Charleston: USS Yorktown Ghost Tour After Dark & Flight Deck

The Ship at Night: Stories the Daytime Tours Don't Tell

You spend 90 minutes aboard the USS Yorktown at night, exploring areas closed to daytime visitors and the flight deck after dark. Your guide covers WWII history, maritime superstitions, and the mysterious stories that define the ship's legacy. Entry is included, the tour is guided, and you're back by evening: no arranging transport to Patriots Point or figuring out which parts of the ship are actually open.

Step-by-step itinerary

Night tour aboard USS Yorktown

• Meet at Patriots Point ticket booth
• Enter through front gates only
• Board USS Yorktown
• Hear stories of American heroes
• Explore exclusive nighttime ship areas
• Visit flight deck after dark
• Learn about maritime superstitions
• Discover unusual ship christening
• Hear about Captain Jocko Clark
• Learn about Smokey Stover
• Explore mysterious sailor disappearance

The experience

By day, the USS Yorktown is a museum you walk through with crowds. By night, it's something else entirely: narrow stairways and steel corridors that belonged to over 3,000 sailors during World War II, now mostly empty and lit only by what your guide brings. The 90-minute ghost tour takes you into spaces the regular daytime visitors never see, including the flight deck after dark, where you'll hear about maritime superstitions, the unusual ship christening, and the mysterious disappearance of a sailor that nobody quite explains. It's not a haunted house production. It's the actual ship, actual history, and the stories that stick with people who served here.

You meet at The Ship Shop ticketing booth at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant, 15 minutes before your tour time. The guide walks you through what happened aboard the "Fighting Lady": Captain Jocko Clark, a sailor known as Smokey Stover, the rituals and superstitions that kept crews sane during combat operations. The ship itself is not climate controlled, so summer means heat and winter means cold. The reference material doesn't soften that. There's a lot of walking, narrow stairways, and a few ladders you'll need to climb, so closed-toed shoes and a moderate level of fitness matter. Bring bottled water if you're going in summer: the ship store isn't open during the tour.

The whole thing runs rain or shine, and that's part of what makes it real. You're not in a theater. You're on a decommissioned aircraft carrier where people actually lived and died, hearing the stories of their sacrifice and heroism in the spaces where it happened. The exclusive after-dark access is what separates this from the daytime museum walk. You get the flight deck when it's dark, the crew quarters when they're quiet, the parts of the ship that tell a different story once the day visitors leave.

What’s included

• Your 90-minute guided ghost tour includes exclusive after-dark access to areas of the USS Yorktown closed to daytime visitors, including the flight deck at night. You'll hear stories of WWII sailors, maritime superstitions, Captain Jocko Clark, Smokey Stover, and the mysterious sailor disappearance. The tour covers the sacrifice and heroism of the 3,000-plus people who inhabited the ship during combat operations. Entry to these exclusive areas is included.
• you meet at The Ship Shop ticketing booth 15 minutes before departure.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 19:00, 19:30, 21:00 and 21:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Bulldog Tours

Is this one for you?Right for history buffs and WWII enthusiasts who want the ship's stories told in the spaces where they happened, after the daytime crowds leave. Expect significant walking, narrow stairways, and ladders. That's what gives you access to the parts of the ship most visitors never see.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the USS Yorktown ghost tour?

Ninety minutes, starting 15 minutes after you arrive at The Ship Shop ticketing booth.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

No. The tour involves significant walking, narrow stairways, and ladders. It is not handicapped accessible, and it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.

What areas of the ship do you visit?

The tour includes exclusive access to areas closed to the public during the day, plus the flight deck after dark. Specific spaces vary, but highlights cover crew quarters, maritime history, and WWII-era sections.

Is the USS Yorktown climate controlled?

No. The ship is hot in summer and cold in winter. Dress in layers and bring water, especially during warm months.

Can you bring water on the tour?

Yes, bottled water is recommended. The ship store is not open during the tour.

Is there parking at Patriots Point?

Yes, there is a paid parking lot next to the ship.

What should you wear?

Closed-toed, comfortable shoes are essential. Dress for the season. The ship is not climate controlled.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are permitted on the tour.

Can pregnant travelers take this tour?

No, the tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers due to the physical demands and narrow spaces.