Aside from Jerry Brown, the USS Hornet may take the cake for oldest and most decorated Bay Area resident. Nine battle stars, a Presidential citation, and a 200-year history, this state landmark carries more than just aircraft – it carries a history that few sites west of the Mississippi can boast.

Docked in Alameda at the former US Naval Air Station, the Hornet is a World War II-era aircraft carrier, and the grandbaby of bonafide nautical royalty. With a legacy that far outdates the city it now resides in, the USS Hornet is San Francisco’s own un-sunken treasure. And with a pedigree dating back to the 1770s, the Hornet fleet has participated in nearly every major war of this nation’s existence – including the Revolutionary War. Now, over 200 years later, the ship’s history is merely steps away in this state landmark.