Overnight Camping

Preparing for Your Overnight Adventure

Packing List

REMEMBER: Pack Light! The more luggage you bring, the more you have to carry. The ladders aboard ship are nearly 70-degrees in angle and you have to move your gear up and down several ladders. Also, there are no closets aboard ship to stow your gear. Large, bulky suitcases should not be considered. Personal electronic equipment should be left at home as the ship’s electrical systems were not designed for modern electronic devices (i.e. radios, CD or MP3 players, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.)

Suggested Supplies:

• Sleeping bag
• Extra blanket (in cold weather)
• Personal toiletries
• Change of clothes + comfortable sleepwear
• Flashlight
• Tennis shoes
• Personal medications

Footwear

Visitors should not wear any open-toed or high-heeled shoes aboard ship. High-heels could cause a fall and sprain or break an ankle. Open-toed shoes do not provide adequate protection to your feet when climbing ladders or walking through water-tight doors and hatches and could result in torn or broken toe(s). Group leaders: please discuss this safety issue with everyone in your group before arrival.

Food & Drinks

All groups should eat a full meal (dinner) prior to arriving at the USS KIDD for their Overnight. Many Overnight Camp groups have dinner delivered and eat it in our Flying Tiger Café prior to heading to the ship. If you are going to be ordering dinner, please let us know so our tour guides can accommodate your group. Please keep in mind that you will have to supply your own drinks for your group to dine.

1. No food or drinks are allowed onboard ship. Exceptions can be made for medical conditions.
2. Campers are allowed bottled water on board.
3. Keep all food and drink items in 1-2 large ice chests for the group; not in individual luggage. If placed in individual luggage, you will be required to remove it before going aboard ship.
4. No glass containers of any kind allowed for safety reasons.

Why so tough on the food rules?
There are some guests (ants, bugs, rats, ect…) that we simply DON’T want aboard ship.

NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES of any kind are allowed aboard ship. There are no exceptions to this and violation of this standard will result in immediate dismissal and removal from the premises.

Bunking Arrangements

There are five (5) berthing compartments aboard the USS KIDD with varied numbers of bunks in each space. Your space will be assigned to you upon your arrival and will depend upon the size of your group. The average itinerary is listed below. All times are approximate. We do not assign different groups to the same sleeping compartment. Many different types of groups spend the night aboard ship, including Religious groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, YWCAs and YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, Campfire Girls & Boys, and JROTC units. Groups do not have to be all-male or all-female. However, some organizations require separate berthing for males and females. Requests for separate accommodations must be made in advance when making your reservations. Otherwise, your request cannot be guaranteed.

Keep all valuables (cameras, purses, wallets, etc.) with you at all times. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Inclement Weather

Overnights are rain or shine events. We will allow rebooking for named storms.

Sometimes, the weather just won’t cooperate. In the event of rain, you may wish to stay out of the weather and reverse our itinerary (i.e. tour the museum at night and tour the ship in the morning). This allows several hours during the night for the weather to clear. While heavy rains and lightning are a safety consideration, this will not prohibit you from sleeping aboard ship.

Parking

Parking is available curbside in front of the museum. Space is limited. Carpooling is of tremendous value. Additional parking is available in nearby parking garages at the Baton Rouge River Center and the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino, the All-Right Parking surface lot at the corner of St. Philip Street and South Blvd. Some of these facilities may require a fee. For more information on downtown parking, visit the Downtown Development District website. The USS KIDD assumes no liability for losses of or damages to any vehicle.

What to Expect

Program Itinerary and Activities

The Overnight program can begin at 6:00 p.m. on the night of your stay and typically ends at 8:30 a.m. on the following morning. The museum and ship are closed to public touring between 6:00 p.m and 8:30 a.m. during your stay. On the night of your stay, plan to arrive between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Your tour guide(s) will meet you at the museum during this time.

DAY 1

• 6:00 p.m. Overnight groups arrive at museum.
• 6:30 p.m. Orientation & Safety briefing.
• 7:45 ~ 8:15 p.m. Flag lowering and folding ceremony. Move gear to the KIDD, stow food items in Museum kitchen, get settled into bunks, and conduct fire drill.
• 8:00 ~ 9:30 p.m. Guided tour of the USS KIDD – your guide(s) will take you on an extensive tour where you will learn all about life aboard a World War II ship and learn about the role that destroyers played in battle. You’ll also learn about Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd and why the KIDD’s crew became known as “the Pirates of the Pacific.”
• 9:30 p.m. ~ 12:00 a.m. Free period — Groups can decide if they would like to eat snacks at this time or explore the ship on their own. At all times we require the use of the Buddy System. Adults must have constant supervision of campers.  Optional activities (Scavenger Hunt) conducted at this time. Groups may also use this time to take supervised turns on the 20mm and 40mm guns. If you have an activity that you would like to conduct (i.e. religious devotional or service or activities for earning merit badges, etc.), these can be done at this time, so long as they have been cleared through the Reservations Department ahead of time for compliance with safety regulations.
• 12:00 Midnight Lights Out. (This time may be moved up if requested)
• 12:00 a.m. ~ 6:30 a.m. Sleep period. No hands should be above deck except for bathroom purposes (adults or children).

DAY 2

• 6:30 a.m. Reveille. Flag Raising activity
• 6:30 a.m. ~ 7:30 a.m. All hands pack their gear and get ready to depart the ship.
• 7:30 a.m. All hands depart ship with their gear and return to museum on shore. Museum store opens at 8:00am for purchase of souvenirs and touring.
• 9:30 a.m. USS KIDD reopens to the public. USS KIDD reopens for touring. All Overnight activities are concluded.

Patches & Souvenirs

What better way to remember your stay than to purchase a souvenir unique to the USS KIDD? We have several items to choose from in our Museum Store. Overnight Camping patches are especially popular with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Each patch is $3.00 plus tax.

Conduct & Safety

Shipboard Safety Rules

All participants are asked to follow the shipboard rules of conduct for the safety of all concerned. Please keep in mind that this ship was built in 1942 before modern day safety practices were in effect. The ladders are steep, the decks can be slippery and a lot of equipment is literally underfoot. In short, everyone needs to be attentive to potential hazards while aboard and observe all of the rules. 

The USS KIDD Veterans Memorial reserves the right to refuse entry to and/or remove individuals or groups whenever an employee reasonably believes it would be prudent to end their stay. 

The Boy and Girl Scouts have a very appropriate saying that we hope all of our guests will adopt: “Leave it in better condition than you found it.”

Group Coordinators: Please distribute these rules to your parents and discuss with the children.

Thanks and we look forward to having you with us aboard the USS KIDD!

See Safety Rules