What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 4pm Tuesday 9:30am - 4pm Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm Thursday 9:30am - 4pm Friday 9:30am - 4pm Saturday 9:30am - 4pm Sunday 9:30am - 4pm

Albacore Park

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Come visit! Built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the U.S.S. ALBACORE served with the United States Navy from 1953 to 1972. ALBACORE never fired a weapon.

A National Historic Landmark site in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, featuring a maritime museum, gift shop, memorial garden, and tours through the USS Albacore (AGSS-569). ALBACORE never went to war. With the motto "Praenuntius Futuri" (Forerunner of the Future), ALBACORE's mission was experimental: to be designed and redesigned, adapted and readapted, her structural modifications ultimately developing into a prototype submarine. ALBACORE's teardrop hull design was a triumph, making her the world's fastest submarine at that time. It became a model for contemporary submarines for many countries. Used for testing control systems, dive breaks, sonar systems, escape mechanisms and all manner of innovative theories, ALBACORE was truly a laboratory afloat. Today Albacore Park includes a Visitor's Center. Books and submarine gifts are sold at the Visitor's Center. Adjacent is the Memorial Garden, a tribute to all of the crews and officers who have been lost in the Submarine Service. Rest rooms and ample parking are provided. Albacore Park is conveniently located one-quarter mile from Exit 7 on I-95. Audio tour on board.

11/04/2026

The 60s were busy years for the USS Albacore. She gained her new X shaped stern, dive breaks, a new dorsal rudder, and her contra rotating propellers. Thanks to her new silver-zinc batteries and upgraded propulsion system, she set the world record for submerged speed in '66.

There was more to life aboard Albacore than engineering accomplishments and speed records. She also hosted families for petticoat cruises, held birthday celebrations for crew members, and allowed public access during open houses.

These photos offer a glimpse into life aboard Albacore. Some of our favorite photos include Captain Roy Springer taking command, with his son at his side, and the view into the control room where leather straps hung from the ceiling like those on a subway, much needed for the sharp turns Albacore would make.

Do you have a favorite of these photos? Let us know in the comments below!

Tour the USS Albacore in Portsmouth, NH and learn more about life aboard. Check out our interactive exhibit where Captain Roy Springer answers fascinating questions about his time in Command of Albacore. More information at ussalbacore.org.

11/01/2026

On November 1, 1777, The Ranger departed for France, under the command of John Paul Jones. The Ranger carried important supplies and military dispatches, most notably announcing the victory at the Battle of Saratoga to Benjamin Franklin who was in Paris. Along the way, Ranger successfully captured two British merchant ships.

In February of 1778 Ranger received a 9-gun salute from a French fleet, marking the first recognition of the American "Stars and Stripes" flag by a foreign warship.

After her time in France, Ranger continued to have a well-known record of successful naval warfare. Under the command of Jones this included raids of the British coast, and the capture of the British sloop the HMS Drake, the first major victory over the Royal Navy in their own waters. Command of Ranger eventually passed to Lt. Thomas Simpson who stalked British routes capturing more than twenty merchant ships.

The Ranger was trapped in the Cooper River when Charleston fell and was captured by the British and eventually renamed the HMS Halifax. After her decommissioning, she was sold to serve as a civilian merchant ship.

Learn more about John Paul Jones and the ships he commanded in our Maritime History Gallery at Albacore Park. We are open 7 days a week from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. More information on our website at ussalbacore.org

10/28/2026

Attention all United States Veterans! Your admission to Albacore Park is FREE on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th. Join us to celebrate, apppreciate, and thank the men and women who served our country.

As always admission for active duty personnel is also free. Come tour the USS Albacore, explore the galleries, and the memorial garden, and let us honor your service!

We hope to see you this Veterans Day at Albacore Park. Open 7 days a week from 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM. More information on our website as ussalbacore.org

10/27/2026

We are having a special sale of Cachet Covers while supplies last! These were used to commemorate comissionings, decomissionings, and other important dates. Buy a grab bag with 10 covers for $5 or select your own covers for $1 each. Some even still have treasures inside. You won't want to miss this item in the Ship's Store.

