USS Slater DE-766 Reviews

Knowledgeable guides. Great photo ops. Very well done renovations. Must be able to go up and down steep stairs.

Had a great tour. Very interesting trip. Priscilla was a great tour guide and very kind to my kids. Great time!

Great tours often conducted by WWII vets who served on destroyers. Took my Dad twice-he was a mechanic on a similar vessel. Very emotional and educational.

Had an awesome tour of the ship. I learned a lot and walked away with a greater appreciation for those who stepped before me to defend my freedom I have today!

Very interesting and informative. Great staff. A bargain for the admission price. Highly recommended.

John was our tour guide! He was great! Friendly and so informative. We had a great time. Glad we decided to come take the tour

This ship was designed from the outset to be cheap and easy to operate. One of the Navy's smallest war ships. On the Atlantic this could be miserable duty in a storm, but these ships had a vital role to play.Primary mission was sub warfare, followed by anti-aircraft duties.So much time, effort and money has been put into this ship to get it to it's current condition. The volunteers should be proud. They have 2 tours and both cost. One is the ship in general and the other is the ship engines and motors. For the cost of admission you get a tour guide to help you appreciate what you are looking at. It is so worth a stop to see this amazing WWII ship.

We have made multiple trips to visit the USS Slater. It is a restored destroyer escort from World War II with a long history. It is approximately a one hour tour throughout the ship led by volunteers, many of whom are naval veterans. You get a real feel for the physical and emotional aspects of life aboard a naval ship in battle.

We observed Memorial Day by visiting the USS Slater at the port of Albany, and were lucky to join a tour given by Austin who is enthusiastic and well informed about the destroyer escort and it's service in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. After viewing a brief film about the role of destroyer escorts, Austin led us up and down and through the ship, showing us the sleeping quarters and mess halls of the officers and enlisted men and how they navigated the vessel and fired the various ordinance at enemy submarines and planes.
Tip: The tour took well over an hour--and people of all ages were engaged. Our group of 12 had kids and parents. seniors and a young couple.
Tip:The tour relies on everyone being able to climb up and down ladders and walk through narrow corridors--in order to experience life on the small fighting vessel, just as the sailors did.
Tip: The Slater is available for overnight stays for scout and cadet groups.
This is a rare, surviving piece of American history from 75 years ago and definitely worth a visit.

My father was a radar man on a destroyer escort in Well. I can't believe how small this ship is and how frightening it must have been to have been under fire and on the ocean in this. He was so proud of his service.

Highly recommended if you want to feel life on a WW2 Destroyer Escort as experienced by the men who manned these ships, so vital to defeating the U Boat threat during that time. The ship’s service in the Greek Navy for over 40 years is also recognized

Art was an amazing tour guide! We had a wonderful time today! We had so much fun! We learned quite a bit and would recommend this to everyone!

I took the Stem to Stern tour plus the Engine Room. Bob was an excellent guide with lots of insight into how the sailors lived and what the mission of the ship was. He also talked about the restoration process. Highly recommended.

the tour was well done by sailers who actually sailed on the ship.
we saw the war rooms where the crew was informed by the leaders.

I’m a middle school student. I toured the USS slater with Priscilla and learned so much. We tried to stump her with our questions, but she was able to answer them all. We had a really fun time.

We had a great tour of this ship. The tour guide was very informative and patient with the kids in the group.

Anybody interested in history, especially WWII history should pay a visit to the USS Slater! Lots of the ship has been restored to how it was in WWII. If you've ever been on a large modern cruise ship...well, this ain't that! This ship is relatively small and life aboard was crowded. You can imagine being in the middle of the ocean and getting tossed around by the waves!

Get there early if possible as the parking lot is small and is shared with a tour boat company. There is a small office/store where you buy your tickets and souvenirs. Tours start about every 20 minutes and start with a 7 minute movie about the history of the DE's and then a short safety briefing. Our guide Dan was entertaining and knowledgeable and also served in the Navy. You get to see a large portion of the ship, both inside and out. We did not get to see the engine room, which I would have loved. I've heard it is open for the tour sometimes, for an extra fee. As we moved through various compartments we would stop and Dan would give an overview of what went on there. There was also time to take pictures. You really get a feel for what it was like back in 1944.

Note that this tour is NOT handicapped friendly. This ship is from the 1930's/1940's...nothing is as "user friendly" as we're used to today. You need to wear good footwear and be able to climb steep ladders and step through narrow doorways, but if you are able the tour is well worth it! Also, if you can get a group of kids, scouts, etc., together you can actually spend the night on the ship!

Everybody that has anything to do with the Slater is a volunteer, from the people in the gift shop, to the guides, to the people busting their backs maintaining and restoring the ship. Big thanks to all of them for keeping a piece of history alive! Again, if you are any kind of history buff this is a must.

We were touring downtown and had no idea there was a destroyer in the hudson at Albany. Pretty cool way to visit some history.

We decided to take our two boys! As a family, we enjoyed the tour and the boys had so many questions. Our tour guide (a middle school teacher) was so patient and kind to our boys and answered all their questions. It was so much fun and educational to have this experience right in our backyard. I highly recommend it.

I stumbled upon this gem while walking on the riverwalk. Walked in close to closing and they still let me do one of the mini tours! I was shown the main deck of the destroyer by a very informative Vietnam Veteran Dennis. I truly enjoyed the immersive experience and would recommend this tour for all ages!

It was a fun place to visit. You could see the battleship at any time from shore, entrance of the self-tour.

Because it was holiday, the tour was closed.

My son and I went to visit the USS Slater and had a guided tour from Tyler. We had a great time and Tyler was a great tour guide who answered all of our questions. We learned a lot and had a great time! Definitely a must see!

DThis afternoon, August 9, 2019, our 10-member family group visited the USS Slater. We ranged in age from 77 to 6. We had been there about 10 years ago and the experience is much improved. The tour lasted a little over an hour and the engine room tour about 45 minutes.

This is a restored Destroyer Escort which gives a very realistic picture of the conditions in which our sailors lived and fought carrying out their role in defending shipping of supplies to Britain during World War II. The ship is in excellent condition and there was ample time for hands on activity.

Our guide, Priscilla, was a wonderful narrator. In particular, she was easy to understand. She spoke clearly and slowly enough that I, who am hearing impaired, had no trouble understanding her. She offered the opportunity to handle objects. She solicited and answered questions thoroughly. She was very pleasant and patient with us as we navigated the ship.

Some members of our group also toured the engine room and enjoyed that visit, as well.. Charles, the guide for that tour, was happy to answer questions and gave detailed explanations that interested our family members. He, also was friendly and outgoing and clearly enjoyed his subject matter.

I would recommend this trip for any people who are interested in WW II history and, especially, the War in the Atlantic.

The vessel was amazingly furnished to mimic the original interior..... Our Tour Guide Lam Mitchell was overly courteous & very informative! It was a real great experience & true marvel of historical value. A must see... if in the Albany area. After all.... these were the people who sacrificed their lives, to make the world better for us!

Husband was glad to tour the ship. He had read about it in many books he had read. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and he enjoyed the private tour.

If you love military history or naval history this is your jam. Beautiful ship with tons of character.Check er out!

What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. A little treasure on the Hudson in Albany. Loving restored by volunteers, it's startling to realize how this little ship crossed and recrossed the Atlantic during the worst of times. What brave men. Seeing the dented funnel from winter and high seas you comprehend the bravery of the seamen.

Good tour with lots of history. We took 4 small children on it and they lasted most of the tour. You can leave the ship if you need to....the 2 year old needed to. The oldest 3 stayed because they wanted to take a pix of the guns. It is cool to sit on the gun towers. It is a longer tour (about an hour).

We had fun touring the USS Slater destroyer escort museum in Albany. We learned a lot about this ship and its role in World War II, and the men who served on it. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and able to answer all kinds of questions from the group.

We heard about the USS Slater through TripAdvisor, as we were looking for something different to do in Albany, NY while visiting. The tour started with a video about the ship and the tour guide (Patricia) added extra detail while we watched it and afterward (about the history of the WW II ship that protected convoys and later was used by Greece for 40 years. Then she took our group on board the ship and explained the different guns and the different rooms (radio, radar, captain's quarters, etc.) -- she was very knowledgeable and personable.

The Slater is a must see place. Our guide John was quite knowledgeable and his passion for preserving the history of the Slater was quite evident. Do yourself and your family a favor and get out and visit the Slater. We are fortunate to have her and the dedicated volunteers that take care of her.

Took my 5 year old son to the USS Slater, our guide was a complete gentleman, allowing my son to rotate machine guns and cannons, encouraging his thoughts and comments, and making it an exceptional experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire tour, the navigational room was amazing for the era, great piece of history

The ship was the only floating example of a "Destroyed Escort" from WW2. The tour was well led and the detail of life onboard during 1943/44 was fascinating. There were information boards to read as you waited for the tour to begin. The tour took about 60 minutes and there was no free movement allowed i.e. you could not just roam about looking at areas on the ship. Everything was as near authentic as possible. A great hour.

My husband took me to Albany for an impromptu birthday visit. When eating breakfast near our hotel he found a brochure for the USS Slater. My husband loves these types of things and we didn't have anything planned so I agreed to check it out. So glad I did. I'm not really into Warcraft history- I enjoy the stories and artifacts that show what life was like during those times. I wasn't expecting to enjoy our visit but knew my husband would love it. Turns out I really enjoyed it too. This was our first Albany visit as adults so we weren't sure what to expect for traffic, especially at noonish on a Saturday. It was easy to find and parking was a breeze. We lucked out and bought our tickets just as a tour was starting so no waiting. We did a guided tour and the guide was good. Not great but good. He was very young and I think I was expecting retired navy officers so that was a little disappointing. But he gave a good tour, explained in detail all areas and aspects of our tour. He was able to answer questions that were not part of his script so that was good too. And my husband was really enjoying himself so we were just having a great visit. But the best part came as we neared the end of the tour. An older gentleman, late 70s or early 80s, was working as a volunteer near where I was standing and he started talking to me about the barge going by. We ended up having a long conversation about the barge and he just had lots of interesting knowledge. We stopped paying attention to the tour and chatted with him for so long that our guide had to come back and get us (oops!).
The regular tour did not include the engine rooms. You could go on that tour for an additional cost. Not my cup of tea but I knew my husband would enjoy it. We went on this tour with two other people- a gentleman who retired from the navy in the 90s and his grandson. This tour turned out to be better than the first tour. The guys spent what felt like an hour talking about the mechanics of the ship. They were so interested that our guide took us to the records room and showed us where they were working on the ship. Excellent tour. The guides were very interested in the subject and it showed in their enthusiasm.

This is an excellent tour for any history buffs or families looking to show their kids what naval forces do. Very expert volunteers very dedicated to showing off their vessel!

The USS Slater was a very interesting history stop in Albany. Andrew was our guide, and he was very knowledgeable and personable. The tour was well worth the time. Our 11 year old grandson was enthralled, but we all found the explanations and insights engaging.

