When Midway entered service in September 1945, she was the largest ship in the world, too wide for the Panama Canal. That size would prove prophetic. As jet aircraft grew heavier and faster, carriers needed longer decks and stronger catapults. Midway adapted. She underwent three major reconstructions, each time emerging larger and more capable. She was there when the Cold War demanded constant vigilance in the Pacific, there when Vietnam required sustained air operations, and there in 1991 launching strikes during Desert Storm. She was the only carrier to serve the entire Cold War and beyond, finally decommissioning in 1992 after 47 years of continuous service.

The museum brings the carrier's cramped world to life through the voices of those who lived it. Former Midway sailors narrate the audio tour, guiding visitors through more than 60 locations that most civilians never see aboard a working warship. The engine room where temperatures could exceed 120 degrees. The brig where rule-breakers served their time. The galley that fed thousands daily. The fo'c'sle where anchor chains thick as tree trunks descended into the Pacific. Pilots' ready rooms still hold the tension of pre-mission briefings, while the primary flight control tower offers the view that launch officers knew when catapults hurled jets into the sky.

Midway's flight deck and hangar display a collection spanning naval aviation's evolution. A Grumman F4F Wildcat represents the desperate early days of Pacific combat. Douglas SBD Dauntlesses like those that turned the tide at the Battle of Midway in 1942 sit alongside Cold War workhorses like the F-4 Phantom II and A-6 Intruder. The modern era appears in the sleek form of the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet. Many of these aircraft were built in Southern California, adding local significance to their historical weight. Visitors can climb into several cockpits, feeling the confined spaces where naval aviators made split-second decisions.

The flight deck has become an unlikely stage for events that bridge military history and popular culture. In 2012, San Diego State played Syracuse in a nationally broadcast basketball game on the deck. Scenes from Top Gun: Maverick were filmed aboard in 2018 and 2019, and the museum hosted the film's global premiere in May 2022. The annual Battle on the Midway wrestling showcase has drawn crowds to the flight deck each November since 2017. Yet among the entertainment, the ship maintains its memorial purpose. Every September 11, hundreds gather on the flight deck as the names of fallen first responders are read aloud in partnership with FDNY retirees and the Wounded Warrior Project.

More than 13,000 members support the museum, which hosts over 700 events annually, including 400 active-duty Navy ceremonies. Retirements, re-enlistments, and changes of command still take place where they matter most, aboard a carrier that earned its place in naval history. The 2015 short film Voices of Midway, based on the historic 1942 battle for which the ship was named, plays continuously in the onboard theater. For the 50,000 students who visit on field trips each year and the 5,000 children in overnight programs, the ship offers something no textbook can: the physical reality of what it meant to serve at sea during America's decades as the world's dominant naval power.