There are museums, and then there are experiences that reach through history and grab you by the collar. The LST 325, docked proudly along the Ohio River in downtown Evansville, is unmistakably the latter. This is a fully restored, fully operational World War II tank landing ship — the last of her kind still sailing under her own power — and stepping aboard her is one of the most genuinely moving things you can do in southern Indiana.
LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank, and these vessels were the workhorses of Allied amphibious assaults across every major theater of World War II. The LST 325 specifically served in the Mediterranean, participating in the invasion of Sicily and later the landings at Normandy. She carried men, tanks, trucks, and supplies directly onto hostile beaches when there was no port available. She was not glamorous. She was essential. And she survived.
Today, she lives at her berth on the Evansville riverfront, just off Pigeon Creek near the foot of Riverside Drive, and she is maintained almost entirely by a dedicated crew of WWII and Korean War veterans and volunteers who take extraordinary pride in keeping her exactly as she was. When you walk her decks, you are walking the same steel that soldiers walked before heading into some of the most consequential battles of the 20th century. That weight is not lost on you.
The self-guided tour takes you through the entire ship — from the cavernous tank deck, where you can stand among period-accurate vehicles including a Sherman tank and military jeeps, to the crew quarters with their stacked canvas bunks, the officers’ wardroom, the galley, the engine room, and the bridge. Interpretive signage is thoughtful and detailed without being overwhelming, and the volunteer guides stationed throughout the ship are genuinely passionate. Ask them a question and you will likely get a 20-minute conversation that you will not want to end.
What really sets the LST 325 apart from a typical museum ship is that she still sails. Every fall, she embarks on a cruise along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, visiting river communities and drawing enormous crowds wherever she docks. If you happen to be visiting when she is out on one of these cruises, check the ship’s website for her schedule — catching her in a river town is its own unforgettable event.
Admission is very reasonable, kids are absolutely welcome, and there is ample parking nearby. Plan to spend at least 90 minutes, though two hours goes quickly once you start exploring every hatch and ladder. Whether you come for the history, for the engineering, or simply because there is nothing else quite like standing on the deck of a real WWII warship watching the Ohio River roll past, the LST 325 delivers something genuinely rare: a place where history is not behind glass. It is right under your feet.
