Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

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Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Intrepid Museum (49052290092).jpg
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Established1982
Location12th Avenue and 46th Street, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Coordinates40°45′53″N 74°00′03″W / 40.7648°N 74.0008°W / 40.7648; -74.0008
FounderZachary Fisher and Elizabeth M. Fisher
DirectorSusan Marenoff-Zausner
Public transit accessBus: M12, M42, M50
Subway: "A" train​"C" train​"E" train at 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal
WebsiteIntrepidMuseum.org

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is an American military and maritime history museum in New York City with a collection of museum ships. It is located at at 46th Street, along the Hudson River, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum showcases the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the cruise missile submarine USS Growler, a Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. On the lower deck there is also a reproduction of a World War I biplane.

Founded in 1982, the museum closed in 2006 for a 1.5-year renovation of Intrepid and facilities. Those included new exhibits. The museum reopened to the public on November 8, 2008.[1]

History[]

Museum entrance
The museum in 1982

Early years[]

The museum opened in 1982 at Pier 86 after prominent New York real estate developers Zachary and Larry Fisher, and philanthropist and journalist Michael Stern saved USS Intrepid from scrapping in 1978.[2] Intrepid became a National Historic Landmark in 1986.[3]

On August 8, 1988, the museum was awarded USS Growler, a Grayback-class submarine, which carried nuclear Regulus missiles, by the United States Congress from the United States Navy. The submarine is on display after extensive renovations were performed in 2009.

USS Edson, a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer was displayed at the Intrepid museum from 1989 to 2004.[4] The Edson was returned to the United States Navy, and is now on display at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City, Michigan.[5]

In 2001, Intrepid served as temporary field headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation as it began its investigation of the September 11 attacks.[6][7]

2006–2009 renovation[]

Aerial view of the museum from the Hudson River, 2011

On October 5, 2006, the museum closed for repairs and renovations to the ship and the pier. Intrepid was moved down the Hudson River by tugboat to The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, New York City (previously the Military Ocean Terminal) to undergo restoration.

The scheduled move was delayed on June 3, 2006, when the ship's propellers stuck in the thick Hudson River mud, preventing the tugboats from moving the ship out of her berth. A second successful attempt was made on July 4, 2006, after extensive dredging operations. The aircraft carrier was later floated to where her museum facilities were upgraded and expanded before returning to her renovated pier in Manhattan.

The carrier was towed back to Pier 86 on October 31, 2008, and reopened to the public on November 23. Additional aircraft are displayed on the flight and hangar decks and the British Airways Concorde was moved from a barge into an exhibit space on the pier.[8]

Space Shuttle Enterprise[]

Main article: Space Shuttle Enterprise
Enterprise being lowered onto Intrepid in 2012

On December 12, 2011, ownership of the Space Shuttle Enterprise was transferred to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.[9][10] In preparation for the relocation, engineers evaluated the vehicle in early 2010 and determined that it was safe to fly on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft once again.[11] On April 27, 2012, Enterprise was flown to JFK International Airport and then moved by barge to the Intrepid Museum on June 3, 2012.[12][13]

To make room for the Enterprise display, three aircraft were transferred to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum near Schenectady, New York. These aircraft are a Douglas F3D Skyknight, a Royal Navy Supermarine Scimitar, and a MiG-15.[14]

Memorial Wall: The names of all who died on Intrepid from 1943 to 1974.

The Enterprise went on public display July 19, 2012, at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum's new Space Shuttle Pavilion.[15] The exhibit was closed in October 2012 due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. The pavilion and exhibit reopened on July 10, 2013.[16]

Selected exhibits[]

Flight deck of Intrepid
USS Growler
British Airways Concorde G-BOAD seen next to Intrepid

US Air Force:

US Navy:

US Marine Corps:

US Army:

US Coast Guard:

US Central Intelligence Agency:

NASA:

Other aircraft:

Other spacecraft:

Other attractions:

  • Exploreum, an interactive hall designed to educate children and adolescents about life on an aircraft carrier.
  • An Olympus 593 jet engine from a Concorde sits on display next to the G-BOAD Concorde.

Educational programming:

  • The Intrepid Museum hosts educational programs and events focused on STEM education.

Events[]

The museum serves as an event space for community and national events. For instance, it held concerts during the 2013 MLB All-Star Weekend,[21] and 2014's Super Bowl XLVIII, where the museum docked cruise ship Norwegian Getaway, turned into the "Bud Light Hotel".[22] The museum serves as a hub for the annual Fleet Week events. Visiting warships dock at the cruise ship terminals to the north, and events are held on the museum grounds and the deck of Intrepid.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Narov, Michele (July 19, 2012). "The Enterprise Docks at the Intrepid Museum and Children of Generation Not Interested in Math and Science Show Interest". New York Observer.
  2. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (June 5, 1999). "Zachary Fisher, 88, Dies; Helped Alter New York Skyline". The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  3. ^ USS Intrepid CV 11. United States Navy. Accessed November 8, 2008. Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ Bay Imaging and Technology Services. "Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum – Bay City, MI". ussedson.org. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  6. ^ "Navy, Army Corps to help free USS Intrepid". msnbc.com. November 12, 2006. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  7. ^ PARKER, ELOISE. "50 facts about the Intrepid: The floating museum is back after big renovation". nydailynews.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. ^ "Aircraft carrier survived wars, years of decay". The Washington Times. September 30, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  9. ^ Pearlman, Robert Z (December 12, 2011). "Intrepid Museum Celebrates Ownership of Space Shuttle Enterprise". CollectSpace. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  10. ^ "NASA Transfers Enterprise Title to Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City". NASA.gov. December 11, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  11. ^ Bergin, Chris (March 14, 2010). "Enterprise in good condition for potential SCA ferry from Smithsonian NASM". NASAspaceflight.com. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  12. ^ Pearlman, Robert Z (March 1, 2012). "Space shuttle Enterprise lands in New York City on April 23". CollectSPACE. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  13. ^ "NASA Transfers Title to Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City" (Press release). PRWeb. November 22, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  14. ^ McGeehan, Patrick. "Anticipating Space Shuttle's Arrival, Old Warplanes Ship Out." The New York Times, April 19, 2012.
  15. ^ Katz, Alex (July 18, 2012). "Space shuttle Enterprise set to open to public". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Space Shuttle Enterprise Reopens to NYC Visitors". AP. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  17. ^ Intrepid Museum (April 12, 2011). "Enterprise – Space Shuttle Orbiter – To Come to Intrepid Museum". Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  18. ^ CBS New York (April 12, 2011). "Space Shuttle Enterprise Landing At Intrepid Museum". Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  19. ^ Ray, Justin (December 14, 2011). "Shuttle Enterprise's future home now visualized". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  20. ^ "Russian Space Capsule Touches Down at NYC Museum". October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  21. ^ Sardo, Matthew (July 15, 2013). "2013 MLB All-Star Game Road Trip – Day Two". Sports Talk Florida. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  22. ^ "For the Super Bowl, a Cruise Ship Becomes a Shrine to Beer". New York Times.

External links[]

Coordinates: 40°45′53″N 74°00′03″W / 40.764832°N 74.000763°W / 40.764832; -74.000763

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