The museum was proposed in the late 1970s as a way to preserveIntrepid, and it opened on August 3, 1982. The Intrepid Museum Foundation filed for bankruptcy protection in 1985 after struggling to attract visitors. The foundation acquired USSGrowler and the destroyerUSSEdson in the late 1980s to attract guests and raise money, although it remained unprofitable through the 1990s. The museum received a minor renovation in 1998 after it started turning a profit. Between 2006 and 2008, theIntrepid Museum was completely closed for a $115 million renovation. A new pavilion for theSpace ShuttleEnterprise opened in 2012.
TheIntrepid Museum spans three of the carrier's decks; from top to bottom, they are the flight, hangar, and gallery decks. Most of the museum's collection is composed of aircraft, many of which were used by theUnited States Armed Forces. Among the museum's collection are a ConcordeSST, aLockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane, and the Space ShuttleEnterprise. The hangar and gallery decks contain a variety of attractions such as exhibit halls, a theater, and flight simulators, as well as individual objects like a cockpit and an air turbine. Several craft and other objects have been sold off or removed from the museum's collection over the years. The museum serves as a space for community and national events, such asFleet Week and awards ceremonies, in addition to educational programs.
USS Intrepid, anEssex-class aircraft carrier, waslaunched in 1943.[2][3] She participated inWorld War II, theKorean War, and theVietnam War, and was a recovery ship for space missions.[4][5]Intrepid was supposed to bescrapped after decommissioning in the late 1970s, but Odysseys in Flight, a nonprofit organization founded by Michael D. Piccola and Bruce Sherer,[5] wished to convertIntrepid into amuseum ship.[6][7] Odysseys in Flight had initially planned to salvage the carriersLexington[5] orFranklin D. Roosevelt.[8] TheUnited States Navy wanted the organization to raise $3 million for the carrier's upkeep.[6] The organization hosted an exhibit at6 World Trade Center to raise support for the project,[9] and Odysseys in Flight had raised $2 million by March 1979.[10] One of the museum's largest supporters was local real estate developerZachary Fisher,[5][11][12] who established the Intrepid Museum Foundation in March 1978[13] and contributed over $25 million to the museum during his lifetime.[14] Fisher was enthusiastic about the project, eventually attracting other high-profile supporters such as radio and TV personalityArthur Godfrey and actressMaureen O'Hara.[5] The Navy also hoped thatIntrepid could be used for recruitment.[11]
MayorEd Koch announced plans for theIntrepid's conversion in mid-April 1981,[15][16] and theUnited States Department of the Navy transferred theIntrepid to Fisher, who led the nonprofit Intrepid Museum Foundation, on April 27, 1981.[17][18] The conversion of the carrier's top two decks cost $22 million[19] and was funded by $2.4 million in private donations,[20] as well as $15.2 million of tax-exemptbonds and $4.5 million from theUnited States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[20][21] After theNew York City Board of Estimate gave the Intrepid Museum Foundation permission to sell tax-exempt bonds in December 1980,[22] the bonds were sold to the public in July 1981.[23] The federal grant was approved in January 1982,[11][24] even though the project "had nothing to do with housing".[20] The renovation involved the addition of a theater,[25][26] several planes onIntrepid's deck, and aviation and maritime exhibit halls.[3][17][25] The carrier's navigation and flightbridges were also restored.[27] The city spent around $2.5 million to renovate Pier 86 on theWest Side ofManhattan, whereIntrepid was to be docked.[5][20] The museum leased the pier from the city for 33 years at $50,000 per year,[28] making annualpayments in lieu of taxes totaling $400,000.[20]
Intrepid was towed to her permanent home at Pier 86 in June 1982.[3][29] Following asoft opening on July 4,[5] the museum opened on August 3, 1982, as theIntrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.[21][30] This madeIntrepid the second aircraft carrier in the U.S. to be converted into a museum, after theUSS Yorktown.[31] Larry Sawinski was named as the museum's director of exhibits.[32] When theIntrepid Museum opened, it showcased several aircraft and spacecraft, and it also contained an exhibit on the early history of carriers. The exhibit halls on hangar level (including Pioneer Hall and Navy Hall), as well as the theater, were not completed.[5] Maritime and aviation schools were planned for the lower two decks, the renovation of which was expected to cost $22 million.[19] The museum had 50 paid staff, who worked mostly in the cafeteria, gift shop, and ticket booths; another 100 volunteers were responsible for the museum's displays and expansion.[8] The museum's opening was expected to create 469 jobs in the surrounding area, though many of these jobs never materialized.[20]
