Tour the USS San Diego at Navy Pier

The amphibious transport dock USS San Diego is scheduled to move Monday from Naval Station San Diego to Navy Pier, where it will be opened for free public tours this week.

The tours come in advance of the 684-foot-long ship's commissioning, which is scheduled for Saturday, according to the Naval Surface Force public affairs office.

The tours will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and strict security rules will be in place. Anyone 18 and older will be asked to show federal or state photo identification, and minors must be accompanied by an adult with valid ID.

The USS San Diego pulled into its new home port in its namesake city last month, three weeks after it left a shipyard in Mississippi. During those three weeks, the ship made port calls at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Cartagena, Colombia, before transiting the Panama Canal and turning north toward San Diego.

Once it is commissioned, the USS San Diego and its crew of up to 700 is expected to begin sea trials to test the ship's systems and complete certifications. The ship is the fourth named for San Diego but the first with the name to be homeported here.

– City News Service