Michigan Museum Launches Project To Preserve One Of WWII's Most Decorated Submarines

Fans and students of United States Naval History have no shortage of fascinating destinations to visit across the United States.  Spread all over the country, history buffs can enjoy public naval museums that include everything from PT boats to aircraft carriers — along with a handful of historic battleships that are open for tours. 

In addition to those surface ships, there's also a long list of floating submarine museums spread around the country, with some of them actually found far from the ocean. One of these subs is the USS Silversides (SS-236), which is in Muskegon, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Before finding its current home on the Great Lakes, the Silversides was one of America's most decorated submarines of World War II, serving in the Pacific theater for the entire war. 

The vessel has been on display in Michigan since the late 1980s but will soon be temporarily leaving its Muskegon home to undergo an extensive and much-needed renovation project. During the restoration, which will cost around $3.5 million, the Silversides will see a number of structural repairs and cosmetic restorations, all designed to bring the ship back to its wartime glory while also preserving the historic vessel for decades to come.

World War II naval history, especially when it comes to the Pacific theater, is dominated by history-changing carrier battles — and indeed aircraft carriers would change the face of naval warfare from that point onward. The massive historic contributions of World War II's legendary submarines are not to be overlooked, though.

The Gato-class USS Silversides is among the Navy's most accomplished submarines of the war. The sub entered service in December of 1941, just weeks after the outbreak of World War II, and would serve in the Pacific right up to the war's end, on a total of fourteen different war patrols. Among its accomplishments were 23 confirmed enemy vessels sunk, for which the USS Silversides earned 12 battle stars as well as the Presidential Unit Citation. Along with its numerous combat achievements and sunken enemy ships, the sub also helped save lives, rescuing downed American aviators from the sea on multiple occasions. 

After the war, the Silversides was put into use as a training ship before being retired from service in the late 1960s. In 1987, it made its way to Muskegon, Michigan, to become part of the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum, where it's hosted visitors ever since. Eventually the facility would be renamed as the USS Silversides Submarine Museum.

Having been in Muskegon for nearly 40 years, time has taken its toll on the Silversides. With much of the submarine's hull lying below the waterline, the true condition of its structure is hard to inspect. That will all be addressed beginning in July of 2026, when the ship is scheduled to be towed across Lake Michigan to drydock in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Once there, it will get a complete renovation that will include structural inspection and repairs, cleaning, and the application of new coatings to protect the vessel from the Lake Michigan elements.

The total cost of the restoration is expected to come in around $3.5 million, with $750,000 of that being paid through a grant from the National Park Service. If all goes to plan, the Silversides will be in dry dock for a relatively short time, with the renovated ship scheduled to be brought back to Muskegon in the middle of October. During the sub's absence, the museum will remain open to the public with other displays and exhibits including plans to host a visiting tall ship over the summer.

2026 is turning into a banner year for WWII naval vessels. Earlier this year, the sunken wreck of another historic Pacific War US Navy submarine was discovered in the seas north of Japan after being lost at sea for 80 years. Meanwhile on the west coast, the USS Hornet is also checking in for some renovations and possible relocation.