The Blue Ghost is alive with thrills for the whole family

The Blue Ghost is alive with thrills for the whole family

   Take your own tour of the Lexington, experience the sensation of flight or watch a mega-sized movie There's an arsenal of attractions and programs for people of all ages to enjoy on the Lexington Museum on the Bay. Visitors can explore vintage aircraft and stand in the flying bridge as they leisurely tour the ship seven days a week.

Something for everyone

   From June through August, summer day camps for children ages 9 to 15 include lessons in computers, writing skills, sand sculpting and arts and crafts.
   Every Fourth of July, the Stars & Stripes event features the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra playing rousing scores on the flight deck while fireworks burst above the bay.
   The Lexington's newest attraction is a massive, three-story tall, 189-seat movie theater with a 30-foot high screen and a six-channel digital sound system with 12,000 watts of power. Visitors can choose between "To Fly," a documentary depicting the evolution of flight technology showing at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. or "Mysteries of Egypt," a film about the archaeological wonders of Egypt, showing at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets for the theater are $3.

Flight Simulator

   Visitors can also experience the sensations of flight in the $180,000 state-of-the-art flight simulator provided by Flight Avionics, a British company that specializes in the design and manufacture of the machines. Up to 16 passengers can "experience" being launched into battle to destroy Iraqi tanks and Scud missile launchers in the simulator's newest adventure, "Desert Storm Strike." The air-conditioned, fully enclosed cabin moves in synchronization with actual flight footage projected on a screen. The attraction is located on the hangar deck and costs $3.50 per person.

Real Experience

   Visitors who are curious about life aboard an aircraft carrier can take advantage of the Lexington's Live Aboard Program. The package includes an overnight stay in air conditioned crew's quarters, three meals, a tour of the ship, admission to an area attraction, a movie and other activities. In the past year, more than 10,000 young people and their sponsors have taken part in the program.

The Blue Ghost

   Commissioned in 1943, the Lexington was the nation's oldest working aircraft carrier when it was decommissioned in 1991. It was permanently placed in Corpus Christi Bay in 1992. Nicknamed the Blue Ghost by the Japanese because it repeatedly defied reports that it had gone down during World War II, the carrier downed more than 1,000 enemy planes, sank 300,000 tons of Japanese shipping and damaged another 600,000 tons.

'Pearl Harbor'

   Hollywood came to Corpus Christi in the summer of 2000 to film scenes for "Pearl Harbor" on the Lexington. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars - including Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck - mingled with local residents during filming of the $200 million movie. The Lexington plays the role of a Japanese warship in the movie. Based on Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the retaliation by U.S. aviation legend Jimmy Doolittle, the film is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend of 2001.

General information

   The Lexington is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week and until 6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 4 to 12 and $8 for seniors (ages 60 and over) and active or retired military. Visitors will find a wide range of souvenirs, film and other supplies in the ship's gift shop. Snacks and soft drinks are available at the Big Swing Café on the hangar deck.

   For more information, call 361-888-4873 or 800-LADY-LEX.