One of America’s most decorated WWII submarines is leaving its Michigan home for the first time in 40 years

By JOEL BISSELL  MLIVE.COM • July 12, 2026 An aerial image of the USS Silversides 236 submarine and museum in Muskegon, Mich. Behind the Silversides is the USCGC McLane, a prohibition-era Coast Guard cutter, which is also open for tours. (Joel Bissell, mlive.com/TNS)

MUSKEGON, Mich. (Tribune News Service) — The USS Silversides, one of the most decorated submarines from World War II, has served as a floating museum in Muskegon since 1987. This week, the 312-foot vessel will leave the city for the first time in nearly 40 years for preservation work aimed at extending its life for future generations. Crowds are expected to gather Monday afternoon along the Muskegon Channel outside the museum to see the submarine off as it heads to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for preservation work. If the 48-hour weather outlook is clear, the submarine will depart around 6 p.m., with send-off events beginning at 4 p.m. Basic Towing, a Michigan company based in Escanaba, will use two tugboats — one in front and one behind — to guide the vessel across Lake Michigan. The overnight journey is expected to take approximately 20 hours. This marks the submarine’s first full dry dock preservation in more than 50 years. Once in Sturgeon Bay, the vessel will be restored at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, with Valkor Energy Services leading project and construction management and Basic Towing, Inc. handling the transport. During dry dock, specialists will inspect and repair the hull, clean the vessel and apply protective coatings to help ensure its long-term structural integrity. Museum leaders say the work is necessary to prevent further deterioration and rising repair costs. The estimated $3.5 million project is supported in part by a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures grant, along with major donor and sponsor support.

The preservation work is expected to be completed by October, with the submarine making the journey home that month. The U.S.S. Silversides SS 236 launching in Groton, Conn., on July 4, 1943. (U.S. Navy) What makes the USS Silversides SS-236 historic? The Gato-class submarine ranks third among all WWII submarines for enemy ships sunk and is considered the nation’s most famous surviving submarine from that era. The submarine was originally designed to run alongside a Navy fleet but when the U.S. fleets were depleted after Pearl Harbor, the submarine’s mission changed to “hunter-killers,” according to the museum. Thirty Japanese flags are painted on its hull, representing enemy ships destroyed during 14 patrols, between April 1942 and July 1945. Unlike modern-day submarines, the Silversides does not have a round exterior. Instead, the ship has a flat surface and looks similar to a fleet ship. How did this submarine end up in Muskegon? After WWII, the Silversides was brought to Chicago for training. After years of deterioration, a team of volunteers helped restore the vessel. The submarine was moved to Chicago’s Navy Pier in 1979, but with the city wanting to revamp the pier, the submarine needed a new home. In 1985, residents of Muskegon launched a campaign to bring the decorated submarine to their city. By August 1987 that became reality as several boats helped escort the submarine to its permanent location in the Muskegon Lake channel.

An aerial image of the USS Silversides 236 submarine in Muskegon, Mich. The USS Silversides has a rich history in battle, as its ranked third among all U.S. submarines in WWII for most enemy ships sunk. (Joel Bissell, mlive.com/TNS) The USS Silversides Submarine Museum The USS Silversides is the main attraction at the museum that gives visitors the opportunity to tour the vessel. Visitors can see stacked cots next to torpedoes, a galley kitchen with a large coffee tank, and the control room. The conning tower rises 36 feet above the deck, where crew members would drop through the hatch to reach battle stations in 30 seconds. The submarine housed its crew with only three showers and four toilets. To keep visitors engaged while the submarine is away, the museum has brought in the sailing vessel Jakab, a replica of a 1933 America’s Cup racing yacht. The vessel arrived at the end of June and will offer deck tours through September, along with day and sunset sails on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The museum building that features a two-story exhibit on the submarine’s wartime history and the personal accounts of crew members will remain open at 1346 Bluff St. The USCGC McLane, a Prohibition-era Coast Guard cutter, is docked outside and open for tours. The museum said it will post restoration updates on its Facebook page and website throughout the summer. Donations for Silversides preservation can be made online. Any funds raised beyond the $3.5 million project cost will go into an endowment to help cover the submarine’s next dry dock. For information on hours and admission, visit the museum’s website. ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Subscribe to Stars and StripesJust 99c a week!SUBSCRIBE STARS AND STRIPES VIDEOS

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