Keel Laying Ceremony

Keel Laying Ceremony Countdown

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The Keel Laying Ceremony for WISCONSIN (SSBN 827) will be held on her “hull number date.”

August 27, 2025 (8/27)

Find a Keel Laying Watch Party Near You 

See times and locations below

Wisconsinites and all who love the Navy and the submarine force are invited to experience this unique naval tradition as the Ship’s Sponsor, Dr. Kelly Geurts, proclaims WISCONSIN's keel to be “truly and fairly laid," by attending a Watch Party.

Keel Laying Watch Parties will be hosted by our partner organizations across Wisconsin when the ceremony takes place at 7am PDT / 9am CDT / 10am EDT in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

An additional Watch Party will be held at the Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia, overlooking the historic battleship USS WISCONSIN (BB 64). 

Each Watch Party will stream the ceremony live and honor Wisconsin’s exceptional maritime and military legacy.

Join us and be a part of WISCONSIN history!

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
30 W Mifflin St
Madison, WI 53703
wisvetsmuseum.com

9:00am – 10:30 CDT

The Watch Party is free, but tickets are required, get them at:

https://wisvetsmuseum.com/event/watch-party-for-the-uss-wisconsin-ssbn-827-keel-laying-ceremony/

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center

305 E 2nd St
Superior, WI 54880
bongcenter.org

Co-hosted with United States Submarine Veterans:  Western Lake Superior Base

ussubvets.org/wlsb

Wisconsin Maritime Museum
75 Maritime Dr
Manitowoc, WI 54220
www.wisconsinmaritime.org

9:00 am CDT - Watch the Ceremony, tour updated submarine concourse featuring WISCONSIN (SSBN 827) & USS Cobia

Milwaukee Navy League and

Marquette University Naval ROTC

1532 W Clybourn St,

Milwaukee, WI 53233

8:45 - 10:00 AM CDT

To RSVP, please contact Ande Rowe:

  • Phone: (414) 429-8153

Nauticus

One Waterside Drive

Norfolk, VA 23510
www.nauticus.org

Nauticus Museum Theater Museum Entry Required

Witman Regional Airport
525 W. 20th Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54902

8:45 - 10:30 AM CDT
To RSVP, please contact Jeff Davis:
Email: oshkosh@usswisconsinsub.org


For those unable to attend a Watch Party, we will post a link here when it becomes available.

The Keel Laying Ceremony

The Keel Laying Ceremony symbolizes when the ship begins to transition from design to reality by marking the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction.

In earlier times, the Keel Laying was the "laying down" of the central or main timber making up the backbone of a vessel. Today, fabrication of the ship may begin months before some of the ship's bottom may actually be joined. However, the Keel Laying Ceremony (also referred to as the Keel Authentication Ceremony) symbolically recognizes the joining of modular components and the ceremonial beginning of construction of a ship.

During the Keel Laying ceremony, the Ship’s Sponsor, Dr. Kelly Geurts, will authenticate the keel by welding her initials onto a metal plate. The plate with her initials will then be permanently affixed to the ship and Dr. Geurts will proclaim the keel to be “truly and fairly laid”.