Visiting the Intrepid Museum in 2024
The USS Intrepid is perfectly located in mid-town Manhattan for a few-hour visit during a trip to New York City.
The Intrepid Museum was founded in 1982 with the acquisition of the legendary aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. The carrier has been joined by the Space Shuttle Enterprise, a British Airways Concorde supersonic aircraft, a submarine, and 28 restored aircraft.
That’s a pretty good lineup even if you are not particularly interested in aviation history. I guess that’s why over a million people visit annually.
A taxi drives past the USS Intrepid Museum on the west side of Manhattan. Photos by John O’Boyle / The Empty Nest Explorers
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Getting to the USS Intrepid museum
The museum is located on the Hudson River at 46th Street so there are countless ways to get there.
You can take the A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, 1, 2, 3, and 7 subway trains to 42nd Street then walk west to the Hudson River.
Another option is the crosstown busses. The M34 on 34th St., the M42 on 42nd St. or the M-50 on 49th St. are great options. Take the bus to 12th Ave and walk the short distance to the museum.
The NY Waterway ferry from New Jersey leaves you right next to the ship.
For more tips on traveling on the NYC subway check out our post: How to ride the NYC subway, tips for visitors
Admission to the Museum costs $33 for adults, $31 for seniors and college students, and $24 for kids.
You can save 40% with the New York CityPASS tourist discount card.
The museum is open most days but be sure to check the website since there are sporadic closures for special events.
Pro tip - Bank of America currently offers its customers free admission to select museums on the first full weekend of every month. You can find more info here.
You can get up close to aircraft at the USS Intrepid.
Exploring the USS Intrepid Museum
There are 28 restored aircraft throughout the ship, most on the flight deck. From the World War 2 workhorse TBM-3E Avenger to the sleek, uniquely designed Lockheed A-12.
The planes span the World War 2 era to current-day fighter jets and helicopters.
There are even Soviet MIG fighter jets on display.
Seeing these planes on a real flight deck or a real hangar deck makes the experience much more authentic than a regular museum.
A cruise ship (rear) docked near the Intrepid.
On the hangar deck, there are many displays explaining important moments in the ship’s history. There is a riveting multimedia presentation with the voices of sailors, colored lights, and bursts of steam that recreates a World War 2 kamikaze attack that killed nine sailors in the exact spot of the presentation.
The Exploreum is an interactive space on the hangar deck designed for kids and those young of heart too.
You can climb into a Bell 47 helicopter, jump onto bunk beds or sit in the cockpit of a training aircraft.
You can watch a 3D film on aviation or space exploration for an extra admission charge.
I’ve never tried the flight simulators but they look like a lot of fun. One of the simulators allows you to fly along with the Blue Angels with all the twists and turns.
The Space Shuttle Enterprise is a highlight at the USS Intrepid.
Visiting the Space Shuttle Enterprise
Perhaps the best and certainly the biggest attraction is the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
Many years ago Debbie and I saw the Enterprise on display at the Air and Space Museum next to Dulles Airport in Virginia.
In 2012 the shuttle was moved on the back of a 747 to New York City. Since I was a newspaper photographer at the time I photographed the shuttle flying over the Hudson River. The crowds were huge to see the highly unusual event.
The Space Shuttle flies over the Hudson River as it is delivered to the Intrepid Museum.
Side Note - Debbie and I are on a quest to see all the surviving space shuttles. We’ve seen Enterprise in NYC and Virginia, Endeavour in Los Angeles, and Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The only one we haven’t seen yet is Discovery which took the place of Enterprise at the Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
A large building was constructed on the flight deck to house the Enterprise and a variety of related exhibits. No matter what age you are it’s very impressive to see a space shuttle in person.
The Intrepid flight deck houses many aircraft.
Other exhibits at the Intrepid Museum
On the flight deck near the space shuttle is an iconic Concorde airplane. This British Airways plane flew at 1,350 miles per hour and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in just under 3 hours, the fastest ever.
You can walk around the landing gear of the plane for the price of regular admission or for $7 more you can visit inside the plane and its flight deck.
So far we’ve been in spacecraft, every type of aircraft, and a huge naval ship so I guess the only thing left is underwater. Luckily you can also visit the USS Growler, a guided missile submarine. You can see the crew dining area, the sun’s control room, and a torpedo room.
There is even a program that allows you to sleep overnight at the Intrepid. Be sure to check these out very early because they sell out quickly.
Of course, there is a large gift shop near the exit with a huge variety of items. There is also a cafe but since you are in the middle of NYC I’d skip it and head to any of the dozens and dozens of nearby restaurants.
You might want to check out our post about what to do in the Chelsea section in NYC , it’s an easy walk from the USS Intrepid. Or you might want to walk east on 42nd Street and follow our blog post about mid-town NYC attractions.
Even considering the world-class attractions you’ll see during a trip to New York City I guarantee that you’ll remember your trip to the Intrepid.
This post was researched and written by John of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here.
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