USS Midway Museum

The monumental USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in US Navy history when it was decommissioned in 1992. Now the feted ship—the size of a floating city—is a floating maritime museum, berthed alongside San Diego Bay in downtown. Head aboard for a fascinating insight into what naval life is really like, courtesy of a self-guided audio tour narrated by some (refreshingly honest) former Midway sailors. There are more than 60 exhibits and 29 restored aircraft to explore, including the frankly unmissable option to play Top Gun in the museum’s on-deck flight simulators.