SS Red Oak Victory

ok, we drove all the way from SF, thinking it was some kind of WWII festival according to
… as we drove closer and closer to the place, we saw very little traffic or people in an industrial zone… and all of a sudden we saw some lots FULL of cars, I was about to let go a sigh of relief, then I noticed all the cars are brand new and of the same brand… those are newly manufactured cars! Seeing all those cars with no people nearby makes me think of those creepy sci fi films with all those brand new robots waiting to be powered on… makes the place even more creepy as we drove along. When we finally arrived at the ship, and there was like only 5 – 6 cars parked there next to the huge ship. I asked my wife if she wanted to get off and take a tour, she promptly said no. We end up drove away and went all the way to Vacaville :)

This place is a hidden gem in Richmond. A little off the beaten path, which makes it great when you find it. Went with my husband and took the self guided tour. Very kind people that obviously cherish this part of American history, highly recommend for anyone looking to do something different for the day.

nice boat. great access in parts. they let you wonder into just about anywhere except the engine room, bummer. 10 bucks to a good cause.

Today we took the kids to the monthly pancake breakfast at the SS Red Oak Victory, berthed at the Port of Richmond. We had never been before and had only the vaguest idea it was even there until I picked up a flyer somewhere for the event. You get a scenic (I’m not being sarcastic here — it really is, if you and your kids have any interest in boats/​cars/​trains/​trucks) tour of the Port of Richmond. There’s also a staging area to bike out there — unfortunately this is on the other side of a gap in the Bay Trail from Berkeley — for intrepid cyclists who don’t mind busy city streets, it’s doable.
Volunteers cook up a hearty plate of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and bonus apple slices (classy touch). Juice, «coffee», tea, and water to drink. Only $ 7 per person, and kids under 5 are free.
After eating, you get to tour the ship — a 1944 cargo vessel — on your own, but there’s lots of volunteers around to answer questions. You can also buy a guided tour if your kids are old enough to do that. (Mine are so not.) It’s fun to explore all the levels and little tiny rooms — including the head! — at your own pace.
Perhaps needless to say, this ship is not childproofed. What’s the opposite of childproofed? Because that’s pretty much what it is. However, if you are prepared to CLOSELY supervise your kids, and/​or you have older kids who can be trusted not to hurl themselves over the side or miss a step on the many ladders between decks, do not miss it. We’ll definitely be back next season. You can also go explore the vessel without pancakes — I guess that is a valid choice for the pancake-​phobes. Check their website for the schedule.

Yes, it can be tricky to locate along the Richmond docks and shore. Yes, there are very limited hours (Tue, Thu and Sat-​Sun 10 AM-​3 PM) onboard the SS Red Oak Victory, and there’s no guarantee they will even be open that day because it depends on the number of available volunteers and docents, who are mostly seniors and/​or war veterans.
Very nice interior and I like how they were able to clean and restore the whole exterior and interior. You don’t have to go on the guided tour if you don’t want to or simply don’t have enough time for the day. It’s $ 5 for admission. Only confusing things were the lack of signage especially when it came to purchasing a pancake breakfast versus paying for admission.

So have you been on the Liberty class ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien in San Francisco? Well might I suggest that you round out your knowledge of cargo/​munition ships by visiting a Victory class ship. One note about this ship, part of her history after her Navy stint was with the U.S. Maritime Commission. so one will see changes/​upgrades made since. Plans are underway so that she may soon ply the waters of SF Bay via her steam compound turbine engine. She offers Pancake Breakfasts events six times a year, and the showing of classic films Apr. thru May. Take the docent tour and you’ll discover much more than you thought you knew.
To get a better idea of Richmond’s hive of ship building activity, might I suggest watching the youtube dated clip

Great piece of history and fun for all ages. I’m surprised more tourists as well as locals aren’t coming here Saturday afternoons for the tours. The cost is a $ 5 donation (I’m sure if someone couldn’t afford it they would still let you in) and its a great little piece of local history. The ship closes promptly at 3 PM and the last tour is at 2:30. They are only open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (you may want to check to be sure) and its worth the trip. Took my parents who were visiting from out of town and they loved it.

As of July 11^th, 2012, Corky Booze’s decision to charge the S.S. Red Oak Victory was not supported by the city of Richmond’s city council:
Up yours Corky! She’s here to stay!

We’ve been here twice for the $ 7 pancake breakfast. It’s great! You get scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, a stack of hotcakes, a piece of fruit, and coffee. After breakfast you can roam the ship or pay a few bucks for a docent tour. Every dollar you spend goes to support the ship.
Check the website to find out when the breakfasts are offered. Be sure to thank the workers, they’re all volunteers.

LameOs…
We came on Sunday the 28^th to introduce my little 5 year old nephew to the ship. Without announcing so on their website, they closed down for dry dock for at least a week’s time. Disappointed and quite lame that they would not update on the computer, *especially* because it’s quite a curvy, out-​of-​the-​way drive to their parking lot by the water’s edge. Call before going!

Located at the very end of the old Kaiser Shipyard 3, the Red Oak is a Victory class merchant marine freighter and ammo WW2 carrier which was built after the older and slower Liberty ships were phased out.
The docents give tours all the time, and the tours actually take awhile. One thing to remember here is that the ship closes and the tours end at 3 PM.
Story boards in the outer parking lot tell the the sad story of why this Victory ship was named after Red Oak, Iowa.

We had a great tour for over 2 hours. So much history of WWII and Richmond on this ship. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We saw everything and had plenty of hands on experience. Check out the memorial for Rosie the Riveter after. It’s not far from the Red Oak.

I agree with the other reviews — great place. And in October, there is a fulll scale musical onboard that is the story of Rosie the Riveter and the homefront soldiers in the Kaiser Shipyards. Fantastic show called RIVETS, plays fr-​su,
is where to get tickets.

Not all spit shined like some WW2 museums stuff but a great thing to sea. The tour guide knew what he was talking about and spent time on interesting things and glossed over the not so interesting.
Make sure you get somebody to take you down to the engine room if you go. It is a very impressive sight. I can’t imagine being down there when she was plowing through the pacific.

preatty cool piece of richmond history i love history and i have been on the red oak a few times it was build in the keiser ship yards in richmond ca in 1944 and this boat is one of the last that was build here to survive it’s a cool boat to tour it’s usually open on week ends till about 3:00pm so if your in the area check it out it’s cool if you take the family …

Any boat geeks out there? My hubby totally loves boats so we had to go. My friend found out they are open Saturdays from 10am-​3pm so we got to check it out. First time cuz didn’t even know before that you can go on it!
From their website: «Launched on November 9, 1944 as the SS Red Oak Victory, and commissioned as the USS Red Oak Victory (AK235) in December, 1944, the Red Oak Victory is the only vessel built by the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California that is being restored. The ship saw service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and has the distinction of being the only ship operated by both military and civilian personnel during her career.
In 1996, by an Act of Congress, title to the SS Red Oak Victory was conveyed to the Richmond Museum Association. One of the primary goals of the museum is to preserve, restore and develop the Red Oak into a viable asset that can be used, enjoyed and appreciated by the citizens of Richmond and the surrounding Bay Area communities. «
Donations are: $ 5 adults, $ 4 seniors, $ 2 children under 5.
you can see tons of stuff in & on the boat. Engine room, Captain room, under the boats. We happen to bump into a older guy and he took us on a private tour (you may see him if you go). He even opened up the gift shop and my geeky hubby bought 2 hats.
Worth going if you love huge, cargo warship!
Hrs:
Sat, Sun, Tues & Thurs. 10 – 3
Website: