In a city known for its world-class museums, The Intrepid Museum is one of the most unique.
The Intrepid is an actual WW2 era aircraft carrier docked in Midtown Manhattan, with the museum spanning three decks of the ship.
The USS Intrepid was originally launched in 1943 and participated in both WW2 and the Vietnam War before reaching its current form as a museum ship.
The carrier itself is a fascinating piece of history, and one of the few opportunities civilians have to explore a military ship at leisure. Visitors can explore the carrier’s navigation bridge, captains quarters, chart tables, communication equipment and more.
There are usually some museum employees hanging around in these areas who are more than happy to explain parts of the ship and extol stories from the past. I kind of got the impression that they were volunteers- just doing it for the love of history.
The top flight deck of the carrier houses quite the collection of retired aircraft- from bombers, to fighters, to helicopters- there are plenty of planes to look at, though you wont be allowed to touch them or go inside.
Further along the flight deck is the Space Pavilion, which was specially built for the prototype NASA orbiter Enterprise. It’s way bigger than you’d think! This whole section is dedicated to NASA and space travel, and even has some virtual reality rides to try out.
The second deck of the Intrepid is the hanger deck- a huge indoor space that displays artifacts of military history (mostly WW2, of course), and several oral history displays to help visitors connect with stories from this time period.
There is also a 16 minute film dedicated to the history of the Intrepid- though I mistimed my visit and didn’t want to wait around for it to start!
The third deck available to explore mostly allows visitors to experience the original crew quarters and offices.
Outside the Intrepid itself, there is still more to explore! The pier also holds an original Concorde plane, an aircraft that holds a special place in the hearts of many.
The Concordes were once able to fly between New York and London in less than three hours! This particular airplane boasts the most logged hours of all of its peers.
Visitors are able to board the Concorde by paying extra for a tour. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for this tour at the start of the pier- basically as far away from the plane as possible.
Much closer to the start of the pier (and included in your admission ticket!), visitors are able to board the submarine Growler- the only American nuclear missile submarine open to the public.
The lines for this can get pretty long, so I suggest starting your visit here since the submarine is prone to closing early.
The line winds through some military history, and then guests are given a brief safety talk before being allowed to board the submarine.
Quarters are extremely tight on board, so make sure you’re not feeling claustrophobic before climbing in. I’ve learned that I would not enjoy living on board a submarine, that’s for sure!
All in all, the Intrepid is such a unique museum, it’s worth a visit even if you’re not a fan of military history. It’s not quite as interactive as, say the American Airpower Museum, which pretty much let me touch all of their stuff, but it’s such a cool opportunity to explore an aircraft carrier!
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