Visiting the Hunley

Today, the Hunley is being held in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, South Carolina. During the past seven years, the Hunley project team has gotten closer to solving the mystery of why the Hunley sank so many years ago. Because the sub was incredibly preserved on the inside as well as the outside, archaeologists have been able to find artifacts as well as well-preserved human bones which allowed them to create facial reconstructions of the crewmen and determine facts about each of their lives. Every day, they learn how far ahead of her time this submarine was, and come closer to solving the mystery of her sinking.

Beginning the excavation and conservation work on the Hunley was a not a task to be taken lightly. Throughout the last months of 2000, the Hunley sat in the large steel tank filled with 55,000 gallons of cold water which would serve to minimize bacteria and corrosion while the archaeologists made a plan for excavating the hull. Because the Hunley is essentially a time capsule containing a wealth of information about its era and possibly the reason for her sinking, it is important that extra care and caution be taken during the excavation. Visit the Friends of the Hunley Website for more information, including a detailed timeline of the excavation, discussing what was found during each phase.

The Warren Lasch Conservation Center is open for tours of the Hunley every Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Tours are not available on the weekdays so that the archaeologists are able to continue their conservation work and preserve the Hunley for future generations. For information on touring the facility, please visit their web site at www.hunley.org or call 1-877-4HUNLEY.