Name: Intrepid Museum
Address: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Telephone: (212) 245-0072
Rating: 4.7

Flight museum on an aircraft carrier whose exhibits include a Concorde, submarine & space shuttle.

Central Park

Provided by Google

Times Square

Rockefeller Center

Statue of Liberty

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Intrepid Museum is home to the USS Growler, the only American submarine open to the public that is armed with nuclear missiles.

Only Submarine

The Intrepid aircraft carrier survived five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike during World War II.

Survived Kamikaze Attacks

The museum features the Space Shuttle Enterprise, NASA's first space shuttle orbiter, in its own dedicated pavilion.

Space Shuttle Pavilion

Besides World War II, the Intrepid also served three tours of duty in the Vietnam War.

Served in Vietnam War

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is located at Pier 86 on the Hudson River in New York City.

Location

In 1982, the Intrepid was nearly scrapped, but a campaign led by Zachary Fisher saved it and led to its conversion into a museum.

Near Demolition

The museum features a British Airways Concorde, a supersonic passenger airliner, allowing visitors to learn about and explore this iconic aircraft.

Supersonic Transport

Intrepid Museum

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City distinguishes itself through its centerpiece: the aircraft carrier Intrepid, a veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War, uniquely repurposed as a floating museum. Beyond the flight deck's impressive array of aircraft, including a Concorde supersonic jet and various naval aircraft, lies a less-explored area: the meticulously restored Combat Information Center (CIC). This space offers a glimpse into the nerve center of naval operations, showcasing the technology and teamwork crucial for coordinating defenses and attacks. The museum also houses the Space Shuttle Enterprise, NASA's original prototype orbiter, which never flew in space but was critical for atmospheric testing. A fascinating, often overlooked detail is the museum's Pier 86 location, once a bustling passenger ship terminal, adding another layer of historical significance to the site. The Growler submarine, a guided missile submarine, allows visitors to experience the cramped living conditions of submariners during the Cold War, a stark contrast to the vastness of the aircraft carrier above.

Introduction

The Intrepid Museum's flight deck showcases many of the museum's aircraft and offers access to the superstructure's command bridges. Aboard the flight deck, visitors can observe a three-inch weapon mount on the carrier’s island on the starboard side, alongside an anti-aircraft mount in a gun tub on the starboard bow. A plaque marks the spot of a 1944 kamikaze attack.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise is housed within a pavilion on the flight deck. One of the carrier's former elevators, which once transported planes between the flight and hangar decks, has been converted into a theater.

The museum offers various flight-related simulator experiences. The G-Force Encounter simulator puts visitors in the pilot’s seat of a supersonic aircraft. There's also a virtual reality adventure where visitors climb aboard a Saturn V rocket. A 4D technology experience tells the stories of Intrepid aviators. Additional exhibits highlight the history of aircraft carriers.

Flight Deck Experience

The Intrepid Museum, originally named the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, holds a unique position in aircraft carrier history as the second such vessel in the U.S. to be converted into a museum, following the USS Yorktown. The museum's centerpiece, the USS Intrepid (CV-11), an Essex-class aircraft carrier launched in 1943, saw action in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Intrepid also served as a recovery ship for space missions, adding to its historical significance.

Saved from being scrapped in the late 1970s, the Intrepid was transformed into a museum through the efforts of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, established in 1978. The conversion of the carrier's top decks into exhibit space cost $22 million and included the addition of a theater and exhibit halls. The museum opened on August 3, 1982, showcasing several aircraft and spacecraft, and an exhibit on the early history of carriers.

The Intrepid Museum spans three of the carrier's decks: the flight, hangar, and gallery decks. The museum's collection includes a variety of aircraft, many of which were used by the United States Armed Forces. The museum also serves as a space for community and national events, such as Fleet Week and awards ceremonies, in addition to educational programs.

Aircraft Carrier History

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City became the final home for the Space Shuttle Enterprise after its ownership was officially transferred to the museum on December 12, 2011. Following an evaluation to ensure its airworthiness, Enterprise embarked on a "final tour" on April 27, 2012, flying over New York City landmarks before landing at JFK International Airport. It was then transported by barge to Jersey City, where it sustained minor cosmetic damage to a wingtip. On June 6, 2012, Enterprise was hoisted onto the Intrepid's flight deck, marking the first and likely only time a space shuttle has been displayed on an aircraft carrier.

On July 19, 2012, the Space Shuttle Pavilion opened to the public, showcasing Enterprise within a temporary, air-supported fabric structure. However, this pavilion was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, causing a partial collapse and minor damage to the orbiter's vertical stabilizer. While the pavilion was not immediately replaced, scaffolding and sheeting were erected to protect Enterprise from the elements. Prior to its arrival at the Intrepid, Enterprise was exhibited at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Although Enterprise never flew in space, it holds the distinction of traveling the farthest around the globe without leaving Earth's atmosphere, including a visit to Europe for the 1983 Paris Air Show.

Space Shuttle Enterprise

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum features the USS Growler (SSG-577), a Grayback-class submarine and a unique Cold War relic. As one of the only strategic missile submarines available for public viewing in the United States, the Growler offers an immersive journey into Cold War history. Armed with Regulus I nuclear cruise missiles, it patrolled the Pacific Ocean as part of America's nuclear deterrent force, completing nine deterrent patrols between 1958 and 1964.

Unlike later ballistic missile submarines, the Growler launched cruise missiles from the surface, making its missions riskier. After being decommissioned in 1964, it was preserved as a museum piece, allowing the public a glimpse into the tense geopolitical climate of its operational years. Extensive preservation work was completed before it opened to the public in 1989, including the restoration of the missile control center, crew quarters, and torpedo room.

Visitors can explore the crew’s living spaces, control rooms, and missile launch systems, providing an authentic Cold War-era naval experience. Adjacent to the submarine, "A View from the Deep: The Submarine Growler & the Cold War" exhibit explores the submarine’s top-secret role in the Cold War through interactive experiences, historical artifacts, oral histories, and personal diaries from the vessel’s former crew members. The exhibit delves into the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the development of the atomic bomb, and the advent of powerful underwater weapons like the Growler.