The Intrepid Museum Foundation dedicated the Hall of Honor, the United States' first archive dedicated toMedal of Honor recipients, on December 10, 1983;[33][34] theMedal of Honor Society also relocated into offices within the carrier.[35] The museum originally was projected to attract 1.3 to 1.4 million visitors annually,[20][21] but it recorded only half of this amount in its first year.[36] This forced the museum's directors to delay payments on its debt.[20][36] The museum had recorded 450,000 patrons in 1984, nearly half of the 800,000 annual patrons that were required tobreak even.[37] Attendance had been negatively impacted because of the lack of nearby public transit,[38][39] and the museum struggled to raise money despite increasing its ticket prices.[11] Nonetheless, the museum planned to expand by 1984; it had received $250,000 from theAstor Foundation for classrooms and conference rooms, and the New York state government gave $850,000 for historic preservation.[39] Film and television executiveStanley Abrams was named as the museum's president in June 1984.[40]
The Intrepid Museum Foundation filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1985, declaring $28.4 million in debt and $16.5 million in assets.[41][42] Only about a third of the museum's revenues came from admissions, with the remaining two-thirds coming from grants, donations, or fundraisers and other such events.[43] Nonetheless, museum officials planned to continue normal operations and launch a campaign to attract visitors;[38] Lawrence Sowinski, the director of exhibits, described the museum as "too valuable a resource to close".[44] Advertising firmMcCann-Erickson was hired to promote the museum, running cheap advertisements in newspapers, on the radio, and inNew York City Subway cars.[45] The state also provided $1.024 million for the museum in its 1985 budget,[46] though ultimately the museum got $850,000.[47]Intrepid was officially designated as aNational Historic Landmark in 1986,[48][49] and its annual allocation from the state was raised to $895,000 that year.[47] Investigators announced in early 1987 that members of theWesties gang had engaged inracketeering,[49][50] stealing $100,000 to $120,000 annually from theIntrepid Museum.[51]
During the late 1980s, the museum had 400,000 annual visitors;[49] its low attendance was attributed to competition from more popular tourist attractions.[52] Additionally, the museum was the only major point of interest on the rundown Hudson River waterfront,[53] in part due to delays in the construction of nearby developments such asJavits Center.[43][52] The Intrepid Museum Foundation presented a reorganization plan to theU.S. Bankruptcy Court in July 1987, in which nearly half of the museum's $28.4 million debt would be forgiven, but creditors would only receive a portion of their claims.[54][55] After successfully exiting bankruptcy proceedings, the museum planned to display a submarine alongsideIntrepid.[8][56] Fisher funded the addition of two permanent exhibits in the late 1980s,[32][57] at which pointIntrepid had 39 aircraft.[58]USS Growler, aGrayback-classsubmarine that carried nuclearRegulus missiles, was towed to the museum in late 1988[59] and opened to the public the next May.[57][60]USS Edson, aForrest Sherman-classdestroyer that was the last all-gun destroyer in the United States Navy,[61] was displayed at theIntrepid Museum starting in July 1989.[62] At the time, the museum had few repeat visitors, and Fisher hoped thatGrowler andEdson would attract returning patrons.[57]
The outbreak of theGulf War in the early 1990s caused interest in theIntrepid Museum to increase;[63] at the time, the museum was displaying an exhibit on the Gulf War.[64][65] By early 1991, the museum recorded 5,000 visitors on a typical weekend, more than twice the previous year's weekend patronage.[63] TheIntrepid Museum received $900,000 from the state, $350,000 from theNew York City Board of Education, and $60,000 from the city government annually. All of this funding was eliminated in 1992, forcing the museum to fire a quarter of its staff, and two young men formed the Intrepid Museum Society and raised money through various events.[66] TheIntrepid Museum held numerous fundraisers and received $1.1 million from numerous city and state agencies between 1992 and 1996. Despite this, the museum continued to struggle to remain solvent; theVillage Voice wrote in 1996 that "the continued taxpayer subsidies seem hard to justify".[20] Although the museum rented Pier 86 from the city for $252,000 annually, it paid no rent between March 1995 and October 1997.[67]
To raise money,[68] the museum tried to acquire the decommissioned amphibious assault shipGuadalcanal in 1994, berth her next toIntrepid, and useGuadalcanal as a heliport.[69][70] Although theUnited States Senate approved the plan,[71] residents of theHell's Kitchen neighborhood objected to the fact that the heliport would cut off their access to Pier 84.[72] That year, the museum received part of a $1 million appropriation earmarked for the restoration of theUSS Constellation in Baltimore.[73] The museum remained unprofitable, recording a $1 million loss in 1996. Annual revenue from ticket sales totaled $3 million, less than half of the museum's budget; donations and event rentals covered the rest of the budget.[68][74] Agencies that had loaned planes to theIntrepid Museum, such as theAir Force Museum Foundation, expressed concerns that the museum was incapable of properly maintaining the aircraft.[74] After theGuadalcanal plan was canceled in early 1996,[72][74] theIntrepid Museum launched an advertising campaigns to attract patrons; previously, most of its publicity came fromword of mouth andpublic service announcements.[68]