The perfect item or gift for any collector, submarine veteran, or history enthusiast! We included some photos of the covers you may find in the grab bags or in the singles.

Come shop the Ship's Store at Albacore Park and grab them while they last!

10/24/2026

We were honored to welcome veterans from the USS Maine Base to Albacore Park earlier this week.

It is always so nice to welcome veterans of the silent service to tour the Albacore. They have some of the best stories around, and we certainly appreciate these gentlemen making the trip down to Portsmouth.

Thank you for visiting, for your service, and your dedication to preserving submarine history!

10/23/2026

On October 23, 1843, the USS Portsmouth, a sloop of war, was launched. Designed by Josiah Barker as an improvement over the earlier built USS Saratoga, also built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Portsmouth was ready to play an important role in history.

With a crew of 200 officers and enlisted personnel, as well as 27 Marines, Portsmouth set sail from Norfolk, Virginia, in January of 1845 to join the Pacific Squadron. Her Marines played a key role in seizing the port of Yerba Beuna, known today as San Francisco, after they raised an American flag in the main plaza, later renamed Portsmouth Square.

After completing her duties in the Pacific, she departed from Boston in 1848 to patrol and suppress slave trade on the African coast. After this patrol, she departed for China to protect America during the Second O***m War in 1856. She returned to the coast of Africa for a three-year patrol to again suppress the illegal slave trade until 1861. Following the onset of the Civil War, she returned to home port to join the Gulf Blockading Squadron and later captured two blockade runners off Texas. Her final roles were as a training and quarantine ship.

After a long and widespread career, Portsmouth was struck from the Navy List in 1915 and eventually was burned on Governors Island in the Boston Harbor during a South Boston carnival. A large crowd, including local politicians, watched flames shoot out of her empty gun ports.

10/21/2026

This morning we had a delivery of 300 more USS Albacore model brick sets! If you haven't purchased your own yet, now is the perfect time.

If you have someone in your life who loves submarines, building bricks, or models, this will make a great gift for them.

The Holidays are coming up. Get some of your early shopping out of the way at our Ship's Store at Albacore Park, where we carry gifts for all ages!

10/21/2026

How are you living on the USS Albacore? The choice is yours!

Would you prefer top or bottom bunk, who are you serving meals to, and which shower are you choosing? Tour the USS Albacore to discover how your life would fit into Albacore's hull.

Let us know in the comments which bunk, serving area, and shower you are choosing. We think options C,A,B are a good combination!

Visit Albacore Park in Portsmouth, NH today! Open 7 days a week from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Visit our website ussalbacore.org for more information!

10/15/2026

We had a great time at our second annual car show! We had some incredible classic cars participating this year, and we especially enjoyed seeing them alongside a classic piece of naval history. We want to thank every participant who shared their car with us and the spectators who made the event a success.

Spectators were given the opportunity to vote for a car to win a people's choice award and prize. A special congratulations to the people's choice winner, the Red Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible from the Seacoast, NH.

We are already looking forward to next year's car show! If you post a photo with your car in front of the Albacore, don't forget to tag us!

10/14/2026

Located on Route 1 in Portsmouth, NH is the USS Albacore, the Navy's experimental research submarine. Many drive past Albacore daily, but do you know her story?

Known for her hull shape, her speed, and her legacy, which still shapes the submarine fleet today. You can tour through this historic submarine, lay in the bunks, sit in the captain's chair, listen for secret messages in the radio room, and experience life aboard a submarine.

Learn more about Albacore's history and how her crew lived and worked aboard at Albacore Park! We are open 7 days a week from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. For more information visit our website at ussalbacore.org

Address

569 Submarine Way
Portsmouth, NH
03801

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 4pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 4pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 4pm
Thursday	9:30am - 4pm
Friday	9:30am - 4pm
Saturday	9:30am - 4pm
Sunday	9:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+16034363680

Website

http://ussalbacore.org/

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