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St. Marys Museum lures visitors with submarine lore The Associated Press Copied from the 3 Sept. 2001 edition of Savannah Morning News St. Marys, Ga. - George Killmer was driving home from a vacation in Florida when he saw a sign for St. Marys Submarine Museum. On a whim, he decided to visit. Ten minutes later, the Whiting, N.J. resident was heading for the museum's Type 8 periscope - billed as one of the most modern periscopes on display in the nation. The periscope was originally used on one of the Benjamin Franklin-class submarines, which were the first American submarines to carry intercontinental ballistic missiles. The periscope extends through the roof of the two-story museum, a renovated movie theater along the St. Marys River in southeast Georgia. "I liked the chance to look through the periscope and see the marsh and bay," Killmer said. "I got a good outlook for what these sailors go through." The museum, which cost $80,000 to build,
has many hands-on exhibits, which makes them popular with the estimated
64,000 people who have visited it since it opened in 1996.
Popular displays include a World War
II dive suit, a memorial of all the submarines lost in combat or by accident
and memorabilia from submarines of Russia, Britain and other countries.
One of the most popular attractions is the archives about different boats, many of which were classified for years, said John Crouse, museum curator. Larry Dixon came to the museum to learn more about the USS Hammerhead - a World War II submarine- his brother served on during World War II. "I've listened to him over the years tell stories about that submarine," said Dixon, who bought a patch with the Hammerhead's insignia to give to his brother. Many visitors offer to donate memorabilia to augment the growing number of displays. Crouse said he's always looking for plaques and insignias from different boats. |
