Yes, but only a few. Of the hundreds of PT boats the US Navy built during World War II, roughly 10 to 12 are generally reported to survive, in various conditions. A few have been fully restored and are on display, and at least two have been restored to running condition. The US Navy itself no longer operates PT boats.
Why so few survived
PT boats were built quickly from wood for a war that was expected to wear them out. When the fighting ended, many boats overseas were stripped and deliberately burned or scrapped rather than shipped home, since their wooden hulls were costly to maintain. Some were sold off and converted to yachts, ferries or work boats. Several of today’s survivors were rediscovered in that kind of second life and later restored.
Surviving PT boats you can visit
| Boat | Type | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT-305 | Higgins | National WWII Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana | Combat veteran of the Mediterranean, restored by the museum to running condition |
| PT-617 | Elco 80 ft | Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts | One of very few surviving Elco boats, displayed under cover |
| PT-796 | Higgins | Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts | Displayed alongside PT-617; painted as PT-109 for President Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural parade |
| PT-658 | Higgins | Portland, Oregon | Restored by volunteers, kept afloat and operational, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
| PT-309 | Elco | National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas | Preserved Pacific War boat |
Displays, opening hours and access change, so check with each museum before you visit.
Boats that still run
PT-305 and PT-658 are both Higgins boats that have been restored to run under their own power. Hearing three big Packard engines start up gives a real sense of what these boats were like. If you’re curious about the engines themselves, see what motors PT boats had.
Does the Navy still use PT boats?
No. The PT boat as a type was phased out after World War II. A few experimental boats were built in the early postwar years, but the role passed to other kinds of fast patrol and attack craft. Navies around the world still operate small fast attack boats, but none are WWII-style PT boats.
Using survivors as model references
For modelers, the survivors are hard to beat as reference:
- Photograph fittings such as cleats, hatches, ventilators, gun mounts and mufflers from several angles.
- Note colors under different light, but remember that restorations may not match a specific wartime boat exactly.
- Check the boat’s type and configuration against the one you’re building. An Elco and a Higgins differ in many details.
- Look for information panels about crews and markings, which can help with nicknames and hull numbers.
Then take those references to the bench with our guide to PT boat model kits or our PT and motor torpedo boat plans for a scratch build, and read up on how the wooden hulls were built.