USS Alabama, 2703 Battleship Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36603
Nestled in Mobile Bay in its final resting place, USS Alabama BB-60 is a military attraction that is also the home of various entities which have not found their peace yet.
The 680-foot ship was brought back to US waters in 1965 and it is one of the few original attractions which is a must-see.
USS Alabama Ghosts
Some of the paranormal occurrences in the USS Alabama have been attributed to the two deaths of men who were in the Norfolk shipyard during her construction.
USS Alabama was finished in 1942 and served more than three years without any fatalities caused by enemy fire. However, there were quite a number of deaths caused by friendly fire.
One of the guns’ safety features that were supposed to prevent the turrets from firing upon each other had failed and caused the deaths of 8 people.
Many people who have been to the ship heard footsteps coming toward them even though there was no one. Apparitions have also been reported in the officers’ quarters and the cook’s galley.
The crewmen who died due to friendly fire still seem to have remained in their stations at the turret where they took their last breath.
Late at night popping and tapping noises can be heard in the bulkheads and the solid steel hatches shut of their own accord.
Visitors have reported the feeling of being watched and one woman who passed by the sleeping quarters had her earrings snatched by an unseen entity.
The ship is open to the public and those who would like to find out for themselves if the ship is haunted or not are welcome to do so.
However, no one is allowed to stay overnight unless he or she is an employee or part of a youth group.
USS Alabama History
The USS Alabama is a battleship and was the sixth ship of the United States Navy which was named after the state of Alabama.
It was commissioned in 1942 and served in the Atlantic during the Second World War. She was decommissioned in 1947 and assigned to reserve duty.
She was finally retired in 1962 and in 1964 the ship was taken to Mobile Bay and became a museum ship. It was added to the National Historic Landmark registry in 1986.
During the Second World War, USS Alabama escorted aircraft carriers; bombarded Nauru Island; and treated the wounded sailors.
The ship is now a memorial to the men and women who served and lost their lives during the war.
It was towed to its permanent location in 1964. It opened as a museum on the 9th of January 1965. Visitors can view the inside of the main gun turrets, as well as anti-aircraft guns.
The ship has been recently used as a hurricane shelter in recent years and during Hurricane Katrina, it suffered damage.
USS Alabama has been used for most of the battleship scenes of the movie Under Siege. It was also used as a stand-in for USS Iowa in the television series War and Remembrance.