USS Cobia

Moored at the mouth of the Manitowoc River where Wisconsin’s wartime submarine industry met Lake Michigan, the USS Cobia (SS-245) is one of the state’s most remarkable military landmarks and one of its most intriguing haunted locations. Now preserved as part of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the restored WWII submarine welcomes visitors for guided tours, overnight sleepovers, and occasional paranormal investigations. During World War II, the Cobia completed six war patrols, sank numerous enemy vessels, and survived intense combat across the Pacific, earning its place as both a National Historic Landmark and an international memorial to submariners.

The submarine’s most enduring ghost story centers on 19-year-old Ralph Clark Huston Jr., a 20mm gunner who became the USS Cobia’s only wartime casualty. On February 27, 1945, Huston was struck by Japanese machine-gun fire during a surface battle with two enemy ships. Despite emergency surgery below deck, he died the following morning while the submarine raced toward Australia for medical help. He was buried at sea in the Indian Ocean, and photographs from the ceremony remain the only known wartime images of a submariner’s burial at sea aboard a submarine. Today, some believe Huston never truly left the vessel. Tour guides have reported unexplained noises echoing through the cramped passageways, while one of the submarine’s strangest stories involves keys mysteriously falling through deck grates, only to later reappear hanging neatly on the wall where they should have been. Whether you visit for its extraordinary wartime history or its lingering paranormal reputation, the USS Cobia offers one of Wisconsin’s most unforgettable haunted experiences.

Reported Paranormal Activity

• Unexplained footsteps, knocks, and other strange noises throughout the submarine
• Many believe the spirit of Ralph Clark Huston Jr. still remains aboard
• Keys lost in the sub inexplicably reappearing hanging on their designated hooks
• Unsettling feeling of not being alone while moving through the submarine’s narrow passageways