Uss Alabama Battleship — One of Alabama’s most popular tourist attractions. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

The battleship USS Alabama, one of the state’s most popular attractions with thousands of annual visitors, is getting a new teak deck after eight decades. Keep reading to learn more about the ship and the $8.5 million project.

All about the battleship USS Alabama

The USS Alabama was built in 1940 and served in World War II with a crew of 2,500 Americans. After three years, it was decommissioned and moved to the Alabama coast. In 1965, the battleship became the anchor attraction of a Veterans Memorial Park in Mobile.

Today, Battleship Memorial Park is a popular tourist destination that attracts visitors with tours of the ship, an aircraft pavilion, park memorials, tours of tanks and artillery and more. You can even plan an overnight stay on the ship and sleep in the bunks that real sailors used. Plus, Mobile’s USS Alabama is the state’s best attraction according to Far & Wide.

Speaking from experience, it’s an amazing destination, even if you aren’t typically interested in battleships.

Location: 2703 Battleship Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36603
Hours: Daily 8AM-5PM | Last ticket of the day sold at 4PM
Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram
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$8.5M + 3 years

This week, members of the commission announced an $8.5 million project to replace the 23,000 square feet of teak covering the ship’s metal hull.

According to Bill Tunnell, chair of the commission that oversees the ship and park’s management, the project will have five phases. While the ship undergoes construction, visitors will still have access to the deck.

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