USS Orleck Naval Museum by the Numbers: A 390-Foot Destroyer Launched in 1945, Open Veterans Day on the Jacksonville Riverfront for $20

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The USS Orleck, a Navy destroyer launched in 1945 and now docked on Jacksonville's downtown riverfront, is open to visitors on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the museum's published hours. The ship is a museum run by the Florida Historic Naval Ship Association at 610 E. Bay St. Admission is $20 for adults, and active-duty service members in uniform get in free.

The museum's website does not list a special Veterans Day offer, so the regular prices apply. The ship is closed Monday and Tuesday and on the days of Jacksonville Jaguars home games, the museum says. Here is what visitors should know before going, along with the ship's long path from the Pacific to the St. Johns River.

Hours and ticket prices

The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last tickets are sold at 2 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday and at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the museum says. Tickets are sold at the gate, and parking is free, according to the museum. Visitors arriving on Veterans Day should plan to be in line before the 2 p.m. cutoff.

Source: Florida Historic Naval Ship Association. Prices can change, so call 904-789-7447 to confirm before you go.

The ship by the numbers

The USS Orleck (DD-886) is a Gearing-class destroyer built by Consolidated Steel Corporation in Orange, Texas. She was laid down on Nov. 28, 1944, launched on May 12, 1945, and commissioned on Sept. 15, 1945, according to the ship's Wikipedia entry. She is about 390 feet long and carried a crew of 336 during her Navy service.

Jacksonville Today reported in 2025 that the ship once carried about 300 people and that the museum describes her as 390 feet long. She was named for Lt. Joseph Orleck, who died in 1943 when a Navy tugboat he was aboard sank during the amphibious invasion of Italy, according to Jacksonville Today. The museum honors him inside the ship with a video, his gravestone and photos of his wife at the 1945 christening.

A ship with four homes

The Navy decommissioned the Orleck and transferred her to Turkey on Oct. 1, 1982, where she was renamed Yucetepe, according to Wikipedia. She returned to the United States on Aug. 12, 2000, and became a museum ship in Texas. In 2010 she was moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she opened to visitors on April 10, 2011.

The ship reached Jacksonville on March 26, 2022, and the museum officially opened on Oct. 5, 2022, according to Wikipedia. Jacksonville Today reported that about 13 months after the tow, the ship moved to her current berth at Pier One, east of the Berkman Plaza marina. Wikipedia lists the docking date at Shipyards West as April 3, 2023, which the page calls her permanent home.

What visitors will find aboard

In February 2025 the museum opened new interactive displays in a former crew berthing area from the Korean and Vietnam war eras, Jacksonville Today reported. Work to restore the below-deck areas took 18 months, and the museum added more than a dozen exhibits and a gift shop. A $250,000 renovation was mostly funded by state grants, according to the same report.

Visitors can step into stacked crew bunks, see a rebuilt Vietnam-era drone hangar and watch video displays on the bridge, Jacksonville Today reported. An interactive display inside a twin gun mount on the aft deck recreates a 1968 Vietnam battle with strobe lights and sound. A mannequin in a classic uniform stands next to the bunks, and an 8-foot radio-controlled model of the Orleck sits in another exhibit.

The ship has ladders, hatches and uneven decks, so flat, comfortable shoes are a good idea, according to a visitor guide published by First Coast Explorer. That guide says a quick walk-through takes 30 to 45 minutes, while talking with the volunteer docents can stretch a visit to about two hours. It also says the ship has a gift shop and a small cafe.

Coming up at the ship

The museum's events page lists a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Car Show at the ship on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The listing calls it the third annual event. The museum did not say whether admission to the car show is free or ticketed. Another listing for Saturday, Nov. 28, from 6 to 10 p.m. is a pier-side silent disco, with tickets sold through 904tix.com.

The museum's website lists no Veterans Day ceremony or program for Nov. 11. Visitors who want to ask about veteran recognition or group visits can call the museum at 904-789-SHIP (7447). The ship's website is jaxnavalmuseum.org, which redirects to the Florida Historic Naval Ship Association site.

Quick facts

• Address: 610 E. Bay St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
• Phone: 904-789-7447
• Closed: Mondays, Tuesdays and Jaguars home-game days
• Parking: Free, according to the museum
• Ship launched: May 12, 1945
• Jacksonville arrival: March 26, 2022