USS Wisconsin
Eerie electricians and spirits of sailors reportedly wander the lower decks of this historic warship
Paranormal Claims Aboard
USS Wisconsin
- An electrician’s apparition is seen around the ship
- A white mist reportedly follows visitors around the ship
- People report sounds of objects being thrown around on lower decks
- Shadow figures are often spotted
- Unexplained feelings of being watched are frequently reported
Ready for Battle:
History of USS Wisconsin
Many of America’s grandest 20th century warships have disappeared completely. While a few were sunk in action, many more were simply scrapped and disassembled decades ago.
But one old warship stands proudly in its mooring in Norfolk, Virginia.
USS Wisconsin, once a behemoth battleship known for its unmatched fire power, is now a well-known war museum in Virginia. Visitors can take in numerous exhibits about naval life and see some of the heaviest 20th century firepower up close.
They may even encounter a few ghosts. Could USS Wisconsin be Virginia’s most haunted museum?
Timeline of USS Wisconsin's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see USS Wisconsin through the years
1941
First laid down in 1941, USS Wisconsin seemed destined to see war as soon as it was completed. Launched in 1943, USS Wisconsin began its life in the thick of World War II. While the war raged on across the oceans, the ship went through its sea trials and preliminary testing before being put into service. It wasn’t until the following year, in 1944, that USS Wisconsin was formally commissioned as a US Navy vessel.
1944
USS Wisconsin first saw action during World War II in the Pacific Theater. The ship earned its first battle star in December, 1944. By the end of the war, Wisconsin would earn four more battle stars. Following World War II, USS Wisconsin spent the interwar years as a training ship before being decommissioned in 1948. But, as the Korean War broke out, Wisconsin was recommissioned along with numerous other World War II ships.
1952
During the Korean War, USS Wisconsin became the flagship of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet. In this role, the ship supported numerous land operations while avoiding damage itself. USS Wisconsin’s first direct hit from an enemy did not occur until March, 1952, when a small land battery hit it with a shell. Wisconsin was relieved as the 7th Fleet’s flagship shortly after, and operated quietly for the remainder of the war. The ship was decommissioned once more in 1958.
1988
USS Wisconsin sat mothballed in the naval reserves for three decades. But, the aging battleship was recommissioned in 1988, as President Reagan sought to massively expand US naval capacity. Several years after going back into service, USS Wisconsin served briefly in the Gulf War in 1991. But later that same year, the ship was decommissioned once more. After several years in the mothballed fleet, Wisconsin was transferred to Virginia to start its new life as a museum ship.
2000
Moved into its permanent position in Norfolk, Virginia in 2000, the vessel didn’t initially open up for tours. Still in the US Navy’s register, only the decks could be opened in 2001. But by the late 2000s, the ship had been formally donated as a museum and fully opened to the public. Since the inner corridors of the battleship opened to tourists, odd and unexplained happenings have been reported on board. Some now consider USS Wisconsin to be one of America’s most haunted ships.
Is USS Wisconsin Haunted?
A popular ghost story onboard USS Wisconsin tells of an unfortunate electrician. The story goes that an electrician had shut down the ship’s air conditioning system to repair it.
But, a sailor erroneously turned it back on while the electrician was working, causing him to be electrocuted.
Now, that electrician’s specter supposedly remains on USS Wisconsin.
Visitors often report spotting a man walking around lower decks in an old naval maintenance uniform. The electrician’s apparition is not known to interact with or speak to witnesses. Apparently he’s still focused on the job, even in death.
Mysterious Mists Follow Visitors
While the electrician is USS Wisconsin’s best known ghost, the ship has many other paranormal reports. Another regular claim is that glowing white mists will float through corridors and in and out of rooms on the ship.
Some witnesses say that these misty forms will actually follow tourists and museum staff around the ship. This mysterious activity is said to be most common during nighttime tours, when interior spaces are much darker.
Shadowy Forms & Watchful Entities
All through the hull of USS Wisconsin, visitors claim to see shadow figures. While never as detailed as the apparition of the electrician, the shadowy forms onboard USS Wisconsin are countless.
Even when tourists don’t actually see the ship’s ghosts, the ghosts seem to see them. Many people report eerie feelings of being watched while exploring the ship. Sometimes, this off-putting feeling precedes the appearance of a shadow figure.
Lower Deck Poltergeists
While most of USS Wisconsin’s ghosts like to be seen, a few in the lower decks prefer to be heard.
Deep in the battleship’s interior, staff frequently report strange sounds. For example, loud noises of equipment being moved or objects being knocked off shelves. But, whenever anyone goes to investigate, nothing is found moved or knocked over. The activity is said to be so loud, some previous staff members avoided the lower decks entirely.
USS Wisconsin’s
Battle-Ready Phantoms
Today, USS Wisconsin is one of Norfolk, Virginia’s most appreciated museums. The ship is the centerpiece of the Nauticus museum complex and currently features numerous different tour options.
There are even a few options for overnight stays aboard the battleship. However, none currently focus on the paranormal or ghost stories.
While regular tours focus on the ship’s history and life at sea, ghost tours have been held onboard in the past. The museum doesn’t shy away from its paranormal claims these days. Numerous news crews and researchers have visited to explore the claims of the ship’s phantom sailors.
USS Wisconsin has been decommissioned for decades. But, it seems there’s no decommissioning the dead who remain onboard.
