Intrepid Museum

The Intrepid Museum is a special place in New York City, United States, where people can learn about military, aerospace, and history. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street, along the Hudson River, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum is built around the USS Intrepid, a big ship from World War II that can carry airplanes.

Inside the museum, visitors can see many interesting things, including airplanes, a cruise missile submarine named USS Growler, and a famous airplane called a Concorde. The museum was first opened on August 3, 1982, to save the Intrepid ship. Over the years, it has grown with new exhibits and even a special area for the Space Shuttle Enterprise that opened in 2012.

The Intrepid Museum has three main levels to explore. On these levels, you can find many airplanes used by the United States Armed Forces, a theater, flight games, and even a real airplane cockpit. The museum is also used for special events and educational programs, making it a fun and exciting place to visit.

History

Context and founding

USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier, was launched in 1943. The ship took part in World War II and the Vietnam War, and it served as a ship for space missions. After being taken out of service in the late 1970s, Intrepid was almost going to be broken apart. But a group called Odysseys in Flight wanted to turn the ship into a museum. They needed money to keep up with the ship’s costs. A man named Zachary Fisher helped a lot, giving more than $25 million over the years.

In 1981, the city announced plans to turn Intrepid into a museum. It opened to the public in 1982 as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. It was the second aircraft carrier in the U.S. to become a museum. When it first opened, it showed many airplanes and spacecraft, along with a display about the early days of aircraft carriers.

1980s

In the early 1980s, the museum had trouble getting enough visitors and money. By 1984, it had only half the visitors it needed to break even. The museum tried to get more money and support. In 1985, the museum had to file for bankruptcy, owing a lot of money. But it kept operating and planned new exhibits. Two important ships joined the museum in the late 1980s: the submarine USS Growler and the destroyer USS Edson.

1990s

The Gulf War in the early 1990s brought more visitors to the museum. But soon after, funding was cut, and the museum had to let go of some staff. The museum kept trying to get more visitors and money. In the late 1990s, new leaders came in and made plans to improve the museum and attract more people, especially students.

2000s

In the early 2000s, the museum got a Concorde airplane, one of only two in the United States. The museum also added a new visitor center and made plans for more improvements. In 2006, the museum closed for a big renovation. The ship was moved to a dry dock for repairs and upgrades. The museum reopened in 2008 after the renovation, which cost a lot of money.

2010s to present

In 2012, the museum got a Space Shuttle called Enterprise and built a special pavilion to show it. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy that same year damaged the shuttle and the museum had to close for a while. The museum stayed open online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In recent years, the museum has added more space for visitors, restored some of its ships, and opened new exhibits about World War II.

Description

The Intrepid Museum is located along Hudson River Park at the intersection of 46th Street and 12th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Most of the museum’s collection is on board the Intrepid, a special type of ship called an Essex-class carrier. When it became a museum, only a part of the ship could be visited by the public.

The museum includes three main decks of the ship. The top deck, called the flight deck, shows many aircraft and has a pavilion for the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The middle deck, the hangar deck, has many exhibits and spaces for events. The lower deck, the gallery deck, includes the Combat Information Center and displays about the ship’s history. The museum also has interactive exhibits, theaters, and educational spaces for visitors.

Exhibits and collection

The Intrepid Museum in New York City has many interesting displays of old airplanes and spacecraft. Most of the airplanes on show cannot fly anymore because they are too old or have had their engines removed. Many were brought to the museum by plane, helicopter, or boat. One airplane, a Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra, actually flew to the museum before its engine was taken out. Visitors usually cannot go inside these airplanes.

The museum’s main exhibit is the USS Intrepid, a large ship from World War II that can hold many airplanes and other displays. Next to the Intrepid is a submarine called USS Growler, which can only hold about twenty people at a time because of its size and safety rules.

The museum also has pieces of spacecraft, including a copy of a NASA Aurora 7 Mercury capsule and the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was used for testing. There are also many smaller objects, such as a helmet from a Vietnam War aviator and tools used by crew members of the Intrepid.

The museum has had some special temporary displays over the years, like a piece of the Berlin Wall and a model of the Statue of Liberty. Some airplanes and other items have been moved to other museums when the Intrepid closed for renovations.

Governance

The Intrepid Museum is run by the Intrepid Museum Foundation, a nonprofit group started in 1979. As of 2023, Susan Marenoff is the main leader of the foundation. In 2021, the museum brought in and spent around $23 million. The foundation also helps families of military members and offers free admission on some Fridays in the summer. It provides opportunities for young people to learn through internship programs.

The foundation supports important causes like the Intrepid Family Support Fund and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Programming and events

The Intrepid Museum is a special place for many events and activities. Since 1988, it has hosted annual Fleet Week activities, including fun games and exhibitions. The museum also has Kids' Week with activities just for children, and it holds sleepovers called Operation Slumber.

The museum gives out several awards each year to honor people who help others, including leaders, artists, and community heroes. These awards have been given to many important figures, including U.S. presidents and mayors of New York City.

The museum has hosted many different events over the years, such as parties, concerts, and even movies being filmed there. It has also been used for special occasions like memorials and celebrations, and even for sports events like boxing matches and wrestling. The museum's flight deck has been used for many different purposes, from big parties to weddings and special shows.