The USS Slater was well worth the visit! Tour was Great, Informative, Interactive, and at a just-right pace. Tour Guide Tom was very knowledgeable and flexible. Always willing to answer questions in each part of the ship.
This is honestly one of the best historical tours I've been on, and I've been on many. Plenty of places and time to take pictures, including being able to pickup ammunition and sit in the guns on ship. Typically, historic tours are strictly don't touch policy and hurried. This was just the opposite. We were offered to crank guns, ring the bell, climb ladders, etc. You really get a good feeling of history from seeing the size-and stepping into-each compartment. This, along with the mix of naval terms during the tour, really made this tour shine and time well spent.
Plan to spend over an hour, depending on the pace and size of your tour group. approx 10 minute video to start. Impressive it was restored and around all by the good work of a non-profit and volunteers. A+ I salute you.

My family & I enjoyed our tour of the ship today...We were all amazed by the great condition of the ship & the friendly & very knowledgeable guide aboard the ship. I highly recommend & don’t have any suggestions for improvements. We shopped in the gift store & also made a donation ... the money goes to upkeep of the ship and we definitely want to keep it open.

This a similar ship to one that I served on. The young lady that was our guide was very informative an pretty well versed in the ship. I gave her several pieces of info that I thought others might be interested in that she was not aware of.

Went 5/19/2022 for our tour. It was the first time for both my husband and myself. Our tour guide, Tyler, was very interesting and knowledgeable. We learned a lot and had a great time! Definitely must go see!

we loved our tour of the Slater, It starts off with a short video about its history and then you take the tour with a knowledgeable guide. We were able to ask questions and take pictures and did not feel rushed.

I thought I knew a lot when it came WWII naval vessels but Mr Fox was outstanding! His knowledge for the USS Slater was off the charts. If I were at the helm of your group I would steer them to be in Alan's tour. Thanks!

Great tour! it was a piece of history i didnt know too much about....interesting and very informative a great 90mins.

Everyone of us (family of four and 70 years old grandma) enjoyed the tour, especially our two boys, 7 and 10. Thorough tour of the ship, every room and weapons. The boys got to try the machine guns (not armed of course)!

This boat is well kept. The tour of the boat is made by groupe of 10-15 person. We had a very good guide who took time to answer the question of every one and did not press us.

Great way to visit a Navy ship. The ship is small so you can see everything you can see on larger Navy ships but in a smaller amount of time. My tour guide was very helpful. Get there early because the parking lot fills up.

Our guide was informative and very knowledgeable. Took the engine tour and collections tour, worth spending the extra money and seeing everything.

Excellent. Our guide, Andrew, did a great job. We saw everything from the captain's quarters to the depth-charge station.

Situated in Downtown Albany, this hidden gem is a must-stop if you are planning a day trip to Albany. We came from Montreal to visit the lovely city of Albany and were told by the locals (and Trip Advisor!) that this is a must-see. We do not regret listening to this advice! It is indeed a very informative tour not only of the ship, but also of our history. For a 9$ ticket, it is time (above an hour) well spent. Our tour guide John was very well-informed on the ship's history and was able to answer all of our questions. The atmosphere was pleasant and humorous. We recommend making a donation at the end of the tour so that the ship can maintain its preservation.

So much history! So interesting to see, highly recommend. Staff very knowledgable and so friendly. Went on a rainy cold day…and played in the puddles. I am glad the weather did not deter me from going. I could picture my Dad and Uncles who served in WWII on that ship!

Excellent tour! Well worth the 60-90 minutes! They’ve done a great job maintaining and restoring while also keeping the authenticity of the ship. Informative and interesting. Highly recommend!

Each time is different because of different volunteer tour guides.

In the hour long tour, you will be walking to different stations onboard the ship. You will visit the: Galley (kitchen), bunks, communications, the officer's dining room (also the surgery if needed) plus more. My kids favorite thing is trying out the gun seats.

Be forwarned: you can't use strollers on the ship. Also, you will be going up and down ladders. Not hard, but some young children might struggle with going down backwards.

This is the last fully restored floating Destroyer Escort in the US. If you like Naval history, WWII history, or just like ships this is a must see. The guides are very knowledgeable. Yes I will admit I am biased. I fly from Seattle, Wa. twice a year to spend a week onboard helping maintain this wonderful piece of WWII Navy history.

Very interesting tour. Staff on ship were very informative. Worth the time spent to bring family and friends to see it.

Took my Grandchildren ages 6 to 25 any they learned alot. Really opened they eyes to the naval part of WWII. Some of them had many questions about this huge part of history, which is barely taught in school today.

Had a great visit to the USS Slater last weekend. John is an excellent, personable, and thorough tour guide.

I'm a WWII buff and enjoy seeing warships and other military sites regarding the Greatest Generation. We took the 2-hour tour and were glad we did. It encompassed everything from the other tours. The volunteers who made this possible did an outstanding job of bringing this ship back to life. Our tour guide-Peter, was truly awesome! He is a former history professor and was very knowledgeable about the ship and how it works. It was one of the highlights of our vacation!!

Visited the ship during the time it was still closed.
Still a great view, took quite a number of pictures. The ship is in an excellent condition. Located just a few minutes walk away from Holiday Inn where I stayed

The Slater took part in World War II. The Slater was an escort ship that was used as a decoy for the larger ships that were to follow. It is the only escort ship left today. The ship is maned by sailors who give you a tour of this most interesting boat. Be sure to pay the Slater a visit, especially on this memorial day weekend.

The guide and the effort the foundation put into the restoration and care of the boat really make this - they make the history come to life. Some navy veterans on the tour add to the depth of the experience.

This was an excellent tour of the last US destroyer escort still afloat from WWII. My guide was Bob who served in Vietnam on a destroyer. He really provided excellent information on the ship and many insights based on his naval experience. The tour was about an hour and was one of the best I've ever been on. It is nice to know that our history is so well preserved on this ship due to the many volunteers keeping it maintained. It is a living memory of all those who served on the ship and everyone who served in WWII. Our military always have been, and always will be, our true National heroes. As an American, it was a privilege to tour this ship with a veteran and I am honored he spent an hour of his time with me. Bob, thank you for your service to our Country and best wishes on keeping the USS Slater maintained for future generations!

The Slater is the only ship of its class afloat in the world. It has been under restoration for years and is an excellent adventure into the life of a WWII sailor. The tour guides are often navy veterans who have first hand knowledge of all aspects of the destroyer escort.

My husband is a history buff, has toured many subs/boats/ships and enjoyed this stop. Near the Schuyler Mansion, recommend combining stops.

We had a great time. This is a very historic place to visit. Located in downtown Albany,N.Y.. The children loved the fact that they were actually on a World War 2 ship,that was at sea during the war.

This was my first visit and I was impressed with knowledge of our tour guide along with the helpfulness of the crew in the store. The whole experience was interesting and I learned a lot.

super tour guide, ship is well refurbished. fairly priced admission. We just wish we could have seen more of the ship!

Great tour of a WWII Destroyer Escort ship that the US Navy had 564 of and the life aboard ship our Seaman endured. There is an enormous amount of History aboard this "Tin Can" as my father referred to it, as he was on board this type vessel both in the North Atlantic hunting german Submarines and in the Pacific Marianna Islands rescuing the Japanese Soldiers left abandoned on the islands without food or medical care.

Short tour of the destroyer escort ship USS Slater. Guide was enthusiastic and knew a great deal about the ship. Would recommend...

I was lucky enough to have an almost private tour of the USS Slater with Greg H. He was an outstanding guide! He brought the story of the men who served alive. Amazing to see how they lived, ate, slept and fought in WWII.
It was a bonus to meet and see the other volunteers who were working to restore and maintain the historic ship.

Paul was a bomb tour guide, 10/10 knew his stuff. The tour was really engaging and detailed. I wouldn't tour if I had limited mobility, however: there are several steep stairs so beware if you're healing that knee injury. Otherwise, we totally endorse this site. It's litt.

Excellent tour and tour guide. He took his time and we enjoyed it immensely. Well worth the trip and I’ve lived in Albany for years! ⚓️⛴⚓️⛴

We took our grandchildren to tour the USS Slater this summer. It was a great experience and really peaked their interest in history. The Slater makes WWII come alive for all ages, We all found it fascinating. The tour guides are all retired military with first hand knowledge and they make the tour extremely interesting.

A unique Navy ship to visit, its only the second Destroyer escort from World War Two that I have seen. Well presented tour - Not pricey. A lot of Up and down ladders, lots of Navy memories from my past in the 1980s Navy. Great small shop at entrance/exit, free parking, not for mobility impaired. Suggest a once a day tour of main deck for handicapped. Great for family 10 and over. Carrying a child is not easy here.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about his topic. He was able to answer all questions that were asked. He was also very patient with my kids.

We stopped in on the ship as we were driving back home from Cooperstown. The ship is in excellent condition and the tour guide did a sensational job. He was very knowledgeable and knew the history of the ship, and even some of the crew members on it who served during WW2. I've been on several restored ships (USS Constitution, USS Constellation, USS Salem, Battleship Cove, to name a few...) this was by far the best tour I've been on. The tour lasted about an 60-90 minutes and it was worth the time. The young kids were entertained and enjoyed it as well. Certainly worth supporting a small piece of history like this.

Great place to take the kids. One interesting fact, they do sleepovers. So if you can get a group together, it can be an awesome experience.

Tyler was amazing. Very knowledgeable and fun. You could tell he loves his job. He was easy to talk to and quickly answered any questions that were asked. Definitely enjoyed the experience and would recommend.

We really enjoyed our tour of the USS Slater. Michael, our tour guide, was knowledgeable and answered all our questions. The boat itself is pretty fascinating. We did the one-hour history tour. Initially, I didn’t think I would want to spend 2-hours on the boat, so we did not opt for the stem-to-stern tour. In hindsight, I kind of wish we had. At the end of the tour, my husband said “I wish we could see the engine room.” If you are interested in military history, I would recommend the full Monty with the stem-to-stern tour. This attraction is not for the mobility impaired because you will be climbing up and down steep stairs.

The Destroyer Escort (DE) was the kid brother of the full size destroyer in WWII; a quick and cheap ship that was built in response to a need for convoy protection in the North Atlantic and also in the South Pacific. The ships and the crews were expendable although nobody told the crews until after the war. Our tour was filled with information and stories about the heroics of the crews that manned these ships using the new technologies of the day including radar, depth charges and the automatic potato peeler. A must see for naval historians of all ages. Located on the Hudson River in Albany, NY. Plan about one to two hours for your guided tour or go at your own pace on a self guided stroll through history.

Great tour by Art. He is very knowledgeable and you can tell he absolutely loves his job. If you are in Albany go on this tour. Very much worth it.

It was a very interesting tour. How many times can you walk around a ship like this. See what it was like during the war.

Toured USS SLATER in Albany, NY—what a great experience! I grew up on bedtime stories that began, “Once upon a time, when Daddy was in the Navy…” and aboard SLATER, I got to see the things Dad talked about. The ship is well-restored and the guides are outstanding—take the online tour before you go, but the live tour, which takes about an hour, really shows you what life was like aboard ship in World War II. If you’re in the area, it’s well worth your time—and if you’re not, consider making a special trip.

Admitting that this was not my idea of how to spend a great hour or so in Albany, this was a great experience.
The price is reasonable.
We were greeted by a group of friendly volunteers. The tour started with a short informational film. It was just long enough to help me understand what I was going to see.
On the ship, the guide explained the mechanics of the ship and what the sailors were actually doing. The guide also explained how these ships were used during WW2.

