I arranged with a volunteer to meet on a Saturday as a family member's birthday surprise. It was extraordinary! The volunteer let us in the gate and showed us where to park. We were excited to be headed behind the gates on Swan Island. It was cool to see an area we would never see otherwise. Ships , equipment, and birds including a Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron flying over. The volunteer was incredibly kind. He showed us impressive Packard engines before we headed down the ramp to the boathouse. We explored the museum area. There are a variety of displays including some hands-on displays. There is a lot of information in a small space. All questions were welcomed. You can learn about so many aspects of life including writing home to family during war. It was great that the volunteer checked with us to see how much information we wanted and how much time we had. We were interested in everything and had plenty of time. The volunteer obliged and generously shared his time. He also arranged for us to visit the LCI-713 ship that is next door. We didn't even know it was there. The PT Boat was so interesting and fun to climb through. The museum room is heated, but the rest of the boathouse is not. Wear warm clothes if you're visiting in the winter. It is amazing to see everything that the volunteers have accomplished in preserving our history.

My friend and I had the pleasure of visiting the PT boat and its museum. This is an amazing exhibit and very worth going to see. The volunteer staff are all fantastic and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend taking the time to go see this. Note you need to call and make an appointment to see the PT boat and museum.

My friend found this place online while visiting the area. Wonderful time touring the boat and learning about its history. Our guides were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Wally, Don, Jerry, and another gentleman helped us. Highly recommend seeing the last of the PT boats that are actually still in the water and running.

My son found this place through his fiends. Living in Portland area for more than 20 years, I didn't know this place existed. Place is packed with information and artifacts about WW2 in the Pacific and PT boats in particular. You can tour the actual boat too - inside and out. 1.5-2hrs would be plenty. Wally was great host and a lot of fun to chat with. I highly recommend if you are visiting the area or (like me) have been ignorant of this local crown jewel.

We visited the PT boat and LCI ship with about 15 people from our yacht club (Sauvie Island Yacht Club) on Saturday, June 29, 2024. There were 4 or 5 different volunteers who provided us with guidance and information as we toured the two vessels. The depth of their background and information was incredible, and these are the very same people who have done and continue to do a lot of the work of restoration and maintenance. I was amazed at the access we had to all areas of each vessel. We were able to sit on the bunks, turn dials and pick up and examine so many artifacts (all of course under the watchful eyes of the volunteers).The volunteers started the engine of the PT boat for us and ran it for several minutes. It was LOUD and I recommend standing well away from the engine compartment hatch and/or using earplugs. But it's an experience not to be missed, feeling the vibration of the engine, and realizing that it's only one of the three that are operational when the boat is in use.I thought the volunteers did a good job of tailoring their tour and their talks to the people who were there. Among our yacht club there were quite a few who were very much interested in technical subjects such as engine construction and operation, artillery operation and navigation equipment. The volunteers were able to answer most of their questions. There were others of us more interested in daily life aboard the boat, stories of PT boat operations and the communities interested in the history of World War II -- those questions also got good answers from the volunteers. If a particular subject under discussion was not of interest to one of us, it was easy to step away and examine other spaces, artifacts, photos and documents within the immediate area.The LCI is also quite interesting. When we were there they were flying signal flags spelling out LCI 713. We saw a bench latrine where 6 or 8 guys may be seated above a trough of running seawater, a troops bunk room where 48 (?) passengers are stacked in 4-high racks of bunkbeds about a foot apart. Just trying to imagine what that might have been like in a tropical climate was horrifying. We saw officers' quarters, the galley, the head and other living spaces for those who operated the boat to transport troops. They had a bit more comfort than those who had to stay in the below-decks bunk rooms.I heartily recommend this tour for anyone who might be interested in military history, boat and ship operations, or World War II history. And if you're not yet interested in those things, a visit here will get you started!