tampa, Florida on September 16, 1999. It would undergo extensive renovations and eventually operate as a museum ship. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, visiting the SS American Victory Ship & Museum is a great way to learn about WWII cargo ships and experience life aboard one for yourself. They also often host what must be really interesting parties.
SS American Victory was named after American University in Washington D.C. (Of the 531 ships that were built around 1944, they named 150 of them after schools and universities. The rest they named after countries and other geographical references.)
Where is the SS American Victory
You can find the SS American Victory docked behind the Florida Aquarium in the Channelside district of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The SS American Victory is a cargo ship, powered by steam, in a class called Victory ships. A Victory ship is a kind of cargo ship produced in large numbers during World War II to replace those lost to German submarines. Source of propulsion + American University + the kind of cargo ship it was = SS (steam ship) American Victory.
Tips for visiting the SS American Victory
Upon learning about the existence of this ship, I was excited to discover visiting the SS American Victory is something you can do all year long, seven days a week.
It’s an affordable and unique way to spend a little bit of time while visiting the Tampa Bay area. It’s the perfect way to split up a trip dominated by theme parks, animal parks, sand, and sunburn–especially if you’ve just arrived on a cruise ship. Time to get your learn on, kiddos!
I had a great time visiting the SS American Victory Ship and Museum and I know you will too. To help you during your visit, here are 8 tips for visiting the SS American Victory I learned firsthand:
1. Be conscious of when you go
It’s no secret; it gets HOT in Florida in the summer. In fact, during my visit in January the temperature was over 80°F. This is an important bit of information to keep in mind when visiting a 1940s cargo ship devoid of air conditioning, cover from the sun, and adequate airflow.
If you’ll be visiting the SS American Victory in the summer (or any other extremely hot and sunny day), consider visiting early in the morning.
Deck areas of the ship are exposed to the elements (i.e., the Florida sun) and the rooms you’ll visit inside the ship are small and enclosed. There’s no A/C inside the ship (except for a few areas) and you’ll find only minimal airflow. It would be very easy to overheat here. Always be sure to stay hydrated on hot days too, especially if you must visit in the afternoon.
During my 4pm January visit (that’s 16:00 to you, sailor), the sun wasn’t at its strongest and temperatures inside the ship weren’t terrible. Though the air inside was noticeably stagnant, it wasn’t uncomfortable. However, summer visitors report very different circumstances.
Consider bringing the following:
2. Consider a tour when visiting the SS American Victory
While visiting the SS American Victory, you have two choices: a guided tour or a self-guided tour.
The self-guided tour of the SS American Victory Ship & Museum is just that. They give you a map, a few instructions, and then send you off to explore the ship on your own, at your own pace. You’ll have free reign of 7 of the 9 levels of the ship and can learn about each of the areas from informative sheets posted around the ship. This is the most common and most popular way to visit.
However, if you know you’ll be visiting ahead of time, you can schedule a guided tour of the ship led by one of the museum’s volunteer guides. This is best for larger groups and those with a deeper interest in the history of the ship.
These are available only by directly contacting the museum and you can find that information on the American Victory tour page.
3. Know a little before you go
Before visiting the SS American Victory, I thought a battleship was a battleship. Even when, in this case, it wasn’t a battleship at all. What I didn’t know at the time, was this was to be my first cargo ship.
Knowing a little about American Victory before you visit will help you to understand much of what you see onboard. I’ve already told you some stuff—like how this was a cargo ship and not a ship intended for battle. Some other fun facts you might like to know may be:
- They built it in just 55 days for $2.5 million.
- They named it for Washington DC’s American University in honor of its contributions to war training and weapons research during World Wars I and II.
- American Victory’s took its first trip to Manila in the Philippines followed by Shanghai, China in 1945.
- This ship has circumnavigated the globe… twice.
- Today, besides a museum and memorial, it also serves as a training facility for firefighters, police officers, other first responders, active military, training dogs, the FBI, and US Customs and Border Protection. See? There’s so much life after 75!
4. How long to plan for a visit
Visiting the SS American Victory took me an hour from start to finish. I didn’t rush through the ship, but I didn’t take as long as I could have either.
The ship itself isn’t incredibly large (relatively speaking, that is) and many of the areas repeat. However, there are a lot of posted informative sheets around the ship to read, many artifacts to look at, and a good number of things to see in the museum. (Add in some time in the small gift shop too if that interests you.)
My friends and I visited during the last hour of the day, but we could have spent more time had we gone earlier. However, we also don’t feel like we missed anything. Budget at least an hour for visiting the SS American Victory and you should be fine.
Tampa has a lot of great tours to take besides this one! Check out my post on cool tours to take in Tampa – there’s a little of something for everyone!
5. Don’t rely on the arrows
Upon starting our self-guided tour, the staff member at the desk told us we could follow the arrows on the ground around the ship as an idea of where to go. I think I saw a total of three arrows throughout the whole tour though. Either I missed many of them, or they’ve just worn away? I’m not sure.
Regardless, though the ship does have a maze-like quality to it, it’s really best to just wander. Even without maps or a general idea of where we were going, we still saw all there was to see and never got lost. (Knowing you have to sign in when you arrive and out when you leave is comforting. I really appreciate their policy of No tourist left behind!)
Traveling around Florida? During World War II St. Augustine served as a major center for training and operations for the US Coast Guard. Check out my article on WWII sites in St. Augustine for more information. There are also a lot of WWII sites in Orlando as well.
6. Don’t miss some great photo ops
I usually don’t encourage snagging “great photo ops” at World War II sites, an act that can often be construed as disrespectful, tone deaf, and outright inappropriate. It’s one of my biggest grievances actually. But, there are a few exceptions and this is one of them.
That said, you can find some great places for photos while visiting the SS American Victory. Next to one of the massive anchors, in the gunner’s seat, while steering this enormous ship, for example. It’s a museum built for inserting yourself into history.
7. Wear the right stuff
Because this museum is, more or less, in situ, your visit will be as authentic to World War II as you can get. You’ll be climbing up and down many steps and lots of awkward ladders.
You’ll be walking over barriers, on ship decks, outside in the sun, and up and down steep ramps. Needless to say, sturdy shoes are in order. (Even though this is Florida, you should still put some real shoes on for this.)
Additionally, don’t forget to wear weather-appropriate and breathable clothes. See #1 on this list for a refresher on what it’s like visiting the SS American Victory in the summer.
Important: Given the nature of this museum, visiting the SS American Victory is not a handicap accessible activity. However, there is an abundance of handrails. (Parents of small children and the pushers of strollers, take note.)
8. Where to park when visiting the SS American Victory
Depending on how busy it is the day you visit, you may be able to park in one of the few spots available right in front of the ship. (It’s worth a try!)
Otherwise, they typically encourage visitors to park in the Florida Aquarium parking lot at 864 Channelside Drive or in the 12th Street Parking Garage.
You can also take the TECO Line Streetcar System from Ybor to the Cumberland Avenue Station (stop #7), just a short walk from the SS American Victory.
More info for your trip to Tampa
- Hotels: Find great places to stay on Booking.com (my go-to). Expedia and Hotels.com are worth checking too. VRBO is best for apartment rentals.
- Rental cars: Check out the best local rental car deals here.
- For more local tours, check out all the options from Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Travel planning: Pick up a Florida guidebook for the rest of your sightseeing.
- Save some money: Check out the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
Like this post? Have questions about visiting the SS American Victory? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great time in Tampa!
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