We went on a tour of the USS Slater during the weekday around lunch time and we got a private tour of the ship for no extra charge. The ship is beautifully restored and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Going through the rooms and up and down the decks could be a bit of a challenge due to the tight quarters on the ship, but it was tons of fun!
I brought my daughters (7 and 9) to visit the USS Slater on a day off from school. Our tour guide, Austin, was extremely knowledgeable, and gave a fantastic tour. He answered all of the kids’ (occasionally ridiculous) questions, and had a wealth of interesting facts. The boat itself is very interesting and well preserved/restored. If you’re looking for a fun and interesting thing to do in Albany, don’t miss the USS Slater - it was far more fun than I imagined. Highly recommended!
What a great tour. A must if youre in the area. We had Grant for our tour guide what a knowledgeable person lots of compassion for the ship restoration. Will definitely come back if in the area. Beautiful restoration of destroyer escort.
Had a fun tour today from Austin! He answered all our questions and we enjoyed learning about the ship. Definitely worth a stop when visiting Albany!
Visited 9/2/2020 on the first day the ship was back open after restoration. Had a wonderful tour by volunteer vet who served on similar ship. Ship is in very good condition and all the details still there to see. Staff all very friendly. Would recommend for kids and adults alike. Under 5s dont get a lot out of it and just frazzle their parents - we found out first hand.
Wow! This tour blew our expectations. Our guide, John, gave us a very detailed tour of the USS Slater and answered many questions we had about WW2. He took his time and made sure to go through every single portion of the ship.My friend and I thought it was a bargain for the time and thoroughness of the tour. 100% would recommend.Tour was so great I forgot to take pictures. Lol
My tour on the USS Slater was great. Austin was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Whether you are interested in WW2 or not, highly recommend!
Beautiful day, perfect for the combined outside and inside portions of the tour. Some areas were a bit tight, but manageable even with a toddler and infant in a baby carrier. Ended up with a private tour, and our guide Sarah was great and flexible with gearing toward the interests of our 2 year old.
This Escort destroyer is a must see. Very informative, amazing tour. It was great to see the quarters, bridge, radio room and so much more. You get to climb ladders,man the guns. Also it was very educational,Ive learned so much about the ship. I was very happy with are tour guide Brea she explained how everything worked to the tee. It was the coolest thing Ive done in years.
This was an awesome tour! Our guide was Sarah and she was great! Lots of interesting things, very interactive, kids ages 11 and 8 loved it! Definitely recommend.
Loved the tour and so did Susie who didnt think she would. It was really interesting and informative. Austin, the tour guide, was great!
My tour guide Oswald was the best. Looked kinda funny, had a very pinocchio vibe to him, but still a cool dude. I plan on using this ship to invade the penguin forces of Antarctica in 5 years so be ready for that.
Interesting after learning how hard it was to load shells and cool gun barells and dropping depth charges. Good site to visit for history
It was very interesting. Our guide, Sarah, was very knowledgeable. I enjoyed the tour very much.
First, let me emphasize that Austin, our tour guide, was the absolute best - friendly, cheerful, humorous, informative, and engaging! The tour itself was fascinating. Both my wife and I and our six young children thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There was something for everyone! The youngest especially enjoyed sitting in the gunner seats and steering the guns If youre visiting Albany, then apartmenyt from the downtown museum, tower, and capitol stop, this is an absolute must-see.
Awesome tour with Sarah. So much fun
Doing a fantastic job at the restoration. Shout out to all the volunteers who make the old girl pretty for the dance.
John was our tour guide! Very knowledgeable and genuinely answered all of our questions enthusiastically. It truly is a hidden gem located in the heart of Downtown Albany : only 2 of these ships remain in the world, the one in Albany being the only one afloat, the other one in Galveston being on land. It felt like we were back in 1945 while touring this museum. I hope they keep the museum as it is as it represents an important part of our history.
A must see if youre in the capital region. For only $8 the guided tours are amazing. The tour guides are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and the ship itself is really interesting.
