Intrepid
Sea-Air-Space Museum
Pier 86 (Hudson River at
West 46th Street)
Manhattan
(212) 245-0072 |
photo contributed by
Bobby Franzese |
Important
Note: As of Monday, October 2, 2006, the
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum will be
closed. The ship itself will be towed off
for repairs and the pier will also be
renovated. We expect the Museum to
re-open in November 2008. Stay tuned for
updates.
Summary: Before being
converted to a museum in 1982, the
aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid
was used in World War II, Vietnam, and
the space program. Exhibits include
historic aircraft on the flight deck and
multi-media presentations below. Plus you
get the opportunity to explore the
massive carrier itself.
The bulk of the Intrepid
Sea-Air-Space Museum exists on the Essex
class air craft carrier U.S.S.
Intrepid, which has been refurbished
to make it a "museum" in some
places, but is preserved as a military
ship in others. Other ships can be seen
here, too: the U.S.S. Growler, the
only guided nuclear missile submarine
open to the public; and the British
Airways Concorde.
U.S.S. Intrepid
When you first arrive at the museum,
one of the first things you will notice
are the planes on the upper deck. As you
walk among the many planes and
helicopters, take note of the AV-8
Harrier plane which can take off
vertically; the A-12 Blackbird, the
fastest plane in the world and the first
to fly at three times the speed of sound;
a Polish Mig-21; and the Bell Sea Cobra
Helicopter, used in Vietnam and the Gulf
War. As you wander around, enjoy the
views of the enormous cruise ships on the
north side of the Intrepid, and
the busy Circle Line
boats on the south side. The view of New
Jersey on the other side of the Hudson is
nice, too.
You will also have limited
access to the "island," the
command structure that protrudes from the
deck. Below the island you can see the
ship's combat information center:
complete with radar scopes, wax plotter
boards and communications equipment, this
area was top secret and state-of-the-art
for its day. The CIC has been fully
restored and several of the adjacent
areas are also open to public viewing.
But be sure to leave time
for exploring the bulk of the museum,
which is housed in the Intrepid's
hangar deck, the level below the upper
deck. The hangar has been separated into
four main halls: the United States Navy
Hall, Intrepid Hall, Stern Hall, and
Technologies Hall, each of which serves a
special purpose:
United States
Navy Hall
United States Navy Hall is dedicated,
unsurprisingly, to the U.S. Navy.
Exhibits in this area focus on
today's Navy, and include the A-6
Intruder, which was one of the United
States Navy's most important
carrier-based attack aircraft from
the Vietnam War through the Gulf War.
The A-6 cockpit features an
interactive landing simulation, so
climb in, grab the joystick and test
your skill at a landing the A-6
Intruder onboard an aircraft
carrier's flight deck.
We liked the exhibit
that allows you to compare the WWII
layout of Intrepid to its
current state after it was refitted
with angled runways in the 1950s.
Young children love touching the
buttons that highlight various areas
of the ship so that you can really
see all the changes in technology.
Navy Hall is also the
place to see a 20-minute film called
"Intrepid Wings" in the
Allison & Howard Lutnick Theater,
which explores the technology and
crew training required for the
amazing take-offs and recoveries
aboard a modern air craft carrier.
Intrepid Hall
Intrepid Hall has displays related to
the Intrepid's action in both
World War II and Vietnam, emphasizing
in particular, its decisive role in
the Battle for Leyte Gulf during the
Second World War. It was during this
battle that General Douglas MacArthur
fulfilled the promise he had made
when he had said "I shall
return."
Don't miss the moving
film about the Japanese kamikaze
attack in November 1944. Survivors of
the attack share memories of what it
was like to witness two planes diving
into the Intrepid, and how
they fought the fires that threatened
to destroy it.
And (especially if you
have children with you) you'll want
to spend a few minutes exploring
"All Hands on Deck," an
exhibit of authentic artifacts from a
real ship, including a steering wheel
atop a moving deck (designed to test
your sea legs), a virtual radar
screen (which shows how sailors
navigate the perils of New York
Harbor), a chart table, Navy signal
lamps (time to brush up on your
knowledge of Morse code!), and even a
display of knot tying.