I brought a individual from Aim services to rhis tour. The entire tour was very informative and beautiful. Our tour host was incredible as well. The tour guide and other tourist were so nice to help me with my individual i support. So he can get the most out of his experience. Definitely recommend

We were staying overnight in Albany as we worked our way to the coast and this was the top attraction we wanted to see. We have toured the u-boat on display in Chicago 20y ago and wanted to see the other side of the equation with a sub hunter.

The museum opened at 10am Thu and we were first in line. The tour started with a short video giving some context on the role of the ship. We the went on a guided tour of the ship that lasted close to an hour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and very willing to share his knowledge and answer any questions we had.

This is an excellent attraction for anyone who has the slightest interest in military history. We were at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa the previous week and it was very interesting to contrast the Canadian information to the American information.

Highly recommended attraction for history and military buffs!!

Best WWII ship tour. Art brings the history of the ship to life with funny anecdotes from his own navel background. Three cheers for Art!

Just visited the USS Slater today. It was a very informative trip, learning quite a bit about the battles of WWII. Art, our guide, was very knowledgeable as well as personable. The USS Slater is actually a destroyer escort, a smaller ship that was manufactured to accompany destroyers. The escort ships were named for men who served in the past. I learned a lot about depth charges, increasing my knowledge considerably from what I had learned from watching old war movies. The tour of the USS Slater gives a good understanding of what it was like to live and work on a ship. It really helps us appreciate what we have and a lot of what we have is because of the brave men (sometimes just teens) who fought to keep the world free. It's definitely worth the money to take the tour. The tours are run by volunteers and maintenance as well as repair work on the ship are done without any government funds. If you like the tour, and I'm sure you will, please don't hesitate to leave a donation. Just a few notes - there are narrow stairs to go up and down and it's not air conditioned.

The tour was interesting and informative. Our tour guide Alan was knowledgeable and had wonderful stories that wove history and facts together for a wonderful presentation.

Great tour of the ship from our guide Aung H. The way the ship has been restored is amazing. Definitely an interesting experience for anyone with even the slightest interest in WWI or WWII history. Tours run every 30 minutes so we only had to wait maybe 5 minutes before we started. Our family was in a group that was a bit big but that didnt matter. I'd imagine you could get lucky and basically have a private tour if no on else was there. You can hop in and try to maneuver the guns in the ship and the amount of personal items from Navy members is amazing to see.

The Slater is near the foot of Madison, just on the way to 787 North (just North of the U-Haul and Storage if that helps you). This is a floating museum, only open on Wednesdays as I recall. Kids love it.

WOW - what an informative and enjoyable tour of the USS Slater! Carl was our tour leader and he really brought this ship to life - we learned so much, and we really appreciated the endless hours the volunteers have put into restoring this gem. This was one, if not the best, tours we've been on - don't miss it if you're in Albany!

Cool old ship to explore. I've visited a few times and it's well maintained. Worth a visit if you're in the area.

We loved hour+ tour about the escort destroyer of WWII. Our guide Austin was fantastic! He was knowledgeable beyond my expectations and a generally entertaining storyteller. I was fully engaged and learned a lot. There were approx 10 people on our tour from ages 5-75 and everyone's interest was held.

Bring the family to review of history of the US Navy. I had enjoyed the time that I spent there. Please take the time to visit the ship.

Grant tour our guide informative,entertaining, knowledgeable!
An important part of history..certainly hands on, ask any questions, let the kids enjoy kept all fun an informative!

History an Naval history was amazing bits of information an watch the video in the briefing room!

I would just like to praise the people at the USS Slater and all of the hard work they have done on the ship. We have been here three times, and today was our fourth. I go to school at nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and always look forward to seeing the Slater again year after year. Our tour guide Tom was the best anyone could ask for, knowledgeable and entertaining and makes you really interested in the history of the ship, and we thoroughly enjoyed exchanging Navy stories with him from people we knew. The tour began with a video introducing the Slater and why she was built. After the regular tour was over, he then went ahead and gave us a tour of the engine rooms, which was a real thrill -- something I had not seen on any of my previous visits. It's a testament to everyone there that even though this ship is now 75 years old, it still looks exactly like it did in 1945 -- what a tough little ship!
Overall, I cannot recommend the USS Slater or Tom highly enough!

Went here a few weeks ago in a spur of the moment idea with my buddies. We had a great time! Our tour guide, Liam, was really informative and professional. Definitely would recommend seeing!

This is one of the better-maintained WWII museum ships. According to our tour guide (who had served on DEs while he was in the Navy), if it were fueled up, it could be taken out to sea. It doesn't appear to be air-conditioned, so the inside portion of the tour might be stuffy on a really hot day.

Very informative and interesting tour. We had visited after a Memorial Day parade in town. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to go up and down ladders and stairs. Well worth it!

Did a roadtrip this winter .
Place is closed for winter ;) i guess heating loll
Still was nice to see and i will go back whem its open

Enjoyable short trip on the water. A must for all history buffs. Kids should all see this to understand what's went on during the war.

AMAZING guided tour (by Austin; he was great!) and definitely worth the money. We learned so much more than the usual self-guided tours at other museums. Very interactive!

Dennis, our tour guide, gave us a fantastic tour. We learned so much about the history and features of the DE ships! A must see in the Albany area!!!

After 6 weeks in dry dock, the USS Slater opened for tours again in late August 2020. Due to Covid safety precautions, tour guides are taking individual families on tours, instead of running one group tour every 30 minutes. You will spend half of your tour inside the ship, and you do need to hold onto railings when going up or down the steep staircases (more like ladders). There are bottles of hand sanitizer in multiple locations and the tour guides wear masks. One of the staff members also told me that they are regularly sanitizing areas of the ship that are shown during tours.

I am not interested in military topics, but my son is. Having said that, I found this 60-75 minute tour (my son asked a lot of questions) very interesting. A special thank you to our tour guide, John E. He was fantastic!

Visitors are not solicited, but the adult admission is only $9, and the ship is entirely funded through admission, the gift shop, and donations. Any donations or gift shop purchases are very appreciated. (I was not asked to write this review; I asked which govt. agency funded the ship museum.)

There are no bathrooms on the ship, but there is a single unisex bathroom in a building at the other end of the parking lot. Parking is free.

Very worthwhile tour!

Catching up with my reviews, we visited in the summer of 2016 while traveling through New York on vacation. I have been to many, many navel warship 'floating' museums,' and can say without a doubt that the Slater is the most historically accurate and complete restoration that I have visited. Our tour guide, John, was outstanding. A young gentleman, but obviously totally vested in the history of this ship and assuring that his guests have a great visit. We were lucky enough to have John for ourselves for about an hour long tour - but I am sure he would due a great job with a bigger group. [And I have no reason to believe that the other guides would not be equally as committed...]. I highly recommend this museum if you are in the Albany area.

We found ourselves with an extra day in Albany because of flight delays and I found this experience. Our boys are 12 and 9, the elder one being a history buff and the younger one not so much. However, the entire family thought this tour was simply awesome and were so happy we got to see it. We had a tour guide, Nora, all to ourselves. She was very knowledgeable and friendly and also knew how to communicate with the kids to keep them engaged. I’d highly recommend visiting the USS Slater! So cool to see this piece of history up close.

This was a tour of the only authentically restored World War II destroy escort left in the world. It was a thorough tour as well - saw everything but the engine room (which I would have liked to ... but there is a tour for that as well! Only just not the day we were there). The ship has been meticulously returned to its WWII configuration and everything is in working order. But what was truly amazing was the detailed knowledge of the docent. A non-Navy, young 'lad' (I'm old), he had everything down pat and explainable in simple English; being a former Navy guy, I got all the first round statements, but my wife appreciated his ability to explain the next round. In this case, we were probably fortunate to hit them in the waning of the tourist season and during COVID, as we had a private tour. Definitely put this place on your Albany must-see list.

In Albany and want a nice interesting tour of a piece of history? The Slater is a nice way to spend an hour and a half.

Austin was totally knowledgeable and my 5 kids ages 2-10 were so happy on this tour it wound up lasting over 2h!

My 4,5,8,&10 year old kids were fascinated. Austin was patient, fun, and so knowledgeable. He made the tour. The boat was great but he really made it wonderful.

Kids went from complaining when we told them where we were going to never wanting to leave. Thanks for the engaging and informative tour!

Our guide was very well versed with the history and topic of destroyer escorts (however he had a gap in air conditioning knowledge, here is the link to US navy submarine data https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gato-class_submarine showing that AC unit was installed during the war ;-). We enjoyed the tour including extra charge engine room visit.

This is a beautifully restored ship from WW2 , must be seen to be appreciated. It is located on the Hudson River in Albany NY.

This is the best guided tour I have ever been on. Our guide (didn't catch his name) was incredibly authentic, knowledgeable and had a great positive energy. WW2 and the military is not really my thing, but this was incredibly well done and interesting. 100/10 would recommend.

This was my second visit to the Slater. My Dad served on a Destroyer Escort and this floating museum held a special place in his heart. Mine too. The ship is authentic as much as possible with private collectors loaning authentic parts when needed. Our tour guide, Allen, was a character. He told stories, shared history, and added humor for all of us - especially the youngsters. I recommend this tour for young families and aging baby boomers and everyone in between. The Slater is a great memorial to the bravery of WWII.

This was a thorough tour of one of the few WW2 destroyers. We were given a movie followed by a guided walk through the various rooms and equipment on the ship with a tour guide. This ship's restoration was done in great detail. They had everything restored to intricate detail.

My son (9) and I went to visit last Spring. We happened to be the only ones there early in the morning. After watching a short movie an older vet who volunteers gave us our personal tour. He was very kind and seemed to be happy to share the Slater and his experience with us. He was very patient with my son and answered as many questions as he could. It is a unique opportunity and those visiting Albany should take advantage of it.

The best ship your we have ever had. A very good and informed volunteer guide explained and took us through the whole ship. Enjoyed very much. Jerry & Diane from Ohio

Still a great visit for a family especially one with a young inquisitive mind. Moves at a good pace so boredom does not set in. Just enough hands on also.

Great job by Austin, gave you a good feel of what life was like for a young navy man during WW2. the trials and tribulation one would go through on a daily basis, God bless them

We had the great pleasure of touring the Slater on Memorial Day weekend 2021. We were treated to an informational and engaging tour by Art, who had a sincere passion and appreciation for this particular vessel and great knowledge of the era with very memorable details. The ship is an integral part of American naval history and its restoration has been done masterfully. Experience this and help fund its continuance. Worth every minute.

I toured the U.S.S. Slater on a Saturday afternoon after a tour of the Capitol. The ship is a gem. You walk up and down the decks and take ladders up and down to the levels. See how tight the living quarters are and the depth charges, and large guns. The officer's lounge and dining area was multi-purposed as a place to perform surgery if needed as well. The tour guide was interesting and had a lot of knowledge (I think his name is Paul.) There's a gift shop with affordable items.

