Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
West 46th Street and 12th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
(212) 245-0072 • 245-2533 groups & schools
www.intrepidmuseum.org

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has reopened to the thrill of many following an extensive renovation and reconstruction that took more than a year to complete.

Visitors can experience structures, spaces and artifacts that illustrate the story of how freedom is won and maintained for our great nation and honor the heroes that put their lives on the line.

The Museum offers four exciting components:

• Sea
• Air
• Space
• and Life

Sea

Visitors can explore two historic naval vessels, the USS Intrepid herself and the USS Growler, the only intact strategic diesel-powered submarine that fired nuclear missiles open to the public anywhere in the world.

The Intrepid

Commissioned in 1943, the USS Intrepid served in World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, in the space race, and even as a staging area for recovery efforts following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. She was a state-of-the-art war machine and a virtual floating city that supported over 3,000 American lives at sea.

The Intrepid offers a wide range of exhibits that convey the fascinating history of this marvelous ship, her missions, equipment, and the brave men and women who served the United States. Many of the new exhibits are interactive and offer visitors a hands-on learning experience through audio-visual a multimedia technology.

USS Growler

Still under renovation as of this writing and scheduled for opening in spring of 2009, The Growler was decommissioned only six years after being constructed in 1958 and escaped the fate of becoming a torpedo test target only through the efforts of Intrepid Museum founder Zachary Fisher. The sub carried and launched the Regulus cruise missile.

Visitors will gain insight into the Cold War era of the 1950's and 60's and come to appreciate the rigors of the life of the submariner and the nerves of steel that these sailors possessed.

Air

The Intrepid's collection of 30 aircraft includes two of the fastest in the world: the A-12 Blackbird spy plane, with a top recorded speed of 2,269 mph and the Concorde, the famous supersonic passenger jet recently retired from service.

Aircraft from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the US Coast Guard are represented -- aircraft of all types, all beautifully restored, and each one a fascinating piece of history to be enjoyed. Ever wonder what happened to the helicopter seen so often in the TV series, MASH? It's here, on display as a flight interactive in the Intrepid's Exploreum.

Space

The Intrepid was the recovery vessel for to American space capsules in the 1960's. The Museum's Aurora 7 Mercury Space Capsule Replica is modeled after the capsule commanded by astronaut Scott Carpenter during our second orbital flight in 1962. A replica of the Gemini 3 capsule recovered by the Intrepid can also be seen.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise is Intrepid's newest exhibit, scheduled to reopen in July 2013 following repair of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Check Intrepid's official website, linked above, for further updates and information.

Life

The lives of those who served aboard and were served by the Intrepid are recalled through a wide range of artifacts, including photographs, letters, certificates, medals, souvenirs, and other personal items of the carrier's 3,000-plus person crew, the pilots who flew the aircraft carried by the Intrepid, and the astronauts whose missions culminated with a trip aboard the Intrepid.

Visitors to the Intrepid can also enjoy the "sailor art" designed and created by the servicemen on board. Examples include sketches on handkerchiefs, an ashtray made from a shell fired by the Intrepid, and detailed wall paintings scattered throughout the interior of the carrier.

A vast collection of uniforms of all types enlightens visitors as to the various duties and jobs the servicemen performed. And equipment and gear such as landing signal paddles, aircraft tie-downs, and other items further illustrate how those duties were accomplished.

The Intrepid offers many other exhibits and attractions that make life aboard an aircraft carrier real to the average citizen and honor the servicemen and women to whom we all owe so much.

In addition, families can enjoy some wonderful education programs after school and on weekends. And, talk about family activities, the Intrepid offers some unique opportunities for Birthday Parties that are sure to be remembered. Visit the Intrepid's official website, linked above, for further details on the exhibits and family programs.. Better yet, visit the Intrepid.

The Intrepid also offers a great lineup of School Programs for grades K - 12. Though titles may change, a few examples include:

• Up, Up and Away (grades K - 5) -- While touring the Intrepid's fantastic aircraft collection, students will learn about the originas of aviation and aircraft design.
• MSI - Marine Science Investigation (grades 7 - 12) -- Students utilize real world techniques in conducting experiments related to hydrology, watersheds, water quality, and pollution of the Hudson River estuary.
• Report to Duty! (grades K - 5) -- Students learn what it was like to be a crew member aboard the Intrepid through a hands-on History Workshop.

Thematic Guided Tours are also available, each focusing on a different area, such as Life Aboard Intrepid, The Aircraft Collection and Flight, and others.

Outreach Programs are also available for delivery at a school.

This page can only describe a small percentage of what is available at this vast museum complex, and all are encouraged to visit the official site, linked above.