- Guests can sleep on the USS Cobia, a World War II submarine, at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
- The submarine is listed on Airbnb and can sleep up to 65 people in sailors’ bunks.
- My stay was a memorable experience that gave me a newfound respect for US Navy submariners.
At the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, you can descend a steep staircase into the USS Cobia, a US Navy submarine that sank 13 ships and earned four battle stars in World War II. You can walk through the rooms and learn about its history in combat from a US Navy veteran or self-guided audio tour.
Unlike other museums, you can also sleep there.
Through the museum’s “Sub Bnb” experience, guests can book a stay on the USS Cobia via Airbnb and spend the night in the same bunks where submariners once slept during their wartime service.
For years, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum hosted Boy Scout troops and other large groups on the submarine, which can sleep up to 65 people. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and large groups could no longer visit, the museum pivoted to hosting individual families. The experiences proved so popular that the museum has continued to offer overnight stays for large and small groups alike.
“The Sub Bnb was a business move in many ways for the sustainability of the museum,” Wisconsin Maritime Museum director Kevin Cullen told Business Insider.
The cost of the Sub BnB starts at $500 per night, plus a $100 cleaning fee and an $85 Airbnb service fee for a total of $685. Business Insider paid a discounted media rate of $200 to report this story.
The funds earned from Sub Bnb stays help support the museum.
“Just by staying there, you get that authentic experience, but you’re also supporting preservation for generations to come,” Cullen said.
In December, I visited the Wisconsin Maritime Museum for an overnight stay on the USS Cobia accompanied by my dad, a maritime enthusiast.
Here’s what it’s like to spend a night on a World War II submarine.