Retired Marine Corps GeneralDonald Ray Gardner replaced Sowinski as the Intrepid Museum Foundation's president in September 1996.[74] Gardner laid off staff, sharply restricted expense spending, deaccessioned some costly artifacts, and reduced the number of planes on exhibit.[74][75] Gardner also planned to add electronic kiosks to attract children, as well as develop an endowment fund.[75] U.S. PresidentBill Clinton approved $13 million for a renovation of theIntrepid Museum in late 1997, over his staff's objections to the project;[76][77] at the time, the museum had 500,000 annual visitors.[67][78] The next year, Gardner closed theIntrepid Museum for a minor renovation, the first in its history;[79] the museum reopened in February 1998[80] with two new exhibits.[79][81] The city waived $600,000 in unpaid rent, as well as future rent payments for Pier 86, in late 1998 after Fisher donated to mayorRudy Giuliani.[67] By then, the museum received hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the Navy, the state, and theNew York City Department of Cultural Affairs.[67]
In mid-1999, retired Marine Corps generalMartin R. Steele took over as the Intrepid Museum Foundation's president and began planning 15 modifications to exhibits and 17 construction projects, including a $5.25 million renovation of the flight deck.[12][82] Steele wished to attract students and increase annual patronage to 1.2 million,[82] and he installed interactive kiosks within a year of taking over.[12]Restaurant Associates took over the museum's food service the same year to accommodate the high number of after-hours parties and events at theIntrepid Museum.[83][84] TheIntrepid Museum constructed a new visitor center at 46th Street and 12th Avenue that year. In addition, the museum planned to improve Pier 86, build a 245-seat theater, and erect a pedestrian overpass on 12th Avenue.[85]
As part of a project announced in May 2001,[86] Earth Tech Inc. built acable-stayed bridge connecting the museum to the east side of 12th Avenue.[87] By then, nearly half of the museum's patrons hailed from foreign countries, and Steele described theIntrepid as the "largest naval museum in the world".[88] After theSeptember 11 attacks, the museum was temporarily closed[89][90] and served as temporary field headquarters for theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) while they investigated the attacks.[91] Additionally, part of the flight deck was cleared to make way for a temporary helipad.[92] The museum reopened after five weeks[93] and hosted an exhibit commemorating attack victims.[94][95] The footbridge across 12th Avenue was completed in May 2003 for $11 million. Its construction experienced delays because of difficulties in constructing the foundations and because of the need to decontaminate the site.[96]
AConcorde supersonic aircraft was towed to theIntrepid Museum in November 2003,[97][98] making the museum one of two in the United States with a Concorde.[97][99] In conjunction with this acquisition, the museum created a new exhibit ontransatlantic crossings.[99] Also in late 2003, theIntrepid Museum offered to resellEdson back to the Navy, citing the fact that the adjacent pier needed to be repaired and could not be used for berthingEdson. AfterEdson was removed from theIntrepid Museum in 2004, the Navy sold the destroyer to theSaginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum.[100] The Michael Tyler Fisher Center for Education opened within the museum in 2004,[101] and theFisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, cofounded by the Fishers, occupied some space during the early 2000s.[102] By the middle of that decade, the museum had 750,000 visitors per year,[103][104] including over 100,000 students;[105][106] it had recorded ten million all-time visitors by August 2005.[106] The museum spent $17 million annually just onoverhead costs.[107]
Aerial view of the museum from the Hudson River, 2011
By June 2006, the Intrepid Museum Foundation executives had notified state and federal governments of their plans to renovateIntrepid, though few details of this renovation were disclosed publicly.[107][108] The foundation had already asked theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers to help dredge the mud around thekeel so tugboats could tow her to a dry dock.[108] That July, the foundation announced thatIntrepid, along with Pier 86, would undergo renovations and repairs.[93][109][110] Initially, the project was supposed to cost $58 million and take 18 months.[111][112] The project was to be funded with $31 million from the federal government, $17 million from theNew York City Council, and $5 million from the state;[110] the city later increased its share to $23 million.[105]Intrepid closed on October 1, 2006,[111][112] in preparation for being towed to a dry dock at theMilitary Ocean Terminal inBayonne, New Jersey.[113][114] Museum officials had decided to tow the carrier away, as they estimated that the project would cost $100 million and take five years ifIntrepid were left in place.[93]