Very informative tour of the last destroyer escort afloat!After a brief DVD/video about the use of the destroyer escort in WWII we boarded and toured the majority of the ship. Well-informed guide who spoke about how and when weapons were used, where the men slept and ate, a review of the various duties on board, and questions were encouraged. Despite the very warm weather (my car read 100 F) I really enjoyed this. There were children as young as 3 and as old as 80 - all seemed interested in what we learned aboard ship. I recommend!
USS Slater (DE-766) is a Cannon-class destroyer escort that served in the United States Navy and later in the Hellenic Navy. The ship was named for Frank O. Slater of Alabama, a sailor killed on the cruiser USS San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry in action and the Purple Heart. Following service during World War II, the ship was transferred to Greece and renamed Aetos. Decommissioned in 1991, the destroyer escort was returned to the United States.
Great place to visit on a nice day with family to learn a little history of world war 2
Visited Albany to see friend from Detroit. It’s Friday afternoon and tour was conducted in small group. I love history and knew bit about WW2. However, It was first time I got to know the life of Sailors inside the ship during the war. Our guide was excellent and we learned so much. I’m not sure how I felt.... it was hard to imagine what young people went through... Must have been very steep learning environment for lots of them. Tour is educational and also you get to relax by the riverside.Free parking and easy access to the building.Donations will keep going this great piece of history and education. Well recommended. :)
A very interesting and well priced tour. I would defiantly recommend this if you even have a slight interest in naval warfare!Also, something which I wasn’t sure of. Parking onsite is free and they don’t close the gates until 4.30. At least this was the case on the day we visited.
Very awesome! Priscilla was wonderful and very thorough
Awesome piece of history. The last floating destroyer in its class. Terrific guided visit that show the rough leaving quarter on board and the state of the art technology for ww2. Guides are passionate. The tour is fast pace and enjoyable and brings tons of interesting anecdotes. Definitively a good visit!
This was a really cool land (or rather water) mark when we saw it. The tours were informative, captivating and well-incorporated the restored elements of the ship. Some of the restorations are really impressive - the size of the guns on top are quite shocking in-person. Our guide was friendly and went above and beyond to answer our questions after the tour was done. This was a really cool element of our trip to Albany.
I went there today 9/23/2020 and I’d like to thank the tour guide John I think his name was he went very into detail about the ship he was extremely friendly and answered all the questions I had . He helped me get over my fear of ships and I was amazed at the ship thanks a lot for it
Great little piece of history. If you have a little one who loves the military this is a great experience.
An interesting ship. One-of-a-kind floating museum. Worth taking the tour to learn of her armament as DE-766 undoubtedly enriches the waterfront of Albany.
Great tour of a unique military treasure
Tour guide was well-versed in his knowledge of the USS Slater. This was a really cool experience to partake in. If you are a history buff or just have an interest in our past, I highly recommend doing on this guided tour of the USS Slater. The gift shop also has some really cool items in it too.
It was really nice to visit one of the last surviving ships from that era
Great piece of Naval history, and we are lucky to have it here in Albany. She is not the biggest ship out there, bit she is the last of her kind. Volunteers have put a lot of time and effort to get the Slater in the shape it is now. It is a great piece of american history worthy to stop and see.
Such a great attraction in Albany, NY.I brought my 2 young kids over the summer and they both enjoyed seeing the items on the boat. My youngest did have a little trouble with the ship stairs, they are a little steep for little legs, but that didnt dampen his spirits at all. Our tour guide was great, he knew so much about the boat. If you are ever in the area, this tour is a must stop!
Excellent guided tour. Takes about 60 mins. Guides are very thorough and detailed!
Austin was our guide and made the entire tour so very interesting. We enjoyed the visit immensely as a varied ages group family. Your prices are very reasonable. We would definitely come back with friends and enjoy it over and over.Thank You
Great piece of history so close. Kids had a great time exploring the ship. Loved spending the night in the crew quarters
We had a great time at the USS Slater today. Our three young boys greatly enjoyed the tour and learned a lot, in particular our six year old. He asked our tour guide Priscilla questions constantly throughout the tour and she was great, answering all his questions and staying patient with all our little guys.I would definitely recommend the USS Slater tour to anyone interested in WW2 or naval history and kids will have a great time.
