by - 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 accommodate up to 65 people in sailor beds.
- My stay was a memorable experience that gave me a newfound respect for U.S. Navy submarines.
At the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, you can descend a steep staircase to the USS Cobia, a U.S. Navy submarine that sank thirteen ships and earned four battle stars in World War II. You can walk through the rooms and learn about the history of the battle from a US Navy veteran or through a self-guided audio tour.
Unlike other museums, you can also spend the night there.
Through the museum’s “Sub Bnb” experience, guests can book a stay on the USS Cobia through Airbnb and spend the night in the same bunks where submarines once slept during wartime service.
For years, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum hosted Boy Scouts and other large groups on the submarine, which can accommodate up to 65 people. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and large groups could no longer visit, the museum turned to hosting individual families. The experiences proved so popular that the museum continued to offer overnight stays for large and small groups.
“The Sub Bnb was in many ways a business move for the sustainability of the museum,” Kevin Cullen, director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, told Business Insider.
Sub BnB costs start at $500 per night, plus a $100 cleaning fee and $85 Airbnb service fee for a total of $685. Business Insider paid a reduced media rate of $200 to report this story.
The money earned from Sub BnB stays supports the museum.
“By staying there you get that authentic experience, but you also support conservation 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 father, a maritime enthusiast.
This is what it’s like to spend a night on a World War II submarine.