At the end of the school year I took my first and second graders to the USS Slater. It was a very educational experience we learned a lot about the ship and the times of when the ship was in operation. My students got to see the living quarters and the work quarters and the navigation systems of the ship. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and nice during the entire tour my students couldn't stop asking questions they loved every second of the field trip I would take them back again.

I had a truly fantastic experience! The atmosphere brought the WWII era to life, from the authentic sounds to the realistic look and feel. Our tour guide - John - was both knowledgeable and patient, making it feel like a journey back in time. It was like stepping into a real-life time machine. Highly recommend for history enthusiasts!"

All ages will love this tour. Very engaging volunteers & a fun trip. You don’t need to be into military things to enjoy this tour, but is a bonus if you are.
Very hands on for kiddos as well. 4 & 6 year old had a blast.

I didn't expect a guide for a whole ship tour and narration. But they did send David to guide us and give a complete and detailed introduction and anser every single question we had. Very lovely trip on the Slater.

I took my Father and family there for Father's Day. The staff was very knowledgeable and nice.

I would highly recommend this attraction.

The destroyer escorts have a pretty interesting history, and it was neat to be able to walk over a good chunk of the ship. It starts with a short film, then you go aboard, and there's some climbing up and down. Our guide was super enthusiastic, and since it was his first time back in over a year, it might account for why our tour was so long - but start to finish was 1 hour 45 minutes! We had another tour reserved and were starting to get anxious. No trouble with parking, small gift shop.

if you are interested in ships, war, guns it is for you. Guide is very helpfull, answers on every question. Only minus is, that I joined tour which has been already on ship and I lost some part of tour.

A friend of mine and I ask our hotel what they suggested we do while in town. And they suggested to visit the USS Slater. We had such a great experience. Art was amazing and made the tour interesting and added his own personal stories.
Definitely worth the time!

So satisfied with touring this icon. The history told by our guide Evan was interesting and I don’t doubt for one minute his accuracy with all the fascinating facts he knew by heart. The ship is in terrific condition thanks to hundreds of volunteers that must be very passionate in keeping this important piece of Naval History alive.
I agree this is the number on attraction in Albany.
Ernie and friend from AP

Following the moving ceremony we took a tour of the ship. The volunteers that give the tours and maintain the ship are incredible. Charles, our tour guide, was both knowledgeable and informative. It was fascinating to tour the ship with many of the original fixtures in place. The history of the vessel was amazing. At the end of the tour, we met Bill who is a 90 yr. young maintenance volunteer. He provided us with stories of the ship and it's sailors.

We had a lovely tour with Patrick. He was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a thorough tour. It was very interesting. Definitely recommend a visit. Spent 2 hours here.

Excellent guided tour of this escort ship just as it was in 1945. Very well restored and every detail just right. Very knowledgeable guide.

Having visited most of the WWII museum ships on the east coast (and some on the west), I can say that the USS Slater beat them all in terms of a restoration that made you feel as though you were on the ship when it was in service. My nine-year-old son, who only had a passing interest in WWII, loved the tour, which included tour guide (Austin) demonstrations as to how to get into a top bunk, direct an anti-aircraft gun, and use a signal light. My son particularly liked seeing and holding munitions that were near some of the armament on board because it gave him a greater appreciation for the effort that gun crews needed to expend when defending the ship. The guide answered my son’s many questions that ranged from medical care, living conditions, and general quarters patiently and clearly. My son has already made me promise to take him to see the U.S.S. Massachusetts at Falls River the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York.

We toured the USS Slater in early Sept. 2016. It was a very detailed and informative tour.

The USS Slater is a WWII-era destroyer escort that has been restored to its 1944 configuration and is the only remaining vessel of this class in the US. An escorted tour of the ship points out various rooms and explains the functioning of the weapon systems, galley, bridge, and various other parts of the ship. The lower levels of the ship are not currently available to tour (engine room). During our tour, a group of Chief Petty Officers was experiencing a weekend aboard the ship as if they were actual members of the crew. The kitchen was in working order and a nice aromatic stew or soup was brewing for this crew while we were aboard.

The ship has just been returned from dry-dock and restoration is still in progress, but overall is in excellent shape and worth a visit.

SO happy that we came here . My wife isnt really a fan of history but she loves going on all the ships and finds it interesting. Bill was a great guide and very knowledgeable and interesting. Thank you for the great tour guys :D

Highly recommend the USS Slater tour. Our guides John & Austin were very knowledgeable, helpful and made the tour that more enjoyable. You really get to know what our young gentleman lived through. You also are able to get up close and really enjoy most all aspects of the USS Slater. Very nice a must see!!

The tour guide, Tom, was very knowledgeable and professional. The ship is amazing, what a piece of history! The tour was almost 2 hours, though, so please be aware. We didn't know that going in and had to adjust our afternoon plans accordingly. Great place, though.

After watching the movie Greyhound I was keen to visit....I was not let down...an important part of history to experience..and our guide Paul was knowledgeable, personable and obviously passionate about it! Highly recommend this tour!

We stumbled upon this while waiting for a boat tour and were positively surprised. Very interesting and informative! Andrew was an awesome tour guide

The tour was really informational and Cassidy was an awesome guide. Would recommend to anyone looking for a unique historical experience. Would not recommend for small children or elderly (had to climb up/down steep stairs).

This tour far exceeded my expectations. The amount of detail about the restoration of the ship, the lives of the crewmembers during the WWII time frame, and the volunteers today really makes this museum a must-see! Especially if Alan Fox is your docent.

Chief Art was a superb guide not only did he know the ship his many years of knowledge having served in the Navy and Naval Reserve for over 40 years gave him a unique insight into the life and challenges of a sailor.
I highly recommend you take the tour with Chief Art!
Fair winds and following seas.
Captain Max Kalafat USN (retired)

You can still sense the close friendship among the sailing veterans hanging out by the Slater. The tour was not long but very informative. This is not a battleship, but it did have guns. This type of ship was a U-boat hunter in WWII. It was great to see some things about daily life aboard the ship. The ship seems to host a crew of people working there and some veterans that hang out. The cook was in the kitchen busy cooking so that part of the ship is still in use. A good use of an hour or so, definitely.

We enjoyed our visit to the Slater. We detoured a bit on our way home from the Adirondacks just to visit the ship. It was well worth it. The ship is being restored by a group of dedicated volunteers and is in great shape. It is always worth visiting the restored war ships and this one did not disappoint. It is humbling to be on the same ship as those brave men who served. A good history lesson.

Great experience for my whole family. I can’t say enough about our guide Art who was a wealth of knowledge and positivity from start to finish. Thanks for taking our families picture.

We were returning from Niagara and decided to stay at Albany for the night. Next morning, we (me, wifey and teenage kiddo) went to see the Destroyer. I must say that it was best 27 bucks I have spent recently. The gentleman there took pains to set the context of the tour. He not only gave us the tour of the ship but interspersed the discussion with tit-bits from WW2 history. He could easily paint the picture of life in a ship in 1940s. The artifacts kept on display along with interesting commentary took us to by gone era easily. It was continually drizzling, but the gentleman took us around the deck and answered all our questions with ease. By far the best 60 min spent in Albany. We all loved it. Suneel.

The USS Slater is the last existing WWII naval destroyer escort remaining in the U.S. The tour was very interesting for all ages. The kids seemed to enjoy it as much as the adults. Great, really well informed tour guide. Involves climbing ladders, so not recommended for elderly and not sure if there is any handicap accessibility.

Even though our family has been to the Slater numerous times before, each and every tour is fantastic! Every tour guide has different information and experiences to share about this amazing, working piece of history. Today we has Chris S. as our guide. First we'd like to thank Chris for his service to our country as a member of the U.S. Navy. His knowledge from the navy made this tour even more informative as he shared some of his personal experiences while taking us through the Slater. Chris was great with the kiddos and had my son demonstrate how the guns on the boat work. He was even kind enough to give my son a reward for earning his stripes. So a big thank you, Chris, for a great tour and for an experience my son will never forget!

I have been on quite a few museum ships in the US and other countries. This ship is very authentically restored and very well staffed. The tour was excellent and incredibly informative. This tour is better than those on more glamorous ships like the battleships and aircraft carriers.

The tour guides are sailors who share their experiences being on a ship. You learn the history of the ship and those who served on it. It really makes you appreciate the dedication and sacrifices of those who served. Highly recommend it for all ages.

Gives a great perspective on what life was like for sailors during WWII. Tour guides were knowledgeable and interesting. Staff and volunteers were very welcoming and friendly.

I can see why this unlikely attraction is so popular, you don’t have to be interested in or know anything about ships to enjoy a visit. The boat is run by a team of volunteer enthusiasts who have so much knowledge to share and they work hard maintaining and renovating. Some of the volunteers served on similar vessels and can share with you everything you need to know about life on board ship. It’s a real eye opening experience to see how 200+ sailors ate, slept and fought during war and high seas. We had all ages on our tour and all were engaged and interested. We did the ship tour, unfortunately we didn’t have time to do the separate engine room tour. Overall, probably the best value tour and most interesting of our two weeks in New York State.

Tip - Do the guided tour with Austin if you can he’s professional and very knowledgable guide, friendly and very likeable too.

The wife and I came back to Albany to explore some new sites. Yet I insisted we stop for a 2nd visit to the USS Slater, if just to contribute a few dollars to it's upkeep. I'm glad we did. We were introduced to Grant an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. He told us more about the ship operations and restoration and took us to a few spots we did not see on our first visit. We stayed just about til closing. Both of us enjoyed the 2nd visit so much, we promised to return again soon and bring some friends

The tour guide did a amazing job. This visit was very educational. A must see for all ages. Enjoy your visit.

The history of the ship, the knowledge of our tour guide Liam and the beauty of the ship. We will recommend visiting the Slater to all our family and friends. Liam clearly knows what the ship is all about, if he was older I would swear he was a plank owner!!

Once I'd found my way into the car park... it was a great visitor attraction. Really helpful US navy guide takes you around and explains everything. To realise what life must have been like crossing the Nort Atlantic in all weathers was truly appreciated. The highlight perhaps seeing how the officers dined as opposed to the ordinary seamen. As it ever was I guess.

Priscilla was an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. It was a very informative tour, and really brings to light the conditions our service men and women lived in.
If you are interested in history, it is a must visit.

We walked from the courthouse to this, got there at 2:50pm, closing time listed was 4pm but they told us they were closing at 3pm.. bummer ! So we only got to see it from the parking lot - wished we could have gone on it :( advise would be to get there early or to call ahead for the closing time.

Fun trip, what a great trip back into an intense time in history. Fun, we picked a very hot day, would recommend cooler weather.

Great stop for any WW2 history buffs like my husband! Our tour guide Greg was awesome! He knew so much about the ship and its history. Very interactive experience and you get to go on all levels of the ship!

This Museum piece was rescued from salvage and has survived all of the recent Storms that have hit the Northeast such as Irene, Lee and Sandy. It is one tough boat. The Veterans who care for it take loving pride in its excellent condition. The only issue is there just isn't much to see so as an attraction the time there is relatively short. Make sure you combine it with other activities for the day.

We had a couple of hours to kill before a flight so decided on this. It was the right decision because we both enjoyed it. The guides are volunteers but that doesn't mean that they put any less effort in the tour. Extremely informative and well worth the money. Thank you for ending our American trip with such a good tour!