Just before the renovation was scheduled to begin,Newsday reported that corrupt activities may have been involved in the renovation contract for Pier 86, prompting concerns thatIntrepid and the Intrepid Museum Foundation were being investigated.[115] Furthermore, after the dry dock in Bayonne was found to be deteriorated, museum officials decided to moveIntrepid to another pier in that city until the dry dock was repaired.[114] The scheduled move on November 6, 2006,[116] was delayed whenIntrepid'spropellers stuck in the Hudson River mud, preventing tugboats from moving the ship out of her berth.[117][118] The Navy and USACE spent $3 million to extricate the carrier,[105][119] removing 39,000 cubic yards (30,000 m3) of sediment and mud from the propellers and pier.,[120] Tugboats made a successful second attempt on December 5, 2006.[121] By the end of the year,Growler was also towed to Bayonne for renovation,[122] while the Concorde on Pier 86 was floated toFloyd Bennett Field so the pier could be repaired.[123][124] The Intrepid Museum Foundation also sold $7.08 million in bonds to fund its continuing operations.[125]
Pier 86 was demolished and rebuilt to accommodate plumbing and cables, which had not been present in the original pier.[110] After sitting at a cruise-ship port for four months,[126]Intrepid was towed to dry dock in April 2007 and received exterior modifications,[127][128] including new paint, new propellers, and a restoredhull.[129][130] After exterior modifications were completed, the carrier was towed toStaten Island, New York, for interior repairs in June 2007, on the anniversary ofD-Day.[131][132] At Staten Island,Intrepid's facilities were upgraded and expanded; for example, workers replaced 80,000 square feet (7,400 m2) onIntrepid's three top decks.[129] Thefo'c'sle was restored, the starboard side and flight deck were deoxidized,[110][133] a new aircraft elevator was installed, and new wiring was installed.[106] The firm ofPerkins + Will was hired to redesign several exhibits and create other exhibits within space that had been closed to the public.[133] The exterior renovations were budgeted at $4.8 million, while the interior cost another $6 million to $8 million.[130]
The renovation, including the cost of Pier 86, ultimately cost $115 million[133][134] or $120 million.[106][135] The cost overruns almost bankrupted the museum, which asked donors and politicians to contribute an additional $10 million each to the project.[136][137] The carrier was towed back to Pier 86 at the beginning of October 2008,[135][138] and the Concorde was moved back to Pier 86.[139] The museum reopened to the public on November 8.[140][141][142] Four aircraft were added to the museum's collection when the museum reopened.[135] At the time, theIntrepid Museum planned to attract one million annual visitors, with ten percent of this figure being students.[134] Museum officials hired advertising firm Austin & Williams to promote the museum.[143]
The museum's presidentBill White, who had overseen the 2000s renovation, resigned in 2010[144][145] and was succeeded the next year by Susan Marenoff-Zausner, who had been the executive director.[146] Before resigning, White had tried to obtain aSpace Shuttle for the museum's collection.[147] TheIntrepid Museum announced in May 2011 that it would acquire theSpace ShuttleEnterprise.[148][149] It initially planned to exhibit the Space Shuttle on Pier 86, but then announced plans to display the spacecraft in a parking lot across 12th Avenue,[150] prompting U.S. SenatorSherrod Brown to ask that NASA award the shuttle to another museum.[151] The museum took title to the spacecraft that December,[152][153] after engineers determined that it was safe to fly on theShuttle Carrier Aircraft once again.[154]Enterprise was flown to the nearbyJFK Airport in April 2012[155][156] and then moved by barge to theIntrepid Museum that June.[157][158] To make room for theEnterprise display, three aircraft were transferred to theEmpire State Aerosciences Museum nearSchenectady, New York.[150] TheEnterprise went on public display July 19, 2012, at theIntrepid Museum's new Space Shuttle Pavilion,[159][160] charging an additional fee for admission.[161]
The museum was closed in October 2012 due toHurricane Sandy, which damagedEnterprise.[162] Although the museum reopened that December,[163][164] the Space Shuttle Pavilion did not reopen until July 2013.[165][166] Museum officials contemplated erecting a permanent pavilion forEnterprise on Pier 86 or on a parking lot across 12th Avenue.[166] At the time, the museum had 915,000 annual visitors.[167]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the museum was closed between March and September 2020,[168][169] though it continued to host online events during its closure.[170] The museum'sConcorde aircraft, which had been displayed on Pier 86, was removed for restoration in 2023[171][172] and towed back to theIntrepid Museum in March 2024.[173][174] As part of the project, the museum added 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of park space to Pier 86.[172] TheIntrepid Museum dropped "Sea, Air & Space" from its official name in October 2023 as part of a rebranding.[175] In May 2024, the museum opened 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of space on Pier 86 as a public park.[176] Early the following year, the New York state government announced plans to redevelop one of theIntrepid Museum's parking lots on the east side of 12th Avenue.[177][178] In addition, the museum completed a restoration of the USSGrowler in 2024, reopening the vessel with upgraded visitor pathways and new interactive panels,[179] and it opened a permanent World War II exhibit in 2025.[180][181]