This ship (like all in her class) is named for an American hero who lost his life defending our nation...fun and humbling hour with our excellent guide (John E) learning about life and routine aboard this proud ship. Lots of fun “hands on” operating gun turrets, climbing ladders, and hearing the sounds of a Navy ship underway....A fun activity for all ages, landlubbers and sailors alike!
Amazing place with lots of history and friendly people!
Excellent guided tour, free parking, easy access. Wonderful staff and a fun gift shop. Place to picnic or watch the water. So much information about our proud naval history! We got a family membership and hope to come back soon.
The tour guide was excellent . It was a cold day but very much worth it. I recommend you go for the tour. The grandkids loved it. Highly recommend.
Excelent visit, completely worth it. The explanaition by the guide was very complete.
This was an awesome tour. The boys,7 & 9, had a fantastic time and couldnt stop raving about it. Mitch, our guide was excellent and encouraged and answered questions. This was just a great experience.
Me, my parents, and my boyfriend went here for a tour. It was a really amazing experience. I learned so much, and have so much respect for the people that risked their lives during war. The man that took us on the tour was very kind, always smiling, and had so much information to share. You could tell he really loves what he does. If you have the chance to go here, I highly recommend it!
If you like wwii history then this is a must see. The guide we had wss freindly and informative. One of two remaining escort ships left from wwii.
Super interesting. Well restaurated. Very authentic spot. Very good tour done by Priscilla.Its worth a visit if you come by. Charge for tour is only 9$ and lasts about an hour.
My wife and i decided to partake in a tour of the USS Slater and let me tell you what it was worth every penny and then some. Our tour guide John was entertaining, full of personality and had a inconceivable amount of knowledge on the ship. The tour was incredibly fun, educational and quite frankly one of the best things to do in Albany if your looking for something which is inexpensive along with entertaining. I dont know if it was the ship, the history behind the ship or our tour guide john who did such an amazing job giving us the tour but what I will say if you are in the Albany area and are looking for something to do, a tour of the USS Slater will not disappoint.
A great way to spend an hour or two. This WWII destroyer, the last of its kind, is manned by knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers who guide you through the ship and paint a vivid picture of what life was like for the men who were on it. Great for older kids (8+). The tour is difficult for very young and mobility impaired due to climbing ladderwells. There are wheelchair ramps to get into the ship store, informational video, and onto the deck of the ship, but wheelchairs cannot access the full tour due to the tight spaces and lifted doors.
Very informative tour and admission was reasonable ($9 for adult and $7 for kids). The tour was much longer than I thought it would be, it took about an hr and a half I believe. Our tour guide was awesome!
The Slater was great. The only thing I can say is there are a ton of lower rooms we didnt look at which I was interested in. Priscilla was also a great host. She was knowledgeable and charming.
If you live in the Capital District and you havent been to the USS Slater yet, you really need to go. The USS Slater is a fantastic piece of history and were lucky to have her in our Waters at Albany New York.
Nicely maintained, the tour guides take a batch and all seem very knowledgeable. They show a short video first, before walking through levels. If you go in cold weather, dress well as some things are obviously outside on the dock.
Nice little museum ship. Very detailed and well maintained.
The tour was very interesting. We got to see the quarters of the enlisted men compared to what the officers got to experience. Seeing the different guns and shells was fun. We also got to see the various depth charges and the way they were deployed. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable, nice, and friendly. We even got to see the electric potato peeler. Price is super reasonable, parking is free. I definitely recommend this tour.
Very good guided tour by one of the veterans. It was really interesting to feel the ship, the tight quarters, and see some of the mechanics of an old war ship. Good for kids and teens. The history should be part of our future.
Its a great tour and excellent value. The restoration is being done by volunteers. They have gone to great effort to preserve the history of this vessel. If you are in Albany its well worth an hour of your time and is an inexpensive visit....but feel free to donate more if you want.
Alright, Ive been on other battleships where they allow you to feely roam. This is not like that. Was really cool, but you HAVE to follow a tour. It was fun.
Great experience looking into the Destroyer Escourt aspect of WW2. Our tour guide was excellent with plenty of information to offer. Wish I could have seen more of the ship.
