The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a complex of museums that include a submarine, a space shuttle pavilion, and a British Airways exhibit with the USS Intrepid as its centerpiece. The museum is located in the Hell’s Kitchen section of the West Side of Manhattan. You can expect to easily spend 2 to 3 hours walking around taking in all of the exhibits inside the complex, as well as on the sea, air, and space fleets.
All areas of the military are covered in this museum, with exhibits by the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marines, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Central Intelligence Agency, and NASA. The main focus of the museum is the USS Intrepid, the Concorde supersonic aircraft, and the space shuttle Enterprise.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space in New York - one of the highlights of 13 Best Galleries and Museums in New York (Read all about New York here)
Highlights of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
If you dreamed of being an astronaut as a kid, you’re going to want to visit the Space Shuttle Pavilion. There are artifacts from various missions, a Soyuz space capsule, and transmission audio between astronauts, and you can walk underneath and around the Enterprise. Even if you’ve never fancied the idea of space, you’ll still want to check this place out.
You won’t want to visit the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum without touring the USS Intrepid. With over 50,000 men serving on board during 5 kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike, this ship has a lot of stories to tell. You’ll get a chance to look at the flight deck, hangar deck, gallery deck, and third deck.
History of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
After being decommissioned in 1974, the USS Intrepid was saved from the scrap pile in 1978 and turned into the museum in 1982, receiving National Historic Landmark status in 1986. In 1988, the museum received the USS Growler, a Grayback-class submarine, and after major renovations, it went on display in 2009. Themuseum was given ownership of the Enterprise on December 12, 2011, and the space shuttle arrived at its new home on June 3, 2012. About 2 weeks later, the museum opened its displays to the public.
The museum, located near Pier 86 of the Hudson River, welcomes over 1 million visitors per year as it promotes understanding and awareness of history, science, and service through its collections, exhibitions, and programming.
Good to know about the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has a great website that offers a lot of information that will help your visit go smoothly, including accessibility information, directions, and suggestions for the best places to park. You can also check to see if there will be any special events taking place at the museum during the dates you plan on visiting, as well as special exhibits that may be in town.
Visiting the museum at Pier 86, you’re right next to the Hudson River Greenway and Pier 84 at Hudson River Park where there’s a fenced-in area for dogs to run off-leash, a community garden, and a riverfront hangout with a boathouse. After walking around the museum complex, a visit to the park for a nice relaxing rest might be just what you need.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space in New York
Location: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Open: Wednesday to Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Phone: +1 212-245-0072
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