USS Kidd Veterans Memorial

Subject: History

305 South River Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

(225) 342-1942 | General Information
(225) 342-1942 ext. 10 | Reservations
(225) 342-2039 | Fax

What you need to know!

General Public Hours and Admission Rates to Visit Ship and Museum: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $10.00 Adults, $8.00 Seniors 60+ years of age, $8.00 Veterans and Active Military with ID, $6.00 Children ages 5 – 12 years old, FREE for Children ages 4 and under.

Groups of 20 or More: $9.00 Adults, $7.00 Seniors 50+ years of age, $7.00 Veterans and Active Military with ID.

Overnight Program: $22.00 per-person.

School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Daily, 9:00am – 5:00pm; $5.00 Students in grades K-8th, $5.00 Chaperones; $7.00 Students in grades 9th – 12th, $7.00 Chaperones

Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1
Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: One week
Number of Students per Visit: 20 - 300
Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Two hours
Handicapped Accessible: Only the Main Deck aboard the Ship is accessible, and the Museum is fully accessible.
Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th
Lunch Facilities: Picnic areas are close to the museum and fast food is available within five blocks of the museum.
Gift Shop: Yes
Bus parking is available.

Tell Us About It!

All hands on deck! Students explore the USS Kidd afloat on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge. The USS Kidd is a Fletcher class destroyer, one of the last ships of her era. She was awarded 12 battle stars in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean Conflict. The tour aboard the ship takes visitors through more than 50 inner spaces. This destroyer harks back to VJ-Day in 1945, the conclusion of World War II. The museum interprets the rich maritime heritage of Louisiana from colonial days to the late 20th century. The museum features a full-scale interactive model for the USS Constitution’s (Old Ironside’s) gun deck and a tribute to General Chennault’s Flying Tigers with a fully restored P-40 fighter plane. A large ship model collection is on display in the museum along with hands-on areas. Louisiana Veterans Hall of Honor and the Louisiana Memorial Plaza features an eternal flame and names of more than 7,000 Louisianans who died in service to their country.

What Can We See and Do There?

Studying about America’s involvement in war becomes remarkably real for students who climb the ladders, duck low doorways and view weaponry aboard the USS Kidd. After a ten-minute video orientation, guides lead students through the ship describing what life was like for an American sailor on-board over 50-years ago. Students experience the cramped quarters of the World War II destroyer firsthand. There is a doctor’s and dentist’s office, a galley, repair shop, and sleeping spaces, along with the important instruments of battle. They see how the U-boat threat of the North Atlantic was countered. Students view the site where a Japanese kamikaze struck the USS Kidd and begin to understand why more ships were lost by the Navy at Okinawa in 1941 than in any other naval conflict in United States history. Hands-on learning includes steering the wooden ship’s wheel in the museum and trying the interactive displays. Inquire about the overnight program where students spend the night aboard the USS Kidd. Special events include Patriot Day, Veterans Day, and Pearl Harbor Day services.

How Do We Get There?

From the west, take I-10 to I-110 north and exit at Convention St. Travel to River Road and turn left. From the east, take I-10 to I-110 north and exit at Government St. and turn left on Government St. Travel to River Road.

Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?

Teachers should call ahead to confirm rainy day plans.

Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards

K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H-1A-E1-2; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E2-4; G-1C-E6; C-1A-E4-7; C-1B-E1; C-1C-E1; C-1D-E3; H-1D-E2
5th-8th grades: C-1C-M1-3; C-1D-M2-3; G-1C-M7; H-1A-M1-3, 5
9th-12th grades: C-1A-H2; G-1B-H1-4; H-1A-H1-2, 4, 6; H-1B-H12-15, 17

What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?

First, check out the USS Kidd website to see a virtual tour of Louisiana’s maritime history and the USS Kidd. Teachers can call for a copy of the USS Kidd teacher’s manual, a 32-page booklet. Ask students to imagine what kinds of spaces and provisions they expect to see on the USS Kidd. Bring the list with you on the field trip and check off those things students find on the tour. Hang onto this list for a class discussion after the field trip.

S-T-R-E-TC-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits

What impressed your students the most about the warship? Sailors aboard the ship have a language all their own, using phrases and words that mean different things to us landlubbers. Sailors make up their rack (bed) and wash up in the head (bathroom). Use the vocabulary list in the teacher’s manual for a fun language arts assignment. Pull out a world map and ask students to locate Japan, Louisiana, and Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor.