USS Blueback Submarine

Tickets were purchased online for $8.50 per person — absolutely worth it. We came specifically to visit the USS Blueback (SS‑581) submarine, and it exceeded expectations. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and patient, answering all of our questions in detail. The submarine itself is very well maintained, and what really makes this experience special is that there’s no glass or barriers — you can get up close and actually touch everything. A fascinating and immersive visit. Highly recommended, especially if you’re interested in naval history or engineering.

Had a spectacular visit led by Kami! We learned so much- our guide was amazing. It is crazy how submariners survived there three months. (Ages 5-81 found interesting)

The was the absolute BEST PART of OMSI! Tickets were only 8 bucks and well worth it. It’s a 45+ tour of the submarine. You can see every part of the ship from top to bottom and front to back. Every room will having you thinking of questions to ask and what this sub has seen. It’s incredible piece of equipment everyone should see and specially those that are veterans or military history buffs!

While visiting Portland for the day, I found out about the USS Blueback (SS-581), a US Navy submarine turned exhibit of OMSI. I was absolutely blown away on my tour. Tony was very knowledgeable and kind and always paused for questions and was happy to answer them. Over the course of an hour, he gave an excellent guided tour. Lots of details, which I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of, and it felt like no stone left unturned by the end, which was very nice. I'd recommend the tour to anyone. For $8.50, it was well worth it and more. Just be wary of the steep stairs and narrow passageways and doors here and there throughout the tour.

This sub is quite small compared to its ww2 predecessors and nuclear successors, but that meant we covered almost all of it in a 45 minute tour. The guide was knowledgeable about the various periscope, sonar, and torpedo weaponry. We also learned about lifestyle on board.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. It was the coolest thing we've experienced in Portland. The price is more than fair for the wonderful experience. Our tour guide was friendly and very knowledgeable being a former U.S. Navy Submariner. We learned so much about Navy Submarines and Submariners. Getting to see and touch the inside of a real battery powered submarine was just really cool. I don't want to give too much away because you should really go check this out for yourself. It is well worth it.

This is such an incredibly cool and unique experience! Touring a decommissioned submarine is one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do. The very energetic, knowledge, and engaging hosts will give you an inside look of how this class of submarine worked, life inside an underwater submarine, and so much more. Worth every penny many times over!

Earl our guide was wonderful at giving us a tour at this retired submarine that is donated to OMSI. He was great at explaining everything since he served in these submarines during his career and was able to get the kids engaged in the tour making it a more memorable experience. One of my top suggestions if you have a few days in the city and it was reasonably priced unlike other museums we’ve visited recently.

OMG the only thing better than being able to climb aboard this vintage attack sub for less than $10 was the five star quality of the tour! The sub itself was awesome but unlike self-guided ship visits I have been on, this guided tour made the sub come to life! Probably because it's a guided tour you're able to actually visit the cool parts of the sub like the control room and the torpedo room, as well as sit down in the dining booths in the kitchen and hear about their not-bad-at-all menu. So so so worth $10 whether or not you're seeing the rest of the museum. Actually we came just for the sub, after getting sammies at Baker's Mark nearby but that's another story....

As an ex-navy submariner, old museum boats naturally draw my interest. During my latest trip over the hill to Portland, on top of my to-do list was visiting the USS Blueback. I was not disappointed. The submarine is in great shape (not a given at other museums featuring navy vessels) and the guided tour was excellent. Mind you, I didn't need a guided tour and was a bit apprehensive when our guide turned out to be a young woman who was clearly not a navy vet. Here again, I was not disappointed. Although she had no personal experience on submarines, she had just as clearly been trained well on the history, workings and life on the Blueback. Her mentors were the volunteer navy sub vets who help maintain the boat and who are to be commended for what they do, both in keeping the Blueback in fine condition and ensuring the tour guides know their stuff. Highly recommended.

Great tour of a submarine. I went with my husband and father, all seniors. We enjoyed seeing this historical vessel up close. The tour had about 12 people of different ages and all seemed to enjoy it, particularly the teens who asked some good questions. The guide was young and very knowledgeable.

This tour was awesome. My boyfriend and I booked the sub tour during a visit to OMSI, and it was definitely the highlight of our day and one of the most memorable things from our visit to Portland. We got lucky in that we were the only 2 people who booked our time slot, and therefore we got a private tour (most tours had groups, so just lucky timing on our part). Our tour guide was a volunteer US Navy sub Veteran who was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and had stories from his own experiences to share. He answered all of our questions and made the tour really fun and engaging. The sub itself was fascinating and intricate. Definitely worth checking out.

Last diesels subs of the US Navy. My dad served on the Bonefish, one of the three of this type ever built. Nice to be able to access and see what it was like living on such a small vessel.

Passing the beautiful U.S. Submarine Memorial everyday on my walk, it dawned on me that I've never written a review of this special place of honor and respect. Located on the Eastbank Esplanade in front of OMSI and overlooking the Williamette River where the USS Blueback Submarine is permanently docked, the U.S. Submarine Memorial is dedicated to submarine veterans who are now on "Eternal Patrol." To prominently mark the spot, the propeller (screw) of the Blueback Submarine was removed and placed on the Eastbank Esplanade to permanently commemorate and honor those who gave their life in service. The Secretary of the Navy, John H. Dalton, gave a speech entitled STILL ON PATROL--BUT SILENT NO LONGER at the dedication ceremony of The Blueback Memorial on May 14th, 1994. The gorgeous bronze propeller is absolutely stunning with a gorgeous patina of various shades that changes hues as the light from the sun passes overhead. It is encircled by bricks engraved with names of some of these brave veterans. There is a plaque in front of the propeller that reads: Dedicated to the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives while serving their country in the U.S Submarine Force. These gallant men gave the supreme sacrifice to protect our freedom and the American way of life. Their legacy will continue to live on in future generations. At the entrance to the dock that leads down to the USS Blueback is another marker, a large stone engraved with words of remembrance. These words, cut in stone, are a tribute to all submariners who volunteered to serve their country in the submarine service of the United States of America. Never let it be said of any of us that we forgot our shipmates on eternal patrol. Dedicated by U.S. Submarine Veterans World War II Oregon Chapter May 14, 1994 So as you walk the Eastbank Esplanade, pause to check out this memorial and pay respect to those that served. You can take a tour of the actual submarine, the USS Blueback, for a fee, but the tours are temporarily closed due to Covid.

A lot cooler than I was expecting. We came to fill some time between the Japanese Gardens and the south tram to the hospital for sightseeing. This was the only exhibit at OMSI we went to. I'm a veteran and that's where my interest was as I was in another branch and don't know much about ships or subs. Ample parking around the building. OMSI has a lot of options for other things to do, especially ally if you've got kids. The tour was supposed to be about "25-30 minutes" but our group had questions - which was totally fine and impressed the tour guide and led to a more knowledgeable experience for everyone in the group - so bring your questions. Our tour took just under 45 minutes. They also offer a technical tour in which they go through "every area on board and they get you into all the compartments" so that would have been better - you'll have to look those dates and times up. I was impressed with the tour and knowledge and everywhere we got to go. MUCH more interesting than any tour of battleship or aircraft carrier I've been on! Perhaps because this is a specialized ship that's different than most on how it operates. I'm tall at 6' 8" and couldn't stand up straight for portions of the tour but was surprised at all the places I could stand up straight. It wasn't difficult for me to slouch for the portions I had to, and I'm 40 years old to give reference. There was the slight inclination of claustrophobia but it really wasn't that bad. Anxiety is a mental game, so take some slow deep breaths and remind yourself you're simply floating on the river, tethered to the pier - but if you want to exit, it's only a flight up the stairs and you're out. Some stairs are steep and doorways are short so you will need to crouch and stoop. I'd go back if we didn't live 3 states away.

superb sub tour. great docents. very knowledgeable & informative. must see when in Portland.

Quick informative guided tour. I've been on several submarine tours and although this one can use some modern touches it was a quick crowded walk with history thrown in. If your claustrophobic this one you might want to skip it is a tight walkway and barely room for the group they take inside. Half of us had to listen from the stairs since there wasn't room for us all in the corridor, makes you appreciate the fact you never had to live on one. Worth the visit once wouldn't go again.

