The USS Massachusetts fired the final 16-inch shell of World War II.
The USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. participated in the blockade of Cuba during the 1962 Missile Crisis.
The USS Lionfish is a Balao-class submarine that completed two combat patrols in the Pacific theater.
The PT Boat 796 is one of only a few remaining combat-ready boats of its class.
The Hiddensee, a Tarantul-class corvette, was built in East Germany and captured by the U.S. Navy for evaluation.
The site contains the National PT Boat Museum.
Battleship Cove hosts an overnight youth camping program where guests sleep in original crew bunks.
Battleship Cove is the world's largest collection of historic naval vessels, featuring ships from World War II and the Cold War era. Located in Fall River, Massachusetts, the site serves as the official Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial. The fleet includes the USS Massachusetts (BB-59), a South Dakota-class battleship that never lost a crew member in combat. Visitors can explore the decks, gun turrets, and interior berthing areas of the vessels. The museum collection also houses the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and the submarine USS Lionfish. A PT Boat collection and a Soviet-built missile corvette are also docked at the facility. The site is situated on the Taunton River beneath the Braga Bridge. It provides an immersive look at maritime technology and naval life during the mid-20th century.
The starboard side of the USS Massachusetts from the pier provides the best angle to capture the full scale of the battleship against the bridge.
Wear flat, rubber-soled shoes as the metal decks are uneven and can be slippery.
Bring a light jacket, as the interior of the vessels remains cool even during the summer.
Allocate extra time for the engine rooms, which offer a dense, industrial perspective often missed by casual visitors.
Trying to see every interior compartment; the sheer scale of the ships makes it easy to experience fatigue, so focus on the primary decks and engineering spaces.
Operates on a seasonal schedule with reduced days of operation during the winter months.
Avoid climbing on restricted equipment, handle hatches with care, and be mindful of low overhead clearances.