A surprising find in Albany along the banks of the river -- a guided tour on an actual destroyer escort from WWII restored and populated with furnishings to match its heyday in WWII. The guides were quite knowledgeable and energetic. They are volunteers so are doing this because the subject matter excites them. Parking is free and adjacent to the the "front office" which has a bathroom plus gift shop. The latter has some interesting items including old plastic model sets in case the tour puts you in the mood for building your own tiny recreations. It's a reasonably quick tour, involves lots of stairs & climbing. I expect it would keep kids entertained even if the historical aspect does not. Lots to see and learn. The team that put this together did a really good job. A must see if you're in Albany!

Hands down the best place to go in Albany. Cool destroyer, small but delicate and well maintained. Austin was a great and enthusiastic tour guide, and you get to learn a lot of how tough the life of a crew member was in WWII. Must-see for history or military lovers.

Touring the USS Slater, which is the only World War II Destroyer afloat in America today, was very interesting. It showed how our Sailors actually lived while serving our Country. The tour took us back in history to 1945 and showed the daily 24 hour activities that took place protecting the U S citizens.

I was surprised to learn that the tours stop at 4pm but decided to go for it anyway. So glad that I did. I arrived 20 minutes before closing and they were so very accommodating. They did a private tour for me right away after I arrived ending ~ 4:30. It was a beautiful day. I strongly recommend this for navy buffs, history buffs, and radio buffs.

Super cool and informative tour of the last floating escort destroyer. Really nice day trip and way to appreciate the history, technology and sacrifice during WW2.

Art was our tour guide and it was a wonderful experience for our family. 11, 9, and 8 and they were all interested for the whole. We all learned something new. We live locally and will be back again.

Fantastic experience aboard a WWII destroyer escort. The ship has been meticulously restored and is run by volunteers who have great stories to tell by sailors that have visited over the years. Alan was our guide and he is full of information.

We were a group of 6 adults and 2 kids (ages 9 and 11). The kids were engaged and participated throughout our tour and we all received great historical information from our friendly guide, Grant. Highly recommend this tour! Be aware you must be able to climb up and down narrow ladders several times, just like a seaman did many years ago!

Like one TA reporter below, I have been on many boat/ship tours like this before, and this was probably the best experience of all. Even though we did not get the best of guides, somehow the scale of the ship in particular put the whole Atlantic/Pacific German/Japanese WW11 into full perspective; 200 men cooped up in this small tub, the sea furiously trying to capsize them at tmes; being possibly torpedoed at any moment, or being the subject of a kamakazie attack from the air - life could be short!
Or perhaps it was the excellent state of preservation of the ship, or the little minor details you do not seem to get on the bigger ships, like the mess arrangements, or the large variety of armamaents you can sit on/manouver/play with the guns, including the shells - again, unusual on such ship tours. Must be good for kids too.
WELL worth $8, and putting aside 1-2 hours if you are in/passing through, or near the town.

We had an excellent tour full of information on just about everything on this vessel. I forgot the young mans name but...he was very passionate, which made more exciting!

The men who man and describe this ship know what they are about. It is hard to believe that such a tiny vessel was one of the tough marine battlers of WWII. You can experience how tight and precisely organized was the spatial configuration and how skilled the crew must have been to navigate Atlantic storms and brutal exchanges of firepower.

My wife and I strolled along the Hudson in Albany after viewing the Capitol and came upon the Slater. Having been to harbors and never taken the time to tour one of the ships, we were so glad we toured the Slater. What a great restoration shown by sailors that absolutely LOVE their task. We spent two hours strolling back through time learning so much about. It was awesome. Thank you Tom, our guide.

What an amazing visit. Highly impressed with the level of restoration this ship has gone through, including a LOT of original artifacts. It looks like it was just commissioned.
Our tour guide was phenomenal and brought the ship experience to life. Being a US Navy Destroyer Veteran (Tin Can Sailor) myself, it brought back memories of my time aboard a destroyer.
A MUST See if you're in the Albany, NY area.

Learned so much about what these wonderful ships, and the men who were stationed on them, did for our country! Art was a wonderful guide, who was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Took extra time speaking with our teenager, and it didn’t go unnoticed....he said Art reminded him of his grandpa, and that’s a great thing. A+

Great tour, knowledgeable guide. Great history! Was disappointed they didn't carry challenge coins in the gift shop, would like to add to my collection...and get one for my son's collection!

John E was a great tour guide! The tour was interactive and informative. He engaged the kids and let them explore, wear helmets, lay on the bunks. We are a history loving family and this was a great tour.

The hour-long tour of this circa World War II ship is well-worth your time if you're visiting Albany. It's the only ship of its kind still floating and the folks who take care of it and give tours are all volunteers.

Our guide was thorough and our small group learned a lot about how unpleasant life must have been on this relatively small ship protecting convoys.

There are some ladders, but unless you have some profound mobility issues, most people will be fine.

Parking is free.

Art gave a excellent tour of the USS Slater? We really appreciated all the questions that Art answered.

Really interesting tour of a cool piece of history. Great friendly funny guides. From the outside this ship is pretty unimpressive but the guides and even the intro briefing takes you back in time. This is definitely the best thing to do in Albany on a weekend afternoon including eating and drinking.

I went out for a walk and stumbled across this! Decided to take the tour, Art, my tour guide was Very knowledgeable, friendly & professional! Had a great time learning about the Destroyer Escort! I highly recommend a visit to this place! VERY COOL!

The family and I took in a tour of the boat. It was amazing! Love the history and Love the staff. They are great!!!!!

What a great way to spend some quality time with the kids and experience what it is like to be on a military ship. The staff is friendly and willing to answer all of your questions. It is great to have a piece of history, so interesting and so close by.

We decided that we were going to see the USS Slater DE-766. We pulled into the parking lot and there was plenty of free parking right by the ship. A short walk to the building to get our tour tickets. Within 10 minutes we were taken to the briefing room to watch a short informative film. Our guide Art also gave us more information about the ship and what we were going to see. There are a lot of steps ladder type and some doorways that you must walk over. Art gave everyone ample time to do the steps and navigate the hallways. He gave us a good picture of how things worked on the ship. Children in our group were invited to give the bunks a try and the large guns. No live weapons on ship. Art shared stories with us and answered everyone’s questions. It was an awesome tour with a great guide. We really enjoyed our visit.

A must for history and maritime lovers. Tour guide was knowledgeable and answered our many questions. Stop in for a trip back in time.

Our tour guide was so knowledgeable, despite being bright and shiny new out of the guide training box. Better than most experienced guides I've had before. The ship was well kept and displayed nicely. Everyone was super friendly. It was a nice change from regular sightseeing.

My brother served on the USS Cony, DD-508 in the early 60's as a radar operator. When he took the tour of the Slater he saw things he never saw on the Cony. He was impressed both with the preservation and the care given to it by it's faithful stewards. The dark time of our country during the early 40's is preserved in the Slater as it is in the Sullivans in Buffalo.

Evan was a great tour guide! He was very friendly and knowledgeable. Would recommend to friends and family.

Perfectly restored Naval Vessel. Well maintained and easy to find with convenient parking and excellent guides. Well worth the time and effort to go and see.

Great tour and the guide really knew his stuff great way to see history Recommend this to everyone will definitely go back!!!

I went by myself and took the tour with Al! What a great person! Was an incredible time! Very recommended!

We had a great tour guide, Bob. He was very informative and took his time showing the ship. He really made you think about what it might have been like to be aboard this ship in the 1940's. Learned a lot.

We took the general tour, which was excellent. They also have an engine room tour available for an extra charge.

Very well done tour. Educational. Especially if you didn’t know much about the role of destroyer escorts. Personable tour leader Grant Hack gave an excellent trip through the ship up and down with many personal anecdotes and comments. Many thanks to all who have worked to preserve and restore this relic of American history.

We recently toured the USS Slater. The tour begins with a brief video of the history of the Destroyer Escorts during World War II, then we were off to tour the Slater. The tour guide Mitch provided a lot of information about the ship and led us to see various parts of ship. There were kids on our tour and he made sure to include them in the tour activities. The Slater is in excellent condition due to the hard work of volunteers who work on this ship. Hats off to their dedication to ensure that the Slater continues to be a part of the living history of WWII.

A must see! Incredible experience. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. My Kids keep talking about the experience, and Dylan (11 yrs old) wants to join the Navy. Several Naval vets greeted us with personal pictures and stories. Movie was wonderful

off the beaten path a great way to spend a few hours, feel patriotic and learn some history. Good for kids/scouts

Had a wonderful time! The tour was very educational, the kids enjoyed learning about everything on the ship!

The USS Slater is the last destroyer escort in existence. Great tour throughout the ship with its storied history. My particular guide had served on similar ships and was extremely informative. Highly recommended

This was a great experience. My father served on a boat in World War 2 and this really helped me understand what he experienced. He worked as a gunners mate It was a very cold day but well worth the trip . Very informative and so much to learn what our men sacrificed for us for our freedom. So glad we did this tour. Thanks to all of the guys who oversaw the tour and for their service. Well worth the visit

This was an awesome experience. Our tour guide, Art, was so knowledgeable and his passion about the ship really shined. This is one spot not to be missed.

Our tour guide , John E. , was so interesting that we forgot about how hot it was that day as he told us so many interesting facts, stories and anecdotes about life at sea on a destroyer escort. Youngsters are able to participate in various aspects of a seaman's life aboard ship. I will recommend this tour to other people.

Since my father served on a destroyer escort (DD660 USS Bullard) during WWII, I felt a visit to the Slater during Memorial Day (Saturday, May 25, 2019) was in order. We were within the initial tour group of the day. The volunteer docent leading the tour presented an informative narration during our walk through this valued ship. While we were touring, there were other volunteers working to keep the ship in prime condition. Watching their actions made it easy to see that they all love how they are spending their time. The ship has been fitted out to best represent the times during which it saw action. The guided tour lasted a little more than 90 minutes.

I had some spare time after arriving in Albany, so planned in advance to visit the Slater based on their Facebook posts and updates. The tour was small (just me and one other person) and the guide very personable and was great with questions. It's clear that a lot of work has gone into restoring the ship, so my only complaint would be that we didn't get to see more of it. If they continue restoring and opening more areas, I would stop again to see what's been accomplished.

We visited here on the beautiful morning of July 5th finding numerous crew members going on and off. Even though the $8 each senior tour was closed today, we could see a lot just walking along the side of the 306’ ship, with what seems to be a very narrow 37’ beam. We were also astonished at the number of cannons and guns along the top and sides. Also amazing is that this Slater is the only surviving destroyer escort afloat in WW 11 rig, as 565 ships were made.
Plenty of free parking when the Hudson River tour boat is not running.

The USS Slater is a great piece of living history. Our tour guide was highly knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

This is a must for anyone with interest in Naval WWII history. The tour guide was very knowledge of the history and operations of the ship aided by the fact he served on the Slater during WWII and was actively involved in the restoration to as close as possible to original condition. Tour is very informative for all age groups and included some hands on operation of the guns less live ammunition.

Great trip addition. We took a midday tour, our tour guide was great. You could tell that he truly loves what he is doing. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the ship and the time period in general. My family enjoyed the stop. Highly recommend stopping by and checking it out.