TheIntrepid Museum is located alongHudson River Park at the intersection of 46th Street and12th Avenue, within theHell's Kitchen neighborhood on theWest Side ofMidtown Manhattan in New York City.[182] Most of the collection is on boardIntrepid,[183][184] the thirdEssex-class carrier built[2]: 2 and one of four preservedEssex-class carriers, besidesYorktown,Lexington, andHornet.[185] WhenIntrepid was converted into a museum ship, only one-quarter of her area was accessible to the public. Additionally, many of the carrier's equipment, including the large airplane elevators, were disabled.[52] One of the carrier's former elevators, which transported planes between the flight and hangar decks, was converted into a theater.[21] Due to regulations that require "easy passage", and to prevent theft, much ofIntrepid's equipment has been removed or relocated.[8]
TheIntrepid Museum spans three of the carrier's decks; due to fire-safety regulations,Intrepid's other decks remain closed to the public.[186] The carrier's topmost deck, theflight deck, showcases many of the museum's craft (seeIntrepid Museum § Exhibits and collection).[49][64] TheSpace ShuttleEnterprise is housed within a pavilion on the flight deck,[187][188] originally within an inflatable tent placed on thestern ofIntrepid.[189] Thesuperstructure's command bridges are accessible to the public.[52] There is a three-inchweapon mount on the carrier's island on the starboard side, as well as ananti-aircraft mount in agun tub on the starboard bow.[8] Also on the flight deck is a plaque marking the spot where a 1944kamikaze attack killed or injured 22 soldiers.[53]
The museum's main entrance has been through the carrier'shangar deck, below the flight deck, since 2008.[190] The hangar deck originally contained four permanent exhibit halls,[8][21] in addition to a space for temporary exhibits.[190][191] The original permanent exhibit halls were Pioneer Hall, which was dedicated to early air travel; Technology Hall, which contained displays about spaceflight; Navy Hall, which had Navy artifacts and a film; and Intrepid Hall, which discussedIntrepid's role in World War II.[8] The exhibits about the oldest artifacts were originally toward the rear oraft; the back of the carrier contained a cafeteria, bathrooms, and a terrace on thestern.[191] The hangar deck also contains a space dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, as well as some aviation artifacts[64] and plaques detailing the carrier's history and exhibits.[190] Also on the hangar deck is the Exploreum, an interactive hall with exhibits such as a full-sizeBell 47 helicopter.[192][193] The hangar deck also has an education center and 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) event space called Michael Tyler Fisher Center,[194] as well as the 245-seat Lutnick Theater,[194] which shows a 16-minute film on the carrier's history.[190]
The gallery deck houses the Combat Information Center and Men of the Intrepid exhibits.[195] At the front of the carrier, artifacts from the officers' quarters are displayed in the fo'c'sle,[134][190] which was opened to the public in 2008.[133] The junior officers' and general berthing quarters are publicly accessible,[133] and the crew's quarters are open to the public as well.[52][190] There are replicas of two rooms that were created when themess was subdivided in the 1970s.[129] The middle of the carrier contains a hole that allows visitors to see through seven decks.[190]
The museum originally displayed newsreels of pre–World War II events, dioramas of World War II battles, and models of ships.[52] By the 1990s, the museum also featured an undersea-exploration hall, a children's ride,[53] aflight simulator,[95] as well as abathysphere that was closed to the public.[186] Following the 2008 renovation, the museum has contained three flight simulators,[192] a4D theater,[134] and interactive exhibits for children.[133][190] There is also a space dedicated toZachary Fisher and his wife Elizabeth M. Fisher.[134] The Michael Tyler Fisher Center for Education[194] occupies a three-story 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) space in the museum, with a meeting space, breakout rooms, and classrooms.[101]
There was originally two gift shops: one at the entrance to Pier 86 and one on the hangar deck.[191] The current 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) visitor center at 46th Street and 12th Avenue, completed in 1999, replaces the original 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) visitor center. The new edifice had a metal and glass facade, and it incorporated about one-fourth of the old visitor center.[85] A bridge measuring 277 feet (84 m) long connects the museum to a ramp on the eastern side of 12th Avenue. This bridge contains a central 59-foot-tall (18 m) tower, as well as sail-shaped fabric canopies.[86]
All of the aircraft onIntrepid's flight deck are retired craft that are no longer capable of flying, either due to mechanical problems or because they had flown more than their maximumflight hours. Many of the aircraft lack engines, and some were disassembled before arriving at the museum. According toThe New York Times, the vast majority of aircraft were transported to the museum by airplane, helicopter, or barge. One aircraft, aBell AH-1J Sea Cobra gunship, flew to the museum under its own power before its engine was removed.[196] Visitors cannot ordinarily go inside the aircraft.[186]
