| The Carrier: | Intrepid served in 3 wars, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. She survived seven bomb attacks, five kamikaze crashes, and a torpedo hit. During the 1960's, the Intrepid served as the primary recovery ship for the Mercury and Gemini space flights. After being decommissioned, she toured the US during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. While the US Navy planned to scrap the Intrepid, a group of New Yorkers campaigned and raised money to save the ship, which is now billed as the largest sea, air, and space museum in the world. | |
| The Museum: | Intrepid is tied up at Pier 86
in the Hudson
River on the west side of Manhattan Island. That is roughly at the west
end of 42nd street. It is easy walking from the subway station, or take
a cab from anywhere in the city. There is no parking. The museum is busy,
so plan a mid-week visit to avoid the crowds. The bulk of the displays are on the hangar deck, which is packed full of interesting stuff. A majority of the ever growing aircraft collection is on the flight deck. While the Navy planes are built for the salt air environment found near the sea, the A-12 Blackbird is not, and the plane is rapidly deteriorating. In addition to the flight and hangar decks, the island is open for tours, as well as some of the rooms that are just under the flight deck but above the hangar decks. Nothing below the hangar deck is open, such as the main crew areas or engine rooms. When the Intrepid was brought in, it was grounded, and water has entered some of the lowest levels of the ships, so it is unlikely that the below the hangar deck areas will ever be available for tours. In addition to the Intrepid, the museum includes a Submarine missile carrier and a retired Concorde supersonic jet airliner. |
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Photo and text by John A. Weeks III, Copyright © 2005, all rights reserved.
For further information, contact:
john@johnweeks.com
