USS Yorktown

USS Yorktown (CV‑10) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier preserved as a museum ship at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Commissioned during World War II, she later served in Korea and Vietnam before being retired and converted to a museum.

Visitors can walk the flight deck, view aircraft exhibits and tour interior spaces including hangar and crew areas, with interpretive displays on the carrier’s wartime service and naval aviation operations. The ship forms the central exhibit at Patriots Point alongside other naval vessels and maritime displays.

Commissioned in 1943, USS Yorktown saw extensive service in the Pacific theater in World War II and remained active through subsequent conflicts, undergoing refits and role changes over the decades. Decommissioned in the late 20th century, she was preserved as a museum to interpret 20th-century carrier operations and naval history.

The carrier is berthed at Patriots Point on the Cooper River in Mount Pleasant, directly across the river from downtown Charleston, South Carolina.

• Class and length: An Essex-class carrier with a flight deck length of roughly 872 feet, preserved as a museum at Patriots Point near Charleston.

What to See #

• Flight Deck: The carrier's flight deck is approximately 872 feet long and displays carrier aircraft and deck equipment used across its service life.
• Hangar Deck: The hangar deck houses exhibits detailing wartime service, aircraft maintenance and living quarters for sailors and aircrew.