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Visitors get rare chance to roam around a warship at the Navy base in Seal Beach

by in News

It was a really big deal – both in size and in opportunity.

Visitors to the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, enjoyed the rare chance to explore a warship. The experience proved exciting for kids, nostalgic for military veterans and fascinating for all.

The Navy is hosting its weekend event as part of the 75th anniversary celebration at the base. Free tours of the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton will continue Sunday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The last public ship tour held there was in October 2012.

  • The guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton CG-59 docks at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, 2019. The ship, 857-feet long, is stationed in San Diego and conducts operations in the Middle East. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Lionel Nguyen lifts his 6-year-old son Ashton, so he can have a look through “big eyes” the USS Princeton’s 20-power binoculars on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  • Navy ICC Daniel Russell stands in front of a close-in weapon system, fondly referred to as R2-D2, while giving a tour of the USS Princeton CG-59 on Saturday, March 23, 2019. The system is used for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses of the ship.
    (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The public takes a ramp onto the USS Princeton CG-59, getting a rare glimpse inside the guided missile cruiser at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Navy FC2 Ahmad Dunn, holds an M4 as he talks to the public about life on the USS Princeton at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The public lined up outside the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station before it opened on Saturday, March 23, 2019 so they could get an early place in line to tour the USS Princeton CG-59. Once inside, the line snaked around the pavement. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Navy ICC Daniel Russell climbs steps to an upper deck of the USS Princeton CG-59 on Saturday, March 23, 2019.
    The ship was docked at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station allowing the public to have a rare look inside. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Public tours start on the front deck of the USS Princeton CG-59. The ship was docked at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A close-in weapon system holds 20 mm rounds aboard the USS Princeton. The public was able to tour the ship at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The public gets a rare look inside the guided missile cruiser, USS Princeton CG-59, at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A passageway inside the USS Princeton CG-59. The ship was docked at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station allowing the public to have a rare look inside on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The ocean is reflected off the USS Princeton’s binoculars. The ship was docked at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on Saturday, March 23, allowing the public to have a rare look inside. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The public gets a rare look inside the USS Princeton CG-59. The ship was docked at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons on Saturday, March 23, 2019. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station was established March 21, 1944, at the height of World War II. It stores and loads weapons and ammunition for about 60 percent of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, with the next closest munitions-loading station in Washington near the Canadian border.

The Navy is preparing for a major overhaul of its entry to the base, Anaheim Bay. Renovations will include a new 1,100-foot pier to handle more and bigger ships.

No reservations are required for the tours. Cameras are permitted on board. Backpacks, large handbags, open-toed shoes and sandals are not allowed.

Public entry will only be available via the station’s Liberty Gate, on Seal Beach Boulevard 200 yards south of the Pacific Coast Highway intersection.