Level 2: The Main Deck

 The second level of the Kidd is the main deck. On this level, visitors can  see that the ship is  surrounded by many flags, otherwise known as signal flags. One can see that there are thirty-six of these signal flags, or one for every existing letter of the alphabet, and ten for numbers zero through nine. These signal flags are typically flown from a ship when it either enters or leaves the port, in order for other ship captains to be able to identify and spot it. The presence of these signal flags is significant to the museum because it adds to the overall authenticity of the ship. Visitors can see the actual flags which have been flown from the USS Kidd in the past, therefore reinforcing the fact that the museum is present upon the actual ship and not merely a replica. From this level, visitors can also see both the front of the ship and its propellers. Visitors can see that the front of the ship is rounded. This is because it has been constructed to be able to ram into other things that may be present within the water, without the ship breaking or being negatively impacted. This is an extremely significant detail and is very telling of the adventures on which the ship went. Viewers can see by looking at the front of the ship that it was constructed for rough battles, which adds to their feelings of its realness and authenticity. From this level, visitors can also see the many propellers which have been constructed out of bronze. These propellers are about 12 feet in diameter, making them appear very large to the human eye. The view of these large propellers further adds to the feelings of realness for visitors of the museum. Although some details of this ship which can be observed on this level might not seem very significant, each of them allow visitors to experience the feeling of authentic exploration of a historically significant landmark.