WWII Museum in New Orleans to offer PT-305 tours, boat rides

On April 1, visitors to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans will be able to interact with history in a way that has never been possible, according to the museum’s news release.
A decade-long restoration project is putting a WWII-era Patrol Torpedo boat back in the water and allowing it to open to the public for rides and tours on Lake Pontchartrain, the same waters on which it was originally tested by Higgins Industries more than 70 years ago.
When the first visitor steps onto the historic boat, PT-305 will become the only operational PT boat that saw combat during WWII. Visitors will be standing on and interacting with history by being on the very deck where sailors stood to fight with Japanese armored landing barges, German Flak lighters, and others.
This new museum experience is possible thanks to the dedication of more than 200 volunteers who put in more than 100,000 hours of work. That hard work means a piece of history has been made available to the public to explore and experience.
Deck tours will be offered Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a cost of $15 per person for adults and $12 for seniors, children ages 12 to 17, military and museum members. PT-305 rides are available on Saturdays for $350 for adults and $305 for seniors, children ages 12 to 17, military and museum members. Active-duty military in uniform can also save 50 percent on rides.
More information about the restoration and exhibit can be found online at http://pt305.org/home/