British AirwaysConcorde G-BOAD seen next toIntrepidE-1 Tracer exhibitBell UH-1 Iroquois exhibitAV-8C Harrier exhibitSikorsky HH-52 Seaguard Helicopter Exhibit
Lockheed A-12 Blackbird (#60-6925 / Article 122)[219] flown by the CIA.[129][220] This particular A-12 was the first production example of its model.[221][183]
In 2003,[97][98] the museum received aConcorde, registered G-BOAD, that had been used byBritish Airways.[225] This airplane set a world speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996,[106][183] when it flew between London and New York in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds.[97][226] This airplane loggedthe most flying hours (23,397) of the 20 Concordes built;[227] it typically occupies an exhibit space on Pier 86.[171]
The vast majority of the museum's collection is displayed on theEssex-class aircraft carrierIntrepid.[183][184] Like other "long-hull"Essex-class carriers,Intrepid has adisplacement of 27,100 tonnes (26,700 long tons; 29,900 short tons). She has anoverall length of 872 feet (266 m), abeam of 147 feet 6 inches (44.96 m), and adraft of 28 feet 7 inches (8.71 m).[2]: 2 [228][a] Most of the museum's aircraft and spacecraft are onIntrepid's flight deck (seeIntrepid Museum § Flight, hangar, and gallery decks).[49][64]
USS Growler, adiesel electricsubmarine which carried outnuclear deterrent patrols armed withRegulus missiles,[184] is berthed next to Pier 86. The submarine is accessed exclusively through a series of narrow oval bulkhead doors[191][184] and she can only fit roughly twenty guests at once.[53] Due to restrictions created byfire codes, disabled visitors and individuals under forty inches tall cannot enterGrowler.[191]
The museum has some individual objects in its collection. These include aram air turbine, salvaged from an F-8 Crusader and restored,[232] as well as aCurtiss Pusher on the hangar deck.[64] The below-decks spaces contain several thousand artifacts, such as a helmet that belonged to an aviation machinist fighting in the Vietnam War.The New York Times estimated in 2016 that formerIntrepid crew members and their families donated 10 objects to the museum every month.[233] Artifacts donated byIntrepid crew members have included aRoyal Navy uniform, gauge, dinner bell, and parachute-packing tool.[234]
The museum has hosted some attractions on a temporary basis; for example, the lightshipFrying Pan (LV-115) was docked outside the museum during mid-1993.[235] Many objects from theIntrepid Museum's collection were loaned from the Army and Navy.[74][75] In the late 1990s, some of the craft were given back to their respective owners.[74] Numerous other craft were relocated during that time, including the destroyer escortSlater[236][237] and the lightshipNantucket (LV-112).[238] The destroyerEdson was given back to the Navy in 2004.[100] Additional objects were returned when the museum's renovation commenced in 2006, including aSaturn rocket loaned from theNational Air and Space Museum.[239] After theEnterprise was lifted onto theIntrepid's flight deck in 2012, aDouglas F3D Skyknight, aRoyal NavySupermarine Scimitar, and aMiG-15 were transferred to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum.[150]Growler was also displayed next toIntrepid until 2004.[100] The nose section of a formerEl AlBoeing 707, 4X-ATA, was put on display in 1985 after the airframe was retired and broken up. During the museum's renovations, it was sold to theCradle of Aviation Museum inUniondale, New York.[240][241]
Pier 86 formerly contained a graffitied portion of theBerlin Wall,[64][242] which was displayed temporarily during the 1990s and early 2000s. This segment of the Berlin Wall weighed 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg; 3.1 long tons) and was painted by German artistKiddy Citny, who gave it to artistPeter Max.[243]Felix de Weldon's 1954 sculptureIwo Jima Monument (a smaller version of theMarine Corps War Memorial in Virginia), was installed outside theIntrepid Museum in 1995.[12][244][245] The monument was removed after theIntrepid Museum closed for renovation in 2006,[245][246] as the Intrepid Museum Foundation could not afford to buy the monument.[239] A fiberglass model of theStatue of Liberty was given to the then-plannedNational September 11 Memorial & Museum when theIntrepid was renovated.[247]
The Intrepid Museum Foundation, a501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1979, operates the museum.[248][249] As of 2023[update], Susan Marenoff is listed as the principal officer of the foundation.[248] For the fiscal year that ended in December 2021, the organization recorded $23,304,017 in revenue and $23,432,181 in expenses.[249] In addition to operating the museum, the Intrepid Museum Foundation is associated with programs such as the Intrepid Family Support Fund and theIntrepid Fallen Heroes Fund,[106][250] and it distributes funds to families of US armed service memberskilled in action.[251] The museum also employs some youth through internship programs.[252] As part of the Free Fridays program, admission to the museum is typically waived on selected Fridays during the summer.[253]
