The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum is the nonprofit group that brought the destroyer USS Edson to Bay City and keeps her open to the public. Almost the whole ship is a museum: you can climb to the bridge, blow the whistle, look into the engine room and turn valves. This guide covers the practical side of a visit, from ticket prices and tours to the October haunted attraction, groups and ways to help. For the ship's own history, see our USS Edson guide.
Quick facts
• Address: 1680 Martin St, Bay City, MI 48706
• Phone: 989-684-3946
• Website: svnsm.com
• Admission (self-guided, one day): adults $15, youth ages 5-16 $10, children 4 and under free
• Discounts: $13 for members, veterans, first responders, teachers and seniors 60+. Active-duty military, Tin Can Sailors and USS Edson crew are free with ID.
• Organization: nonprofit 501(c)(3) formed in 1997
Prices and hours are from the museum's website and change. Confirm them before you go.
How the museum came to be
The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum was formed as a nonprofit in 1997 with a mission to provide a military and maritime museum that offers an educational experience and honors those who defended the nation. The group first hoped to bring a guided-missile destroyer, USS Charles F. Adams, to Bay City, a nod to the Adams-class destroyers built at the city's Defoe shipyard, but that ship needed repairs the group could not afford. When the Edson became available, it took her instead. A tug towed her nearly 2,500 miles from Philadelphia, and she reached Bay City on August 7, 2012. Read about the yard that built Adams-class ships in our Defoe shipbuilding guide.
The museum is operated and maintained by the nonprofit, and it works to preserve the ship, a National Historic Landmark, for future generations.
Hours and tour season
The museum's website listed a season of Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last ticket sales one hour before closing, and said hours are weather dependent. It said general public touring ends November 1, and that tours and events from November through March are by reservation. A volunteer told a local publication that self-guided and guided tours run from March through December, so the exact calendar changes by year. The site also noted deck preservation work was underway. Always call or check the website for current days and hours.
What a visit is like
- Self-guided tours. Tickets are sold at Guest Services or online. About 95% of the ship is open to the public, and the exhibits are on the ship itself.
- Guided tours. Offered by reservation only, with at least three days' notice, through the museum's contact page. The museum's site does not list a price for them.
- Hands-on moments. Visitors can go to the bridge, blow the ship's whistle, enter the engine room and turn valves.
- Plan time. Allow a couple of hours. A volunteer estimated that reading everything aboard could take up to four days.
- Prepare for a ship. Expect steep ladders and narrow passageways, wear sturdy shoes and call ahead about accessibility.
A ship with stories
Volunteers who served aboard share stories on tours. One volunteer told a local publication that after the September 11 attacks the Edson was briefly used as a command center for New York City, with her mast serving as a radio tower when cell communications failed. The ship has also drawn paranormal enthusiasts, and the museum offers a paranormal program for those who want to explore her after dark.
The Edson Incident haunted attraction
Each fall the museum turns the ship into a haunted attraction called the Edson Incident. Tours begin in late September and run on weekends through October. Visitors walk through five levels of stairways and halls, and in 2023 the theme was "Ship of Nightmares," with areas built around common fears. Organizers change the attraction every couple of years. It was voted the best haunted attraction by Michigan Haunted Houses in 2022, is recommended for visitors age 10 and up, with parents making the final call, and is the museum's number one fundraiser. Tickets are sold online through the event's schedule page. See our fall and holiday guide and the events calendar.
Groups, events and overnights
The museum offers day trips, group tours, overnight scout camping, school field trips, private events and a paranormal program. Local reporting says the ship is also rented for weddings, birthday parties, class reunions, concerts and veteran luncheons. Details are on the museum's "Groups" and "Private Events" pages.
Membership, volunteering and giving
- Membership: members help preserve the ship and receive a discounted ticket price.
- Volunteering: volunteers help with restoration, special events, the gift shop and general upkeep. The museum says no experience is needed for restoration work, just a willingness to hold a paintbrush or a screwdriver.
- Donations: gifts fund preservation, maintenance, restoration, educational programs and exhibits, and a Memorial Garden brick sponsorship campaign is also offered.
- Store: an online store is linked from the museum's website.
Make a day of it
- Lunch: see our Eat page.
- More local history: the Historical Museum of Bay County and the history page.
- The riverfront: our riverfront guide shows where to walk and watch ships.
- With kids: see a kid-friendly day. Youth tickets start at age 5, and children 4 and under are free.
Sources
Details come from the museum's website, a 2021 Route Bay City feature on the Edson's history and a 2023 feature on the Edson Incident. Other directories list different hours and prices, so we used the museum's own site. This guide is independent and is not run by the museum.