USS Midway (CV-41) - San Diego, California

Tony Boccia
4 hours ago
2 min read

Greetings PHG fans! Over the holiday break, my family and I had a chance to visit the historic USS Midway, a cold-war era aircraft carrier that is now a museum ship here in San Diego. Named for the battle that took place near Midway Atoll in 1942, the ship was commissioned eight days after the end of the Second World War.

My family at the USS Midway (CV-41) in San Diego, California

After a series of modernizations that saw her add an angled deck and increased flight deck space, the ship served during both the Vietnam and Gulf Wars. Midway was the first carrier to be forward-deployed to CFA Yokosuka, Japan, and embarked CVW-5 from nearby NAF Atsugi. She was relieved by USS Independence in 1991.

This image shows the three iterations of Midway's flight deck. From left to right: 1945, 1957, 1970

Midway was decommissioned at NAS North Island, California in 1992, and opened as a museum across the water in San Diego in 2004. Onboard Midway is an assortment of aircraft from the Second World War through the modern jet age, including several helicopters and my favorite aircraft, the A-7E Corsair II.

an A-7E Corsair II aboard the USS Midway — Not the most flattering photo ever taken of the SLUF, but I suppose it is the season. Bah, humbug.

While the Midway isn't a true super-carrier, she is the latest big deck to be retired and retained as a museum. As a result of this, she offers the best chance you have at experiencing a modern carrier without getting aboard one of the Nimitz or Ford-class ships. The docents aboard Midway are knowledgable, friendly, and ready to help both experts and novices alike understand the complexities of the modern aircraft carrier.

A shot of the forward hangar bay of USS Midway with various Second World War Aircraft. — Looking forward in the hangar bay of the Midway, on the ladder well leading up to the 02 level.

The Midway is easy to access, it's just along Harbor Drive in San Diego, with plenty of nearby parking. Seaport Village is a short walk to the south, and the Maritime Museum of San Diego is close by as well. If you're new to the city, or looking to gain some knowledge of the history of America's Cold War aircraft carriers, this is the place to get started. Happy discovering!