The museum serves as an event space for community and national events. For example, it started hosting annualFleet Week activities in 1988.[13] It continues to host Fleet Week activities every year as of 2023[update].[254] During past Fleet Weeks,Intrepid has hosted activities including tug-of-war, cooking, andarm wrestling contests,[255] as well as a "Flight Deck Olympics" and exhibitions of ships.[256] In addition, theIntrepid Museum has presented Kids' Week, a series of activities geared toward children.[257] It held theNew York Tugboat Race annually in the 1990s and early 2000s, with events such as line-throwing, nose-to-nose pushing, and spinach-eating contests.[88] The museum has hosted sleepovers since 2009 as part of an event called Operation Slumber,[258] and it also hosts Kids' Week events during late February.[259]
The Intrepid Museum Foundation issues several awards each year. These include the Intrepid Freedom Award, for political leaders; the Intrepid Salute Award, for philanthropists and businesspeople; the Intrepid Salute Award for the Performing Arts, for performing-arts organizations; the Zachary & Elizabeth Fisher Award for Patriotism; the Intrepid Leadership Award, for community leaders; the Hometown Heroes Award, for residents of theNew York metropolitan area who have contributed to the community; and the Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award, for people who have helped others throughout their lifetime.[260] Recipients of the awards have included U.S. presidentsRonald Reagan,George H. W. Bush,Bill Clinton, andGeorge W. Bush;[261][262] foreign heads of state; members of U.S. presidential cabinets; U.S. Congress members; and mayors of New York City,[262]
TheIntrepid's superstructure and hull with lights at night
In the museum's first year, the Intrepid Museum Foundation hosted a party to celebrate theIntrepid's 40th anniversary.[263] Starting in 1982, theIntrepid also hosted an annual benefit called Night to Remember,[264] described byNaval History magazine as "a black-tie affair with thousands of couples dining and dancing to a swing band's music on the flight deck and disco tempos on the hangar deck".[8] The Intrepid Museum Foundation, in conjunction withRadio City Music Hall Productions, also hosted concerts and other events on the nearby Pier 84 during the late 1980s.[265] Other craft such as the battleshipUSS Iowa, also berthed outsideIntrepid for special events in the 1980s.[13] After the Gulf War started, the museum held events such as a tribute for the first New Yorker who died in the war,[266] as well as a commemoration of the war's first anniversary.[267] During the 1990s, the museum continued to host other events such as memorials,[268] benefits,[269] ceremonies, parties, and weddings.[20] The museum's flight deck was temporarily converted to a 3,300-seat stadium during the1998 Goodwill Games, when it hosted boxing and wrestling bouts.[81]
A series of professional boxing matches commenced at the museum in 2001,[270][271] one of which resulted in the death of fighterBeethaeven Scottland.[272] The museum's flight deck was later used as a filming location for the 2004 movieNational Treasure and the 2007 filmI Am Legend.[106] When the museum reopened in 2008, theNew York Daily News estimated that the carrier hosted 150 events annually, ranging "from black-tie galas to bar mitzvahs, photos shoots and runway shows".[106] It held concerts during the2013 MLB All-Star Weekend[273] and duringSuper Bowl XLVIII in 2014.[274] In addition, the museum continued to host other events such as political fundraisers,[275] film screenings,[276] and social events like Astronomy Night.[277] The museum's operators have also rented out the flight deck and halls for weddings.[278]
^"The City: Charges Dismissed Against Hirschfeld Bus Strike Protests 177 Sanitationmen To Be Hired by City Rent-Bias Suit Ends Intrepid's E.T.A. City's Struck Dairies Seeking to Relocate The Police Blotter".The New York Times. March 21, 1979. p. B3.ISSN0362-4331.ProQuest120924288.
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^abc"An Intrepid History".New York Daily News. May 21, 1995. p. 1140.ISSN2692-1251.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^"The City: Aircraft Carrier Plan Cleared for Bonding Killings in City Top Record Set in 1979 7 Given Probation Under New Gun Law Cab Driver, 32, Killed by Robbers Police Say Mother Threw Son to Death The Police Blotter".The New York Times. December 19, 1980. p. B3.ISSN0362-4331.ProQuest121459660.
^Milloy, Marilyn (July 9, 1981)."Not Giving Up the Ship".Newsday. p. 157.ISSN2574-5298.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Scherberger, Tom (July 22, 1985). "Company Fights to Realize Carrier-To-Museum Dream".Orlando Sentinel. p. C.1.ProQuest276620048.
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^Singleton, Don (December 11, 1983)."Their Honor Still Shines".New York Daily News. p. 4.ISSN2692-1251.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 10, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^abDallas, Gus (April 22, 1984)."Intrepid: Good Days Ahead".New York Daily News. p. 277.ISSN2692-1251.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Quint, Michael (October 13, 1985). "The Intrepid Museum Fighting to Weather a Financial Storm".The New York Times. p. 59.ISSN0362-4331.ProQuest111299677.