Visited the USS Slater. It is the only remaining destroyer escort from over 500 built that has survived from World War II. The refurbishment performed since it was returned from the Greek navy was excellent and there are more areas of this ship available for tour than most other museum ships. You can actually get into the engine rooms (1 of 2). The guided tour was $9 per person, an addition $6 p/p for the engine room. Well worth the time and cost. This ship has been returned to as close as possible as it was in WW II. Many veterans and non-veterans have spent many hours and still spend weekends working on the museum. They have the only WW II motor whale boat that has been fully refurbished still floating. It was well worth the couple of hours we spent there going over history. I highly recommend this tour!

The tour was very informational and our tour guide was great. We had a few men who had served in the Navy and they added a lot to or tour. The tour made me very grateful for the men who served and withstood the living conditions on the sea for our country. It was a hot day which made it very hot on the ship. I would recommend this tour for all ages.

My family and I really enjoyed touring this ship. We stopped on our way to Lake Placid and are glad we did. The tour and history of the destroyer escorts was extremely interesting, and it was fantastic to see the radar room, dining/surgical area, sleeping quarters, etc. My son had a blast on the anti-aircraft guns also! I would highly recommend this tour if you are in the area.

My husband and I enjoyed this tour greatly. Our guide was knowledgeable, and patient with any questions. He had a respect for our Navy and our Country and the unique contribution of these destroyers to our World War 2 effort. Great experience!

Stopped during a recent visit to the Albany area. Very worthwhile experience. The volunteers are extremely nice and knowledgeable.

It's not the Taj Mahal, nor it is the Colosseum, the Great Wall or Chichen Itza. It's a tourist attraction of a much smaller scale, so set the expectations accordingly.

And yet it's an interesting and very well preserved exhibit of the daily life on a WW2 war ship, shown and explained by a very passionate and knowledgeable guide who was in the Navy himself some time ago. Definitely worth a visit.

This was a wonderful experience. Our guides took us through the Slater pointing out everything from the sleeping and mess quarters to the artillery on board. They were so knowledgeable and friendly and eagerly answered our questions. It was a great 2 hours that flew by. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

My husband served on a ship very much like the Slater and wanted to go on board. We had a very informative tour and would definitely recommend a visit.

Our guide Art was the best. He was informative, funny and knowledgeable. We had a great time and it was a great way to spend veterans day

This is the only WWII Destroyer Escort Ship still available to tour - in fact the only one in existence. What an opportunity to see history as it was and hear it's story. We toured it as it was being restored and heard the story from some of those who served on destroyer escorts during the great war - what an experience. Many of them are still helping or directing. The tours are excellent and if you have kids or grandchildren you owe it to them to take them through this gem and acquaint them with their country's history. The guides are professional in their presentation and the tour a must for all.

Austin gave a great tour. Very informative of the historical background as well as the functionality of the vessel. And fascinating to see its various parts. Very nice manner. Everyone present had a great time!

The Slater is a museum ship, she has been lovingly and accurately restored to her original condition. Not only that but she is the last of her type that are left.

We stopped here on our way to the Adirondacks. Very cool and learned a few things too. My kids enjoyed as well but got a little bored toward the end…tour was 90 minutes. This ship and its history should not be forgotten. Go check it out and learn what our veterans did to protect this country. Highly recommend.

The tour was very educational. You get to see exactly how Sailors lives on ships. The small quarters, the chow hall, the kitchen, the gunners. It was incredible and very interesting. I have gone 2x. They have it set up as if it was original. You will leave there with a higher respect for these Sailors!!!

The "best" attraction in Albany! Learn what it was like to live day-to-day aboard one of WW2's smaller combatants. Guides are often Navy Vets and know the ship like no others. Ship has been returned to it's 1943 condition, see the crews living conditions and weapons to carry on their daily fight to survive! Good for all ages, steep stairs and walking required.

Well maintained destroyer from WW2 with excellent guidance on board. Very informative and various tours available from $6 pp. Must see while in Albany!

Our guide, John E, was so knowledgeable of the ship! I couldn’t believe all the info he told us. I felt like I could see the sailors and feel their reactions as they manned their duty stations. Just an awesome tour. I hadn’t expected to enjoy it that much. Also we bought several gifts in the gift shop, unique items at reasonable prices. Awesome experience & John was an excellent guide.

What a gem here in Albany. Loved the tour and learned so much. We are the wimpy generation for sure. I can see why this generation is the greatest. We can not get our kids to move out and these 18-20 year olds were doing this!!!!!! We had Evan as a tour guide. He was great. ...young and has a love for this. Do not bring a purse/shoulder bag. It is such a pain when going up and down the ladders. Also shoes that you would run/climb in. No way you can be disabled and do the tour. Again...wow...these men were in shape. Also if you have some kind of group.....boy or girl scouts.....they do sleepovers. How AWESOME!!!!!!! This year is the first time they ever received any grant money from government. Have cash ac
vailable to put in donation box of end of tour.

we didn't go on as it was closed - so call ahead - also find out where to park - that seemed like an issue - but maybe only because it was closed and the gates were padlocked. But I definitely would go back when it was open - neat bit of preserved history!

We toured the Slater this Spring with some friends; they and we were amazed by how dangerous duty was on ships like this, and how cramped it was! We had a very entertaining and knowledgeable guide; the ship is a great piece of history, well worth seeing. There's a fair amount of climbing up and down steep stairs, so I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has difficulty with that sort of thing.

We were in Albany for a quick trip and decided to take the tour. What an incredible opportunity to explore an actual destroyer ship. Bob was our guide and he did an outstanding job explaining things in a way our kids understood and was patient in answering their questions. If you’re in Albany, I’d wholeheartedly recommend this tour as a great way to spend some time.

The tours of this ship are wonderful. The tour guide gives ample time to look around and get a feel of what life was like on it.

We toured this vessel and our guide was a Naval veteran who was totally familiar with all its facilities, have served on various ships and submarines during his career. He provided fascinating background and details of the Slater, which is one of the few vessels surviving from 1943 and restored near to its original condition. Highly recommended if you are in Albany.

Our tour guide Dan (who's a retired navy volunteer) over the 1 1/2 hour tour made the USS Slater and World War II and what those sailors went through just come alive! It's "the only" remaining Destroyer Escort still a float in the country! It's been totally restored by volunteers. I would totally recommend it for families. We had a Veteran from the Korean War and his wife, a family from India, a family from Ohio and many locals. Totally worth the trip!

A must see for anyone who appreciates or needs to learn to appreciate all that our service men and women have done for us. Alan was both an informative and fun guide. A+++visit. My 14 year old daughter loved it.

Just off the highway at the river in Albany, same lot as Dutch Apple cruise. Reconditioned WWII destroyer escort, escorted tour of the ship by many Navy vets...ask and they will inform! Comprehensive tour takes about an hour. You go up and down some very steep ladders and tight spots, so wear comfortable clothes and SNEAKERS...no heels or flip flops !!

Very informative and interesting to tour this slice of WWII history, the USS Slater The volunteer guides are tops and it is well worth your time to take the tour.

Terrific tour.
We took this tour on the way to Vermont and it was fantastic.
I have been on the Intrepid many times and this boat was much more interesting.
The tour guide Art was terrific and patient with us even with our 3 year old daughter who was quite jumpy!
The ship is preserved in the exact condition it was during the WW2 which is what makes it so fascinating.

Would definitely recommend to all and will definitely visit again.

Thanks Art!!

Excellent tour guide...so much information and attention to details. The only downside are the stairs. Learned a lot about the daily workings of a ship.

Lots of free parking steps away. Just the gift shop/bookstore & the short movie are 100% handicap accessible & worth a visit. After that the high-step doorways & ladder/steps between levels were tough for our 91 year old Navy vet but he made it with a little help. Amazing to stand in the tiny kitchen that served all those sailors. The officers & sailors quarters ooze history. Turning the hand crank to aim while sitting in the deck gunners chair gave me chills. Imagining a plane spraying bullets at you without running for cover gives an idea just how heroic these sailors were. The volunteer tour guides really make the experience special and full of educational tidbits. Thanks Slater & crew.

What an eye opener! We got to see how our sailors live on these ships and what they endure to protect our country. I came away much more appreciative of the men and women in the armed forces! Definitely worth touring!

We just finished a great tour with Austin on the USS Slater! Kids loved to be able to touch and handle the exhibits and explore the books and crannies. Austin was engaging and responsive to all our kiddos during our visit.

Tom was a great tour guide. He seemlessly wove the stories of the men and their WWII experiences within a delightful explanation every aspect of this workhorse of a ship.

As a former navy tin can sailor. Visiting the Slater is always a pleasure. The staff help direct you to important facts about the history of this ship which only adds to the mystique.

Great tour! Our guide Mike a retired navy veteran who actually served on a destroyer escort was very informative! Although tour was a bit longer than expected (2 hours) the extra insight from our guide was so worth the time. We only had 4 in our group so we had plenty of time for questions. This ship is not funded by any government funds so the entire restoration is privately paid for. Other than the reasonable entrance fee ($9 per adult) you can drop a donation to keep the restoration going which I would suggest. Not to many things give this much value for the admission fee. To me seeing the American ingenuity of the systems aboard the vessel built in 1944 was amazing. These vessels were built in 30 days during the war. With many service members during WW2 being in late teens aboard these ships makes me wonder how our current crop of similar age would fare. One slight disappointment is due to insurance reasons the engine room was not able to be toured but I would have so liked to see the power plants aboard the ship as the guide indicated they were all restored to 1944 standards when it was built. Hopefully they can figure a way to allow access sometime in the future. A special call out to tour guide Mike for his service both as a veteran and our guide. Thanks! ( toured 9/3/19 1000 am)

What a heart shaking experience to have the guided tour. Young men were engaged and risked their life for America and PEACE IN THE WORLD. A mustmust must...

We stopped at the museum so my son could see a navy ship. It was a terrific way to spend about 90 minutes. Evan was our tour guide and he was fantastic! Lots of tidbits of info, the kids got to “test” things out. Very informative and eye opening. Great lesson to remind us how blessed we are for those who fought for our freedom.

Rehabbed with no gov't funds and staffed by volunteers, this is an interesting site to visit while in the capitol area. It is located at the Port of Albany but very near downtown. You will gain a much greater understanding of what it was like to serve on a navy ship during WWII. Our tour guide was interesting and helpful! A good stop for families too.

I've been on a lot of museum ships and this one was well worth the entry fee. It is a guided tour and our guide (who was a Navy vet) was very knowledgeable and friendly. Give yourself a couple hours total for the ship and small gift shop. If it's a warm day bring a bottle of water with you.

The supporters of the USS Slater Destroyer Escort are enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides, able to share every feature of this WWII ship (the last floating one of its kind) with families and groups.

My 75-year old mother and I, both Army veterans from a family which also includes multiple service members from most of the branches, toured the ship today and found it extremely interesting. Our volunteer tour guide, Evan, who happens to be a history teacher, was not only very knowledgeable, but also personable and presented the material in an engaging and accessible manner. The ship herself has been (is being) restored to a high standard, and the tour took us through many of her major areas, including the galley, the officers' ward room and quarters, the crew mess, quarters, and washrooms, the bridge and radio room, and the various guns (all original to the shop) and depth charges on the upper deck (we even got to strap into the 20mm anti-aircraft gun and sit on and swivel the 40mm gun). Although my mom has a bad knee and uses a cane for support, she was able to manage the half-dozen or so ladders with no trouble. Highly recommended.

