| Battleship Memorial Park | |
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USS Alabama in Battleship Memorial Park in 2008
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| Location: | Mobile, Alabama |
| Coordinates: | |
| Founded: | 9 January 1965 |
| Alabama Landmark | |
| Official name: Battleship Alabama Memorial Park | |
| Designated: | 28 October 1977[1] |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
| Official name: USS ALABAMA (battleship) | |
| Designated: | 14 January 1986[2] |
| Reference #: | 86000083 |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
| Designated: | 14 January 1986[3] |
| Reference #: | 86000086 |
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Location of Battleship Memorial Park in Alabama
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Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum located on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. It has a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including the South Dakota-class battleship USS Alabama and Gato-class submarine USS Drum. The USS Alabama and USS Drum are both National Historic Landmarks, and the park as a whole is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.[1]
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In May 1962, the USS Alabama (BB-60) had been ordered scrapped along with her South Dakota-class sister ships, USS South Dakota (BB-57), USS Indiana (BB-58), and USS Massachusetts (BB-59).[4] Citizens of the state of Alabama had formed the "USS Alabama Battleship Commission" to raise funds for the preservation of Alabama as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. Alabama’s school children raised approximately $100,000 in nickels and dimes from lunch money and allowances to help the cause.[4] The ship was awarded to the state on 16 June 1964, and was formally turned over on 7 July 1964 in ceremonies at Seattle, Washington. Alabama was then towed to her permanent berth at Mobile, Alabama, arriving in Mobile Bay on 14 September 1964 and opening as a museum ship on 9 January 1965.[4] She was joined in 1969 by the submarine USS Drum which was moored behind USS Alabama until 2001, when it was moved onto land for permanent display.[5]
Hurricane Katrina caused more than $7 million in damages to Battleship Memorial Park on 29 August 2005 when it came ashore.[4] It almost completely destroyed the aircraft pavilion and gave the USS Alabama an eight-degree list to port and shifting at her permanent anchorage.[6] This forced the park to temporarily close for repairs. It reopened on 9 January 2006.[7]
The park is owned by the state of Alabama and is run by an independent government agency, the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. The commission consists of eighteen members from over the entire state appointed by the Alabama governor, it has oversight of all operations at the park.[8]