About

The Mission of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum is to honor the men and women of the military, preserve military history and provide experiences that educate the public about past and present military history and technology.

OUR HISTORY

The USS Silversides Submarine Museum was originally opened as the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum, but our history is closely intertwined with that of our namesake, the USS Silversides submarine.

The USS Silversides (SS-236) was commissioned on December 15, 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She embarked on her first war patrol in April, 1942, and went on to complete 14 war patrols in the Pacific during WWII. She transited the Panama Canal in September, 1945 on her way to New York, and was decommissioned in April, 1946. She then became a stationary training ship in Chicago until 1969. After retiring from service, she spent time in Chicago as a museum ship, moving to Navy Pier in 1979. In 1987, the USS Silversides was towed across Lake Michigan to become part of the Great Lakes Naval and Memorial Museum. The Silversides was later joined by the US Coast Guard Cutter McLane, and eventually a two-story museum building was added to the facility, now known as the USS Silversides Submarine Museum.