Abandoned Military Base/ Decommissioned Mare Island Naval Shipyard

When I was stationed there, in the 1980's that "High School" was the Movie theater in one side, the Library on the other side and there was a bowling alley right in the middle. The old building you encountered on your way to the houses was part of CSTSC, Combat Systems Technical Schools Command. That's where I spent almost two years (1980-1982) in Data Systems Technician Schoo, learning how to fix computers. I spent Four years on the Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Then I came back here 1986 to spend another two years teaching fresh faced young sailors how to fix computers. BTW, although it's often referred to as the "North Bay", Mare Island is actually located in the San Pablo Bay. The water you crossed on the Causeway, was the Mare Island Straights. A little history. The name of the island came from a Spanish General (can't recall his name) who was taking some boats down the straights, His horse, a mare, fell overboard and swam ashore on the island. Thus "Mare's Island". Eventually the possessive form of the noun was dropped, and it just became "Mare Island".

I was a Mare Island police officer in 80's-90's. This brought back a lot of fond memories. Thanks for sharing!

It’s sad for me to look at those ruins. My dad was career Navy and my earliest memories in the late 50’s and early 60’s was of Alameda Naval Air Station and Mare Island. Today there is not a single Naval facility in the Bay Area. Treasure Island and Moffett Field Naval Air Station are also gone (Hanger 1 is still there). Same down in Long Beach, where there use to be the huge Terminal Island Naval base. The USS Arizona use to drop anchor there before 1940. I can’t tell the base was even there anymore. All I know is 200 yards west of where the Queen Mary now sits use to be Carrier Row. I can remember in 1963 seeing 4 Essex class Carriers parked stern to bow there! (CV-45 USS Valley Forge, CV-37 USS Princeton, CV-12 USS Hornet, CV-10 USS Yorktown ).

I was stationed there for 4 years, on 2 different submarines. Lots of memories. Book - "Blind Mans Bluff". Lots of cold war adventures ran out of Mare Island!!!

Back in the late 60's I went to Navy electronics school on Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. My 1st duty station was at Skaggs Island Naval Security Group Activity located on highway 37 west of Valejo and I had to bring electronic equipment to the Naval Calibration Lab on Mare Island. Skaggs Island was closed down a few years ago as was Mare Island. Sad to see all the place falling apart now. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for the tour Sarah Jane.

This was very interesting as I went through a school on this base in 1964. At that time there were several classified schools on the base including the Basic Nuclear Power school and an Electronic countermeasures school about others. This is also when many of the "NEW'" nuclear submarine were being built. The building 503 that you mentioned was was of those schools and the abandoned house was the the home of the Rear Admiral that was the base commander. I remember the comissioning of the USS Kamahama (now decommissioned) that was done on a Saturday morning while I was there. Quite a trip for an old Viet Nam vet like myself

This naval base has quite a history. It was one of the major refitting bases for some of the ships that was at Pearl Harbor during World War II. I was stationed there for a short time in the 70s. At that time they had submarines and the brown water navy there.

This is the first naval base west of Mississippi. First military golf course here also. They say the museum is haunted. 💀

Great tour! In the Star Trek universe, the Starship Enterprise was built at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. At 2:45 you're crossing over the Napa River. At 6:20 Building 503 was a paint and varnish factory through the 1940s and 50s (very toxic, lots of lead and chlorinated VOCs). 12:27 the metal caps are to prevent decay. The sides of the pilings are very strong but water, bacteria, and fungus can easily get into the end grain of the wood. A capped piling will last four times longer or more in service. 12:50 that place used to have all kinds of top secret and above stuff including nuclear submarines where the propellers are super secret. They actually cover them with tarps while they're still in the water before drydocking the sub. My company is just about to open a factory there. I wish I could have shown you the 900+ foot long building by the drydocks that we didn't get. The inside was amazing for its scale and the view from the roof is outstanding.

Very nice video and information!

I was stationed there for a year 68-69 while the submarine (USS Grayback) I was assigned to was being refitted and recommissioned. It is very sad to see the condition the base is in. There were numerous naval schools along with the shipyard.

I went to Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine on Mare Island. It's still active now. You were really close to it. It was always weird but cool to have so many abandoned buildings around us. Also i love submarines so that was a big bonus. Thanks for taking me back...

I was stationed there at the Marine Barracks in the late 80's, we started the first Marine Corps FAST Company. Its sad to see it like this.. :(

Sarah - I worked on a superfund site in Sacramento for 30+ years and we had similar pipes sticking out of the ground - they were wells dug by the environmental monitoring agencies to test the groundwater for pollutants and I'd bet good money that these pipes you are seeing at Mare Island are at least, in part, monitoring wells... Great episode as always ;>) Keep them coming.

Thanks for sharing this, another good find by Wonderhussy Adventures ;)

Great video. You always find good places. Keep it up.

Always 5 star videos ... another great one ! Stay safe !

In the scene where you are talking about a ferry landing you are walking toward a 5 story brick building, bldg. 273. My wife and I met on the third floor in 1980. We are now watching your video in 2019, 500 miles away. Thank you.

I grew up near Soesterberg, Netherlands, where USAF was located. I remember they opened the first McDrive near the base. For us Dutchies very weird to order fast food sitting in your car. Brings back memories this video

Hanau was amazing and sad seeing everything closed. All the places I grew up with an worked at as a young woman empty and abandoned. My school torn down and the housing area I lived in empty and abandoned.