Albacore Park

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Albacore Park 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.

We have a miraculous submarine story for you today! The USS Chopper SS-342 was a Balao class submarine in commission fro...
10/12/2026

We have a miraculous submarine story for you today!

The USS Chopper SS-342 was a Balao class submarine in commission from 1945 to 1969. On February 11, 1969, she was participating in an anti-submarine warfare exercise off the coast of Cuba when disaster struck.

Chopper lost electrical power causing her crew to lose control of her and contact with one another. She was at a depth of 150 feet and within one minute of losing power she faced a nearly vertical down angle of over 80 degrees. Eventually reaching over 1,000-foot depth, well past her crush depth; Chopper’s hull was put to the test. After regaining power a couple minutes later, Chopper shot up to the surface at a nearly vertical up angle of 87 degrees.

Thankfully, apart from a couple of injuries, the crew miraculously walked away with zero fatalities. The Chopper did not face the same fate; her hull was now compromised by the extreme pressure that she was not meant to withstand. Because of the damage she could no longer be used for her original purpose. She was used for Naval Reserve training, salvage operations training, and her last role was as a target for the USS Spadefish SS-668, sinking her to the bottom of the sea off the coast of North Carolina.

Photos courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command and John Hummel of US Navy

10/08/2026

This is just a snapshot of all the fun we had at this year’s Maritime Industry Day.

Yesterday we welcomed students from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to explore career paths and opportunities in STEM, maritime, and skilled trade industries. This event helped kick off national manufacturering month.

Students had the opportunity to talk to industry professionals, learn about educational and training pathways, earn welding scholarships, try hands on activities, tour the revolutionary USS Albacore, and discover how they can play a vital role in this industry.

A very special thanks to the host of this event, Manufacturers Association of Maine, and co-host Portsmouth Naval Shipyard - PNSY for holding the event at Albacore Park. We also want to thank all the industry representatives and sponsors who supported the event and helped students explore their futures.

We had a special visit yesterday from USS Albacore crew EN3 Bob "Clem" Kempkes (right) while fellow crew member and Pres...
10/02/2026

We had a special visit yesterday from USS Albacore crew EN3 Bob "Clem" Kempkes (right) while fellow crew member and President of our board, Ken Latchaw (left) was also at Albacore Park. It’s not every day that we get to welcome our crew back aboard!

Yesterday they had an accidental reunion at the park and spent some time on board together. Ken and Bob served together on Albacore during the last phase. They even noted how quieter the engine room is now.

It was a pleasure to have these two crew members back on board, and to welcome Bob, and his wife Janice, back to the park!

On October 1, 1814, the USS Washington was launched from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. A 74-gun wooden ship of the line nam...
10/01/2026

On October 1, 1814, the USS Washington was launched from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. A 74-gun wooden ship of the line named after the first US President, she was built for the US Navy for the War of 1812 under a contract with local shipbuilders William Badger and Edmund Hartt.

At the time she was built, Washington was one of the largest warships constructed at the shipyard. Although the war ended before she saw combat, she did spend time in the Medditerranean Sea to showcase American naval innovation and deter possible attacks on American merchant ships. She even hosted President James Madison, and his wife Dolley Madison in 1816. She was eventually decommissioned and placed in reserves in 1820.

After a 29-year lifespan, the USS Washington was broken up and scrapped. Even after her scrapping, USS Washington remains an important symbol of early naval shipbuilding and local innovation stretching back over 200 years.

Photos courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

The wait is over! ⚓We are stocked up with the long-awaited USS Albacore AGSS569 Model Brick sets. These just arrived in ...
09/30/2026

The wait is over! ⚓We are stocked up with the long-awaited USS Albacore AGSS569 Model Brick sets. These just arrived in the Ship's Store today and are the perfect activity or gift for all ages!

Stop by the Ship's Store at Albacore Park to take home your set!

09/30/2026

Have you ever wondered what your job would be on the USS Albacore? Now you can find out!

Visit our Crew ID photo booth, pick your job on Albacore, take your picture, and wait for your ID card to print! Don't forget to stop at the ship's store to buy a lanyard!

Which job are you picking?

We are open 7 days a week. Visit our website at ussalbacore.org for more information. We can't wait to see you!

Austin "Butch" Jordan, former USS Albacore AGSS-569 crew member, was recently at the USSVI Convention in Corpus Christi,...
09/29/2026

Austin "Butch" Jordan, former USS Albacore AGSS-569 crew member, was recently at the USSVI Convention in Corpus Christi, Texas representing the Albacore, connecting with fellow submarine veterans, and sharing signed copies of the book he and fellow crew Jack Hunter edited.

This book shares a fascinating oral history with more than 20 accounts from the men who served aboard the USS Albacore. Both Butch and Jack visited the park this past June to sign copies of their book and share their experiences on Albacore.
Purchase their book in our Ship’s Store at Albacore Park or get it delivered right to your door on Amazon!

Thank you Butch for representing and sharing the story of the Albacore at the USSVI convention!

09/23/2026

How many of these sounds could you identify? For submariners, this may have been very easy!

These are just some of the sounds that may have been heard on the USS Albacore while she was in service testing brand new technology for the Navy.

Come tour the USS Albacore at Albacore Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and listen closely in the sonar room to see what sounds you can still hear.

On September 21, 1897, the USS Constitution arrived in Boston from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to celebrate the 100th ...
09/21/2026

On September 21, 1897, the USS Constitution arrived in Boston from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her launch on October 21, 1787.

After retiring from active service in 1881, the USS Constitution spent 15 years at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a receiving ship. She looked quite different during this time and was fitted with a two-story wooden barn to house incoming recruits and sailors awaiting assignment.

She made the two-day trip from the shipyard to Boston with the help of tugboats, unable to sail under her own power after heavy alterations to her deck and sails. After her arrival in Boston and the centennial celebration, the USS Constitution remained permanently in her birthplace and eventually underwent extensive restoration to return her to her original form.

Photos Courtesy of: Naval Historical Foundation, Naval History & Heritage Command, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Collection, and USS Constitution Museum Collection

A very special thank you to Thomas Hand, who generously donated a model of the USS Constitution to our Maritime Gallery ...
09/17/2026

A very special thank you to Thomas Hand, who generously donated a model of the USS Constitution to our Maritime Gallery this week. Tom's father, Charles and Uncle Nelson Ramsdell built this model in 1964. Nelson worked at PNSY in the Apprentice Program. Charles helped to build the USS Albacore and actually went out for sea trials after her launching. Charles worked at Naval Shipyard 37 years after WWII.

The model is currently on display in our Maritime Gallery. For more information about local shipbuilding please visit Albacore Park

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

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