Your young ones are sure
to love the submarine exhibit, too,
so be sure to stop by and see (and
try out! ) the barrel-shaped
submarine that was first deployed
during the Revolutionary War.
Stern Hall
Stern Hall attempts to answer
questions related to pioneering naval
events such as: How, when, and why
did the Navy begin to employ
airplanes? When did air craft
carriers come about?
In the middle of this
part of the Intrepid's
hanger is the Iwo Jima exhibit,
including a huge statue based on Joe
Rosenthal's famous photo of soldiers
planting a U.S. flag into Iwo Jima's
soil.
Technology Hall
Technology Hall is devoted primarily
to the United States' space system
(this is, after all, the Sea-Air-
Space Museum). There is a model of Orbiter,
the first space shuttle, and displays
which describe the first space
satellites, manned and unmanned.
You'll also find the Virtual Flight
Zone, a motion-based thrill ride
perfect for those who want to be
tossed, turned, and jolted about to
their heart's delight.
There is also an
interesting exhibit about the history
of human flight, including models of
very early aircraft.
U.S.S. Growler
Although the Intrepid can be a
full day's museum in itself, you'll want
to take a look at the museum's submarine
(unless you are claustrophobic or under 6
years of age) if only to say that you've
been in it. Don't expect to have much
time to explore the Growler,
however. It's popular and space is
limited, so tour guides want you in and
out of it as quickly as possible.
British
Airways Concorde
We were less impressed with our
tour of the world's fastest
commercial aircraft. Frankly,
there isn't much to see -- it is
just a smaller, more cramped
version of an average plane and
the plastic covered, cordoned off
seats that screamed
"hands-off!" are
incongruous with the hands-on,
interactive element that pervades
the rest of the museum. |
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Who Should
Go
Because the museum displays its many
wares so well, we think that people of
all ages and inclinations will enjoy it
and that its relatively high cost of
admission is justified. You should be
aware, however, that although there is
handicapped access to the hangar of the Intrepid,
there is no handicapped access to the
deck, nor to the other ships.
Some Tips
Although we had expected that the Intrepid
would be large, we were still amazed at
how absolutely enormous it really is. The
museum claims that you can go through
this ship in about three hours, but we
have found seeing everything takes a good
deal longer, especially if you watch the
many films and documentaries shown
throughout the museum. While we must
point out that nothing less than a fifty
page document could begin to do justice
in describing all this museum offers, we
do have a few suggestions to make the
most out of your day here:
First, get in line for the Growler
whenever you see that the line is short.
Only 13 people at a time are allowed in,
so lines can get rather long.
Second, plan to make a day
of this museum: you will need that much
time, especially if air, space or sea
exploration is a special interest for
you. Don't arrive in the middle of the
afternoon and expect to have time to see
everything.
Third, there is a McDonald's
restaurant above the gift shop in the
visitor's center (the building through
which you enter the museum) but it tends
to be very crowded at meal time. So
either eat your lunch early or late -- or
avoid the crowds altogether by having
your meal in the Crew Mess Area (now a
cafeteria serving sandwiches and
McDonald's fare) and then, having sampled
where the crew would have eaten, go off
to see the Marine Berthing area where
they would have slept.
Fourth, keep in mind that
you will be out of doors a lot at this
museum, so bring appropriate clothes (or
reschedule your visit) if it looks like
rain.
Additionally, since
exploring the Intrepid involves
a great deal of climbing up and down
narrow staircases, women in high heels
and long, full skirts may find that their
outfits make their visit a bit
treacherous.
Getting There
Since there is no subway station near
Pier 86, you will be in for a walk if you
take the subway. The quickest train to
take is the C or E to 50th Street. Walk
west until you reach the West Side
Highway, and then walk south four blocks.
If you have never seen Times
Square, we recommend that you take a
subway there (the N, R, S, 1, 2, 3, 7 and
9 trains all have stops at Times Square)
and do a little extra walking. From Times
Square, walk north on Broadway to 46th
Street and then continue west towards the
Hudson River.
Buses are a better bet if
you don't like to walk -- the M50 (which
goes west on 49th Street) drops you off
right in front of the museum.
For more detailed
directions, plus information about hours,
admission fees and other logistics, visit
the Intrepid Museum's web site.
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