We didn't have time for all of OMSI but my youngest really wanted to go on a submarine so I booked a tour and it was a lot of fun! The guides were engaging, telling interesting age appropriate stories and sharing fun facts and allowing the kids to touch and participate when possible. I generally just "put up with" these tours because my family enjoys them but I genuinely enjoyed it and found it really interesting.

I was in Portland for a short trip last week. I toured the USS Blueback on a fine day when I took MAX to the OMSI Museum. Our docent, Tony, was outstanding. He knows his stuff; informative, entertaining, as he led our group through this last diesel electric sub from the 1950s. He is a veteran of the sister ship of this sub. Tony was an electrician and served for several years in the '60s. In the OMSI museum, they have you climb through a replica of the sub hatchways. If you can't do this you won't get to see the sub. Makes perfect sense.

QUICKIE REVIEW Awesome piece of history right here. Great tour experience when available again. PARKING Yes. SERVICE Tour guide that I had was a submarine nerd, which was great. He knew what seemed to be everything and then some. You will be hard pressed doing the tour and not to learn something new. TIP/OTHER THOUGHTS The regular tour is about an hour long; however, they have tech tours that run much longer and in way more depth. The tour is given by a submarine veteran, cannot beat it.

Maybe I should write this review under OMSI, but the highlight of the museum was this tour, so that's why I'm giving it a spotlight. Our tour guide was Mike Stephens (could be wrong on 1st name?) and he was FANTASTIC. My mom just cannot stop saying how great the tour was! She actually asked me to write this review, and that's a first. I toured a sub in San Francisco, so I thought I would be doing a bit of a repeat of here, but Stephens has so much knowledge and interest - he proved me wrong! Obvious (??) addition: Don't go if you have claustrophobia or issues with mobility in small spaces.

Great tour! Our guide was so informative and interactive. I was a bit skeptical at first since I didn't know if the kids would be interested in a sub tour. But our guide would talk directly to the kids and kept the information at their level.

This tour was super informative. My exposure to submarines was largely limited to a paragraph or two in history class, so this experience was super worthwhile. I'm not a history buff, but my buddy is really into war-related history so I went with him. The tour guide we had was lots of fun and extremely knowledgable about the entire unit. The sub is apparently small by modern standards (I wouldn't know...) but just imagining submariners who had to spent months out at sea freaks me out.

Visited here on a Sunday afternoon in Aug 2022 as part of OMSI and bought tickets for the sub tour. Absolutely worth the time and even more interesting if you have or had any interest in military things growing up (books, movies, etc.) They have a standard tour and apparently also periodically have a more in-depth technical tour a few times a month. The guides were extremely knowledgeable, entertaining, and great at answering questions. We could have probably stuck around for hours to listen to stories. It is a fairly tight space though, so be prepared for short, steep steps, going through small doorways with low clearance, etc. If claustrophobic, might be an issue although ventilation was fine. Would absolutely recommend this to kids and adults - I think there is something for everyone here.

(visited September 2014) Great tour of a diesel electric submarine, from the torpedo room to the engine room.

Do the tour! All about submarines (and this one in particular) in a hour, our small group was lead by our guide, who's a volunteer and a veteran. He was so very knowledgeable and know every detail about the sub and life on the submarine, he definitely qualifies as one of the best tour guides I've ever had. While walk through the length of the submarine and stopping at appropriate points, you are showered with information that is offered about every detail on the sub, touch when you can, ask when you are curious. There wasn't one question that our tour guide couldn't answer to our satisfaction. What I love most about the tour is that the hard facts about the operation of the sub is offered alongside the soft everyday life events of the crews (and even before they become certified crews), which made it that much more personal and insightful than reading chapters out of history books. Well worth visiting just on its own and a must when visiting the OMSI.

A must-do if you're at OMSI. I wish the 45 minute tour were longer! The guide was an expert and a veteran - and most likely a grandparent, as he was very patient with a rambunctious young boy in the tour group. Go see this marvel of engineering.

The tour of the USS Blueback was informative and very interesting. This is certainly worth seeing!

Got super lucky, showed up late and missed out on the first tour of the day but we ended up on a personal tour with just my wife and I. Our tour guide Dave was fantastic with a wealth of knowledge and personal experiences. He was very through and didn't feel like he was reading a script. We both recommend this for anyone into historical and military stuff.