Liberty Station is launching an exhibit inside the historic USS Recruit naval ship to kick off the 100-year celebration of the Naval Training Center’s 1923 opening.

Located on the corner of Laning and Harbor Drive, the landlocked ship – lovingly nicknamed the “USS Neversail” as it never left NTC grounds – was commissioned in 1949. Constructed with sheet metal over wood framing, the ship sat at 225 feet from bow to stern atop a concrete slab foundation. It was built to scale as two-thirds the size of a Dealey-class destroyer escort. Later, in 1982, it was remodeled to be a training guided-missile frigate and grew in length to 233 feet.

During the NTC’s prime, between 1949 and 1989, the USS Recruit trained more than 50,000 naval recruits. The ship was used to teach basic naval procedures – such as navigation, gunnery, and other essential ins and outs of ship life. It continued to serve as a crucial center for training until the NTC’s closure in 1997. Today it stands as the only remaining training structure constructed by the Navy after World War II.

Seventy-four years after the ship’s commissioning, it resides in the now vibrant Liberty Station grounds. In order to honor its rich naval history, Liberty Station will open the ship’s doors to the public every Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. The exhibit will feature images of the USS Recruit’s construction, recruits training on the ship, architectural renderings, and NTC alumni videos.

Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell welcomed in this historic celebration by declaring June 7, 2023, to be Liberty Station’s Centennial and USS Recruit Celebration Day.

“A lot of things have happened at Liberty Station over the last number of years,” said Gloria. “Obviously, we are celebrating the centennial. But the story could have ended when the base closure commission made its decision. We as San Diegans chose instead to preserve this property and reposition it for the future. I think it’s emblematic of what our city is about.”

Celebrations of the NTC centennial milestone will continue throughout the year at Liberty Station.

“We have long been proud to be a military town and we will always be that,” said Gloria. “But, in recent years we have chosen to diversify, to change, to innovate, and to collaborate – to create something that is far more dynamic and interesting – while still holding onto that military component.”

USS RECRUIT OPENS

Liberty Station will open the ship’s doors to the public Saturdays and Sundays from noon-4 p.m. The exhibit will feature images of the USS Recruit’s construction, recruits training on the ship, architectural renderings, and NTC alumni videos.