I’d just like to say what a wonderful time I had during both tours I took of the USS Slater this past weekend. I flew all the way from NW Wisconsin just to see your ship and I was not disappointed! I’ve toured the USS Cobia in Manitowoc, WI, USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, LA, Lane Victory in San Pedro, CA, John W. Brown in Baltimore, USS Midway in San Diego, USS Requin in Pittsburg, to name a few ships/subs/carriers, and your instructional tours were/are second to none. Your ship was absolutely spotless and the equipment on board – from the armament, radar, medical, etc., right down to the latrine – was the most accurate I’ve ever seen. It’s obvious all your volunteers and staff are extremely dedicated and love their DE. Again, I can’t thank or commend you all enough for what you do and how well you do it!

My family and I really enjoyed our tour of the USS Slater! The tour guide was so informative and great with my 2 boys (ages 6 and 9). They LOVED the tour and the guide took the time to talk to them, answer questions, and he even let them touch a lot of things as he talked. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Senior discount was available. The ship is the last one still floating. It is awesome that veterans are giving of their own time to restore it.

I have visited the Slater two summers in a row, and always find it fascinating. It's an almost totally unique piece of naval history. Possibly the only ship still floating of it's kind. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, and overall a great experience.

This was a super tour - well worth the nominal charge. Tour guide (John E) did a super job taking us around the ship and answering our questions. Not rushed; just right. My husband, a former Navy guy, really enjoyed it, and I learned a lot too. Highly recommend. Also a shout out to the many guys who were working around the ship to keep it in 'ship shape' condition. They are the real heroes here as they do this work on their own time and voluntarily.

I have lived in the Capital Region for many years and never really thought about touring the USS Slater. I went with my two children (12 and 8 years of age) over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It is a one hour guided tour of the entire ship, both inside and out. Fantastic. Highly recommend. The Slater is the last destroyer escort ship floating in the United States - who knew? Tour only cost total of $20 for me and kids.

We visited this ship and was pleasantly surprised just how much our 8 and 6 year old could do and touch. We loved it so much our Cub Scout troop visited a month later and stayed over night. They had a great time.

10/10 ! We spent a wonderful afternoon aboard the USS Slater. The naval historian who gave us a guided tour was incredibly knowledgeable & made this a fascinating visit. I know little about this sort of thing but I was entranced. My husband says it's the best experience he's had in a long time. We've been on quite a few other naval vessels over the years but this was exceptional. Very many thanks to the gentleman who guided us round,I'm sorry I don't know your name. You looked very "naval" with an impressive beard & an impressive knowledge of the ship.
Very highly recommended.

We toured the USS Slater while in Albany on a biking trip. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We learned not only about the history of the ship, but gained a new appreciation for those who served in the Navy during World War II on a destroyer escort ship. My dad was on a destroyer in the Navy during World War II so it brought back lots of memories of his stories of the war. It was very educational.

This has been on our list of things to visit for a long time and it didn't dissapoint. My sister and I took our four sons (9, 13, 13, 13) on a tour over spring break. She is local and I'm from out of town. Austin was a wonderful guide. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and was happy to answer any questions we had. We all enjoyed touring the ship in all the available spaces. We went home and told our father and he hopes to visit later this month when he military friend visits from out of state.

If you are interested in visiting a one of a kind Naval vessel that participated in World War II, this is a very good stop. Our volunteer guide, Dennis, served on another Destroyer Escort in the early 1940s. He shared many interesting stories, personal anecdotes and a wealth of information about this ship with us. My husband and I enjoyed our visit, climbed up and down narrow stairwells, and got a feel for what life was like for the brave men who served our country on these ships. If you come to Albany, NY, we highly recommend a visit to the "USS Slater, the last Destroyer Escort afloat in America."

the price was good the staff was very nice and new their stuff about the ship
it was very interesting makes you think of what those men when thought

Most people experience Navy life through some movie. I had the privilege of experiencing it first hand for 8 years and the USS Slater was a great way for my family to better connect with that portion of my life (as was the USS Nautilus museum near Mystic, CT). You can see in the galley, the bunking areas, and sit in a maneuverable gun. Its located right next to the Albany tour cruises so you can easily tack the USS Slater on before or after your cruise.

Our Grandkids enjoyed the tour and our guide was terrific. He served in the Navy and was able to relate his experiences and explain how duties were done.

excelent experience with my brother sense our father passed away and was in the army you watch a short movie about the ship,tour guy talks a little about the ship and the you go see it i learn a lot...

The tour guide was very nice, you can explore almost all of the ship and you can turn the guns on the 40 mm! (This may differ for others I’m not sure) I just had to leave a review of my great experience 10/10 would visit again.

Art, our tour guide, was fantastic! The tour really brings to life how the ship was run and what it was like at that time in history. It's hard to remember it's a museum because it's a real piece of history that you get to walk around in. ASK FOR THE ENGINE ROOM TOUR - it's not advertised and it is WORTH IT!!!

Mr. Smith was a great guide. He really enjoys the subject and looks forward to questions on the tour. There is some climbing up and down ladders. The ship was renovated after it was re-acquired from Greece. The work looks great. We walked from our hotel. I am amazed at the number of rooms we had access to. It was great fun moving the anti aircraft guns - spinning the wheel to turn the gun, just like I had seen in the movies.

Great little tour on the beautiful Hudson! Very detailed explanations and historical background given. Knowledgeable and respectful staff. No woke nonsense which was a nice change. So glad we made the trip!

We decided to visit the USS Slater and see what it was like for the men out at sea during World War II. It ended up being a great experience filled with so much that we had never thought of. Our tour guide Greg, ended up adding to the experience for being such an enjoyable guide and person to talk to. He was very knowledgeable about everything in the boat and was very professional and friendly. it shocked us even more we we learned it was his first day there. Overall loved it and was so happy we went.

Great tour of USS Slater. Took my Dad here for Father's day. My Dad retired from the Navy so he enjoyed the day so much. I loved the gallery the best, sleeping quarters interesting to see. Great tour, informative, great photo opportunities on a historical ship. USS Slater is a Cannon-class destroyer escort that served in the United States Navy. Arrived in Albany, NY on August 27, 1993 presently preserved as a memorial.

Navy boat worth seeing if you like nautical history . The experience is worth the visit . Staff were wonderful . If you want to see what a navy ship is like ,this is a good place to go . Not crowded . They give tours of the ship , which increases your appreciation of what everything is ,and how it worked . We would recommend this ship ,as a place worth seeing ,and as a learning experience .

Took a tour of the Slater with my kids. Very informative and makes a person reflective of the personal sacrifice that happen to the men who served in the wars. The guides are former vets which makes it even more authentic!

Such an interesting tour. Amazing that this restoration work is being done by volunteers and is essentially self-funded. Our guide was so knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend!

We were passing through Albany and chose this floating museum and tribute to the WWII sailors who fought on destroyers during the war.
Our guide Austin was very knowledgable and interesting to listen to.
If you're in to WWII and want to learn something more about how it was fought, this is the place to visit. Well worth the detour.

If this review is helpful, please give me a "thumbs up" or "helpful" vote.

1. Bottom Line Up Front/frame of reference for my remarks. I am a retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer, history buff and a tour guide aboard another museum ship. As such, I have high expectations of museum ships (I have visited over 20 in the United States) this is the best-looking museum ship I have ever seen !

2. Staff. Great staff ! Paul was my tour guide. To say he has a wealth of knowledge and has a very good presentation method is an tremendous understatement. He has been a volunteer for 16 years and never said "I don't know" to any of my questions. A visitor can simply pay admission and read the placards; this makes for a good visit; however but Paul made the ship "come alive" with his narration and comments. Additionally, the ship has college students/interns who are History graduate students who are receiving credit for working aboard the ship. On my tour, Caroline (a law school student who will be attending USMC Officer Candidate School) was shadowing Paul.

3. Namesake. The ship is named on behalf of U.S. Navy Sailor Frank Slater, a native of Kenner Cove, Alabama who was awarded the Navy Cross (posthumously) for his heroic actions aboard the Heavy Cruiser USS San Fransisco at the Battle of Guadalcanal 12 November 1942. Paul gave a very interesting story of how his family used his death benefits to buy the farming property they had been sharecropping...thus coining the phase "he bought the farm".

4. Details of my visit

4.a. Date & Time. Saturday 8 April 2023 (morning-afternoon).

4.b. Other patrons. During my visit, there were approximately 25 other patrons; I think the low attendance is attributed to the fact that the ship has only been open for the season for less than a week.

4.c. Length of visit. I spent approximately 3 hours on the ship; this was for the guided tour and quite a bit of discussion with Paul. If a visitor simply pass admission and conducts an un-guided tour, it can probably be conducted in no more than 1 hour and 15 minutes.

4.d. Travel. I flew in to the Albany airport.

5. Location/accuracy. I plugged the address (listed on the website) in to my iPhone and it took me directly there.

6. Access

6.a. Passenger vehicles. There are approximately 60 parking spaces. They also share the parking lot with the adjacent tour boat cruise company.

6.b. Buses and RVs. This site is not easily accessible by large vehicles.

7. Admission. Check the museum’s website. Visitors should be aware of how much it costs to maintain and improve an attraction of this magnitude. When she was in active service, over 200 Sailors were required to not only operate her, but to maintain her.- I do not like to repeat myself but she is the best-looking ship I have ever seen !

8. Hours of operation. Check the museum’s website for current information.

9. Type/nature of visit. Visitors may conduct un-guided tours. I reserved a "Bow to Stern" guided tour for an additional fee; the experience was well-worth it.

10. Handicap access. The ship’s main deck is somewhat accessible via a ramp. The above and below decks of the ship are accessible only by climbing up and down quite a few steep/narrow ladderwells (staircases).

11. Child friendliness. The ship is safe for children but I would caution parents that if they intend on negotiating ladderwells (staircases) to the superstructure (above) or belowdecks, it is unsafe to carry children. A good rule of thumb on ships is to maintain three points of contact (both hands on the handrails and one foot on the steps at a time) when negotiating stairs.

12. Overall specifications

12.a. Crew. 216. Keep this in mind as you make your way through the cramped passageways and living spaces.

12.b. Class of ship. This ship is DE-766 (Cannon class Destroyer Escort). This class of ship was designed to escort convoys of troops, equipment and supplies in the Atlantic Ocean between the U.S. and the U.K. As such she was not designed as a fast ship to accompany aircraft carriers and defeat aircraft but rather to accompany/protect slower merchant convoys and protect against submarines. When she was transferred from the Atlantic to the Pacific, her armament was modified accordingly.

12.c. Displacement (weight). Empty. 12,400 tons

12.d. Length. 306 feet.

12.e. Beam (width). 37 feet.

12.f. Draft (from the bottom of the ship to the waterline). 9 feet.

12.g. Propulsion. 4 x Diesel engines with electric drive (2 propellers/ 2 rudders).

12.h. Horsepower. 6,000.

13. Areas available to view/enter (not all-inclusive) on the "Bow to Stern" tour; these areas may not be available on an un-guided tour.

13.a. 20mm Oerlikon Anti-aircraft cannons. These guns all traverse and elevate. All have: their 60-round drum magazines, spare barrel storage tubes and ready boxes for spare magazines. Most have the Mark 14 optical sights with custom-made nylon covers and brass catchers.

13.b. 40mm Bofors Anti-aircraft cannons. These guns all traverse and elevate and have their Mark 51 gun directors and racks inside the gun tubs with racks to hold the 4-round clips (these racks are all filled with replicas of the clips and rounds).

13.c. 3 inch guns. These guns all traverse and elevate and have their original ready lockers and fuse-setters.

13.d. Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar (forward). The mortar has replicas of their original ordnance and is in great shape!

13.e. Torpedo deck (amidships). The torpedo tubes were removed and replaced with additional 40mm Bofors mounts when the ship transitioned from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

13.f. Depth Charge projectors (K-guns). These devices are located amidships and propelled depth charges away from the ship. As a bonus, one of the depth charges is cut-away and visitors can see the firing mechanism inside the depth charge.

13.g. Depth Charge racks. These devices are located at the stern and were used to simply roll the depth charges off the ship.

13.h. Special Note. There is a winch on the aft end of the ship near the depth charge racks. This was used to tow a bundle of angle iron and sheet metal behind the ship to act as a decoy to defeat acoustically aimed torpedos.

13.i. Bridge. Visitors may enter/walk through this space; it has been very-well maintained/restored and Navy veterans will be very impressed.

13.j. Signal Bridge. This is the only museum ship I have visited whose signal bridge has flags. Additionally, her Morse Lights (signal lights) are functional!

13.k. Combat Information Center. The ship has visual/sound effects of a sonar "picture".

13.l. Enlisted Berthing (sleeping) compartments.

13.m. Chief Petty Officer (Senior Enlisted Sailors) berthing compartment.

13.n. Officer Staterooms (sleeping) compartments.

13.o. Captain's cabin (he was the only Sailor who had his own private head (restroom).

13.p. Wardroom (dining room for officers).

13.q. Messdeck (dining room for Enlisted Sailors).

13.r. Galley (kitchen and serving line for enlisted meals).

13.s. Sick Bay. The ship did not have a Doctor. In modern terms, she had an Independent Duty Corpsman (an Enlisted Sailor trained to conduct rudimentary medical procedures).

13.t. Engine Room. This space is in terrific shape! It looks like it just came out of service yesterday! It is only open for private tours. See paragraph 12.g. for details.

13.u. Laundry Room.

13.v. Aft Steering. In the process of being restored and is already in great shape!

13.w. Aft Enlisted Berthing. This compartment has a great deal of USN uniforms and artifacts donate by Destroyer veterans and their families (only accessible during private tours)

14. History

14.a. Construction Site. Tampa, Florida.

14.b. 1 May 1944. Commissioned (the day she became an active warship).

14.c. 26 September 1947. De-commissioned (no longer in active service).

14.d. 1 March 1951. Transferred to the Greek Navy and renamed Aetos.

14.e. 1993. Arrived New York City, NY.

14.f. 26 Oct 1997. Arrived Albany, NY.

14.g. 7 May 1998. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

15. Amenities

15.a. Restrooms. I did not see any restrooms but I am sure they are available.

15.b. Water fountains. Water fountains are available in the ship.

15.c. Climate control. The ship is not climate-controlled.

15.d. Food & beverages. Not available.

15.e. Gift shop. The small ship's store has items available for purchase.

15.f. Note. There is no visitor center/museum ashore like most other ship museums.

16. Recommended clothing, equipment and supplies

16.a. Clothing. It is not a good idea to wear flip-flops due to the requirement to negotiate narrow/steep ladderwells.

16.b. Equipment. Backpacks will be a hindrance when negotiating steep ladderwells inside the ship.

16.c. Supplies. Water is recommended during hot weather.

22. Lastly

22.a. If you are interested in other attractions of this type, please see my other reviews.

22.b. If you have the time, the Buffalo/Eerie County Naval Museum is approximately a four-hour drive to the west (Light Cruiser Little Rock, Destroyer The Sullivans, Submarine Croaker).

23. Conclusion. She is in outstanding condition and is a tremendous attraction. She is well worth a visit if you are in the area and is well-worth a special trip (I flew from North Carolina specifically to see this ship).

The USS Slater was an escorting battle ship on the convoys of the North Atlantic during World War II. My husband is a naval admirer, so we had to see the battleship. He was fascinated with the stories about the US naval fights with the German submarines.

An excellent chance to step back into World War II Naval history. The tour guides are the best and know their stuff about this WWII Destroyer Escort. Tours take about an hour and if you have never been on a Navy ship you will learn to appreciate what our sailors called home. It is completely run by volunteers who do everything from guide the tours to restore the ship on a daily basis. I go every year and learn something new each time. You will not be disappointed

Went on the USS Slater Tour and it was very nice, have been on the tour many times but it is always a little different each time depending on the tour guide,wonderful time to go back in history,it is a must see if you are in Albany, Enjoy.

I would not miss this stop-- a 1+30 minute trip back to 1944 in the North Atlantic. A salute to that greatest generation and their sacrifices. Excellent briefing, with lots of great facebook photo ops:
Some photo ops:
>>"Man the Guns" -- they let you use a 20mm anti-aircraft gun
>>"Launch the depth charges" -- two types of depth charges on display
>>"Drive the ship" -- the bridge is open, so take a turn steering the ship
>>"Take a snooze" -- crew bunks are ok to try (and kids can sleep over with boy/girl scout trips
Kids will love it.

Tip: No bathrooms on the ship. Use the one by the briefing room on the deck.

What a treat touring this ship is! My guide Carl was fantastic, and shared a wonderful blend of information about the USS Slater’s history, its restoration, how its detection and weapons systems worked to protect the larger ships it traveled with, and what is involved in maintaining her. Plus the volunteers have gone the extra distance, even allowing visitors to actually spin a large gun turret, and raise/lower the barrel! Totally recommended!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!!! We learned so much about our naval history! Art was a wonderful guide and answered all our questions!!! The highlight was sitting and moving on real anti-aircraft artillery!!! The tour was over an hour and half but it flew by! So interesting. Easy to get to and easy parking in their parking lot. Beautiful views of the Hudson River that gave us a beautiful backdrop for photos

An unplanned trip to Albany to see family had us going on an amazing tour of a destroyer ship , the USS Slater used in World War II. Our tour guide, Paul seemed to know every nook and cranny of the ship with so much historic information you would have thought he was stationed on that ship. We were so impressed with everyone involved in the restoration of that ship and all the volunteers who work so hard to preserve history. Don't miss this tour and we hope you're lucky enough to get the very intelligent tour guide Paul, who clearly did so much more to learn about this ship than his training probably required.

Great 9 out of 10 just great you can visit in the day or in the night but if you want to go in the night you have to stay over night and that's what I'm doing this weekend highly recommend it is a crucial part of albany ny and did you know it is the only destroyer left in the United States from world war 2 hope you enjoy this trip I highly recamend this but one flaw is that it should have a bigger gift shop you will get more money with a bigger and better gift shop.

Best WW2 vessel tour I've done include battleships and submarines. Well worth the very reasonable cost which helps maintain the ship. If you have any interest in this type of tour, don't miss it!

If you visit Albany (the capital of New York State) and if you have an interest in naval history, particularly WW11, served in the Navy or would like to see the inside of a warship this is a must visit...
This ship during WW11 protected merchant ships bringing war supplies to our armed forces. from submarine attacks. You can visualize the depth charges (on the aft deck) being dropped. You will visit the Captain's and the crew's quarters, the bridge, mess hall and other interior parts of the ship.

Even if you're not a fan of military history it's a great visit for a family and children maybe just old enough to pay attention to all that's here. The staff and volunteers have done an outstanding job of refurbishing this old WW II destroyer escort. Wheelchairs and anyone with a very hard time walking will have difficulty or be unable to navigate the narrow passageways and stairs. It is the original ship and was built for able bodied sailors. I have visited alone as well and was able to spend hours on board. Veterans especially Navy and Coast Guard will look at the real deal here. Dress comfortably with sneakers or good walking shoes. Flip flops not a good idea. Very informative and interesting. Worth a visit.

I usually stop for ships and trains and thus I ended up unexpectedly here today. I took the main tour ($9) and the engine room tour ($5). Both were excellent and if you have any interest in history or ships I’d highly recommend a visit. The tour guides were excellent and knowledgeable. This is a hidden little gem on the Hudson River.

Moored by the quayside in Albany NY this carefully preserved destroyer escort vessel was well worth the visit
Most if not all the guns mines and equipment are there to rotate, swivel and inspect.We were shown aboard by veteran Mike Marko who being a retired seaman was very knowledgeable about the ship . Well worth a visit

History buffs will love to tour this ship but anyone can enjoy the experience. My husband’s uncle had served on this ship so it made it even more special. You will find it interesting that so many sailors could live and work on it. You get to see where they ate and slept, even the captains quarters. I had taken my grandson and they thought he was a bit young but did let him aboard and he loved it.

Needed something to break up the journey on our 5 hour drive and came across this. Bearing in mind we are British and think we have our Ww2 naval museums covered at home, we loved this ship. The thought and passion behind the restoration was obvious - Our volunteer tour guide knew his stuff and gave a fascinating tour. The sounds and sights and detail all added to the atmosphere. The DE’s may not be the most impressive ship you will see but the importance of them in our history is shown in full detail here.... be prepared to make a donation

This vessel is being restored by volunteers and gets no outside support. The tour is inexpensive and educational. The Slater has a long and interesting story. Show tour support by taking the "hands on deck" tour!

This is the last of its kind still floating. The restoration is great and they are always improving.

We had a tour by Art that lasted at least an hour. You could tell he had a love for the ship and enjoyed imparting knowledge and telling stories. It was great.

I've been to the Slater several times, each time with my father who served on a destroyer escort during WW2. Each time I'm impressed with the restoration progress and I appreciate the great work these volunteers are doing to make the Slater a living museum. This was a special visit with my wife, my father and mother, my grown children and their families. Our guide for our very personalized tour was Paul, and his knowledge of DE history is amazing. He was also great with my grandchildren. It was obvious that Paul loves and enjoys his work on the Slater, and we all learned a great deal. I understand that the Slater is rated number one on Trip Advisor in Albany, and it is worthy of its rating.

Who knew? We were scheduled to take the River cruise at 1:00 and were looking for something to kill time in the morning. We saw the USS Slater tour advertised and decided to visit. Free parking in same lot as river cruise and only $10 to tour. The guide was a wealth of knowledge about the ship and large parts of the ship were available for touring. The guide really brought the shop “alive”. I had no idea what close quarters were until we toured this historic gem!

Two friends and my husband and I went on a tour. It was very informative and it was a great history lesson.

If you like history then you really should visit the Slater. Seeing this ship brings to life what many American sailors experienced in WW2. It is not a big ship but plan on spending about an hour or so. It will be time well spent.

Our tour guide Austin was amazing! We all learned so much and the setting on the river is beautiful!