The ship has been painstakingly preserved and restored. The guid we had was very enthusiastic and is full of interesting information about the ship.
Incredible find of history in Albany. The volunteers that keep this ship in work order are knowledgeable and dedicated. Definitely worth the visit.
Kids really enjoyed it. If you are a very tall person, our have a wide girth,it might if he be difficult. Very tight quarters, and to think 200 men lived aboard fighting for our freedom!
Great tour. Fascinating glimpse into what life was like on this WWII ship. Amazing restoration work, all done by volunteers, and our guide Cassidy was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Highly recommended.
Excellent for short day trip around the capital region. Nice to see military history preserved and explained.
The tour was awesome and the guides are very passionate about what they do. They have so much additional knowledge and stories so make sure to ask them all of your questions :). Great from everyone from children to teens and adults!
This is a must stop. Knowledgeable guides and just a great exhibit. A lot to see and learn about those who have sacrificed so much for the freedom of this great country and our Allies. Great job in saving such an important part of our history.
Percilla was a fantastic guide for this engaging tour of the USS Slater. The tour included most of the noteworthy parts of the ship, less the engine room. The ship is constantly being worked on by dedicated volunteers and is the only still-floating Cannon-class destroyer escort! See “USS Slater (DE-766)” on Wikipedia for more background. Enjoy!
Had a great visit. Priscilla was our tour guide and did a fantastic job. Very knowledgeable. Lots of steep stairs on the tour.
What an incredible tour! Our tour guide Art was fantastic and so gracious when we had to leave early. We will hopefully get to go back again sometime.
Great historical museum! Kids had a great time learning about US history. Our tour guide was amazing !
Now THIS is podracing!
Great tour. Bob was very informative, easy free parking.
USS Slater (DE-766) is a Cannon-class destroyer escort that served in the United States Navy and later in the Hellenic (Greek) Navy. The ship was named for Frank O. Slater of Alabama, a sailor killed on the cruiser USS San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry in action and the Purple Heart. Following service during World War II, the ship was transferred to Greece and renamed Aetos. Decommissioned in 1991, the destroyer escort was returned to the United States.
Liam our tour guide was 100%
Good place to kill able two hours
A great tour at an affordable price, with an informative guide. Cassidy was our guide, she was great. Get a tour of a large part of this historical battleship.
Great part of history. Very enjoyable for the kids as well.
We brought a group of middle school campers here for a visit--what a great experience! Shout out to Cassidy, John, and Austin who were fantastic tour guides!
Great family friendly tour of a WWII ship. Very informative and interesting. We were able to get some good pictures of our kids on the AA guns and our tour guide was knowledgeable and interactive. Highly recommend a stop here
Had a Cub Scout outing here and the tour guides were fantastic and knowledgeable.
Great tour and the price is right!
The tour is both informative and entertaining! Grant did a wonderful job of really helping you to know what it was like to serve on the Slater.
Very awesome restoration. Almost felt like a sailor with how descriptive the tour was. I recommend this tour for everyone
Probably the nicest museum ship Ive ever visited. Extremely high quality restoration work, very knowledgeable tour guides, and no glass panels blocking off the compartments. For a additional $6 you can get a guided tour of two after engine rooms (be sure to ask the cashier about this). Only disappointment is that you cant roam the ship freely at all; once the tour is over, you have to get off.
Our tour guide, Greg Healey, did a wonderful job of answering our random questions and bringing the history of life on a destroyer escort alive. This is an amazing piece of history and is well worth the visit!
Very well informed guides telling the history of the ship
It is educational, very interesting and a great place to tour!
The guide knew the history. It was nice to walk through part of our history.
Would loved to see more of the ship. But still liked it
Amazing. Had the chance to play with the guns (no bullets of course) and we had a fun time. Your guide was great and the history is very well explained.
My family toured the USS Slater today and we had a great time. We had a tour guide named Will. He did an amazing job explaining the functions of the ship. The tour lasted about an hour. I highly recommend making plan to tour this great piece of history.
Yes the other reviews are almost correct...but one time visit is fine