Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
At the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, visitors can take a guided tour of the World War II submarine USS Razorback (SS-394). Visitors can also see exhibits about World War II battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33), the nuclear powered guided missile cruiser USS Arkansas (CGN-41), and history of the Arkansas River. Hoga (YT-146), the last surviving naval vessel from Pearl Harbor has reached her final home at AIMM as well.
The museum is nestled in the North Shore Riverwalk Park, which has 2 memorials for the USS Snook (SS-279) and the USS Scorpion (SSN-589) as well as a Peace Garden.
Images
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
Hoga (YT-146) during builder's trials May, 1941
USS Razorback circa 1965
USS Razorback in World War II
Memorial Ceremony aboard USS Razorback
Hoga arrives at AIMM, November 2015
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
USS Razorback was built in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1944 and served with the United States until 1970. She was then decommissioned and sold to the Turkish Navy where she spent another 31 years in active service (1970-2001). She was sold to the City of North Little Rock in 2002 and arrived at her final home in August 2004. The museum opened officially in May 2005.
Hoga was built by Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation in New York in 1940. She served as a yard tug in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii until 1948. She is the last surviving naval vessel that was in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack. In 1948, Hoga was loaned to the city of Oakland, California to serve as a fire boat. She filled this capacity until 1994 when she was transferred back to the Navy. Hoga received National Landmark status in 1989 in honor of her efforts on December 7, 1941. The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum took possession of Hoga in 2005 and she arrived at the museum in November 2015.
Tours take 30-45 minutes and are first come first serve. The museum's exhibit space can be viewed at your own pace. Hoga is currently undergoing restoration and is not open to the public yet.
In addition to USS Razorback, Hoga, and the museum's exhibits, the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum hosts an overnight program. These can be scheduled for Friday or Saturday night, but only one overnight can be scheduled per weekend, so schedule early!
Hoga was built by Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation in New York in 1940. She served as a yard tug in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii until 1948. She is the last surviving naval vessel that was in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack. In 1948, Hoga was loaned to the city of Oakland, California to serve as a fire boat. She filled this capacity until 1994 when she was transferred back to the Navy. Hoga received National Landmark status in 1989 in honor of her efforts on December 7, 1941. The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum took possession of Hoga in 2005 and she arrived at the museum in November 2015.
Tours take 30-45 minutes and are first come first serve. The museum's exhibit space can be viewed at your own pace. Hoga is currently undergoing restoration and is not open to the public yet.
In addition to USS Razorback, Hoga, and the museum's exhibits, the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum hosts an overnight program. These can be scheduled for Friday or Saturday night, but only one overnight can be scheduled per weekend, so schedule early!
Sources
http://aimmuseum.org/about-aimm/
http://aimmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/
Photo: Harris & Ewing. ARKANSAS, U.S.S. 1917. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Library of Congress. Web. 15 July 2015.