^Dallas, Gus (July 5, 1989)."Museum Flotilla".New York Daily News. p. 69.ISSN2692-1251.Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Bayless, Pamela (June 29, 1992). "Scrambling to Survive: Hard-Hit Nonprofits Try Bold Strategies".Crain's New York Business. Vol. 8, no. 26. p. 3.ProQuest219112872.
^abcdPolner, Robert (October 7, 1998). "Intrepid Museum Gets Rent Break / City Groups Call Move Unfair".Newsday. p. A05.ISSN2574-5298.ProQuest279131577.
^Toedtman, James (December 14, 1997). "Washington Briefing / A Weekly Report on People and Issues in the Nation's Capital / Projects Survive Cuts / Unexpected Revenues Benefit LI, New York City".Newsday. p. A28.ISSN2574-5298.ProQuest279112299.
^Rogers, David (October 15, 1997). "Clinton's Defense-Item Vetoes Favor Conventional Pork Over Space Weapons".The Wall Street Journal. p. A2.ISSN0099-9660.ProQuest398807060.
^Pienciak, Richard T. (December 14, 1997). "Arlington Dream Buried / Supporter of Military Shies From Brouhaha".New York Daily News. p. 12.ISSN2692-1251.ProQuest313555902.
^King, Paul (April 12, 1999). "New RA Accounts Include Intrepid Museum and Conde Nast".Nation's Restaurant News. Vol. 33, no. 15. p. 16.ProQuest229377017.
^Flamm, Matthew (April 5, 1999). "Finding Spaces in Odd NYC Places".Crain's New York Business. Vol. 15, no. 14. p. 27.ProQuest219160930.
^abMbugua, Martin (May 25, 2001). "Taking an Intrepid Step Over 12th Ave".New York Daily News. p. 58.ISSN2692-1251.ProQuest305675109.
^Cho, Aileen (March 20, 2000). "Urban Planning Paves Way for a West Side Story: Manhattan's Route 9A Rebuild Digs up Dirt of Road's Legacy".Engineering News-Record. Vol. 244, no. 11. pp. 45–46.ProQuest235755880.
^abPark, Lee; Seil, Larry (August 30, 2001). "Intrepid Brings Legacy to New Generations".The Poughkeepsie Journal. p. D.1.ProQuest910905309.
^Rayman, Graham (September 17, 2001). "Terrorist Attacks / A City of Contrasts / Residents Seek Normalcy in Wake of Attacks".Newsday. p. W17.ISSN2574-5298.ProQuest279462089.
^Sloan, Gene (September 21, 2001). "The New Face of New York; The City That Doesn't Sleep Now Has Closures and Restrictions".USA Today. p. D01.ProQuest408857985.
^Sandberg, Jared (October 12, 2001). "In Disaster's Wake, New York's Rivers Are Put Back to Work --- Ferries Crowd the Waterfront; Trade Center Attacks 'Blew Commuters Back in Time'".The Wall Street Journal. p. A1.ISSN0099-9660.ProQuest398768605.
^abLombroso, Linda (March 24, 2002)."Feeling a Little Intrepid?".The Journal News. p. 209.Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 14, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
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^abMatthews, Karen (October 2, 2006)."Intrepid Museum Closes".The Journal News. p. 8.Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 15, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Morris, Keiko (October 26, 2006)."A Moving Experience".Newsday. pp. 52,53.ISSN2574-5298.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Bleyer, Bill (November 7, 2006). "USS Stuck-In-The-Mud, Seven Tugboats Are Not Enough to Pull the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier Museum out of Its Berth in Manhattan".Newsday. p. A06.ISSN2574-5298.ProQuest280060170.
^abcBleyer, Bill (October 3, 2008). "Berth of a Legend After Nearly Two Years and $120M Spent on Restoring the Vessel and Construction of a New Pier, Intrepid Returns to Manhattan Site".Newsday. p. A20.ISSN2574-5298.ProQuest280205403.
^abcdef"Planes, Tanks and Ships".The Standard-Star. August 1, 1991. p. 31.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
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^Furio, Joanne (August 1, 1991)."Planes, Tanks and Ships".The Standard-Star. p. 31.Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^abSchneider, Daniel B. (November 5, 2000)."F.y.i."The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 14, 2023.
^"Anheuser-Busch Teams with Intrepid Museum to Establish Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund".Sea Power. Vol. 46, no. 7. July 2003. p. 48.ProQuest235979771.
^Gardner, Ralph Jr. (September 11, 2013). "City News – Urban Gardner: Life-Changing Internships".The Wall Street Journal. p. A18.ISSN0099-9660.ProQuest1431279469.
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Furio, Joanne (October 15, 1991)."Fund-raiser on Intrepid".The Standard-Star. p. 39.Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^Smith, Tim (June 27, 2001). "Boxer's Beaten Into Coma Light-Heavyweight Fighter Knocked Out in Intrepid Bout".New York Daily News. p. 3.ISSN2692-1251.ProQuest305600793.
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at42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal[1]
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