The Intrepid Museum

So, we are in NJ. My mom is elderly, and she needs a break from the kids. She appreciates seeing us, but sometimes having a whole family invade your house is overwhelming. So, we wanted to plan some things to give her a break. We decided to check out the Intrepid Aircraft carrier.

Why this Ship?

This is an aircraft carrier that the Japanese thought was indestructible. They tried! The ship took several kamikaze hits, caught on fire, and got a new deck. The Japanese hit it with a torpedo, and it survived. They called the ship “The Ghost Ship.” This is a ship that should have been destroyed, but it will not be destroyed.

I was pretty shocked when I toured the ship to hear the different attacks that came against it. The first kamikaze struck the ship on October 29, 1944, and claimed the lives of 10 sailors. On November 25, 1944, more kamikaze hits and 69 sailors died. On April 16, 1945, there was a kamikaze hit, and the ship was forced to return for repairs. Tragically, sailors died, but this ship continued to take a beating and live for another day.

In the 1950s, the ship was updated for the Cold War and received an upgraded deck to accommodate the jets for a more modern battle. The ship was eventually decommissioned on March 15, 1974. So this ship was used from August 16, 1943, through 1974. It had been hit, attacked, and reconfigured to meet more modern defense challenges. There is a movie in the hangar on one of the major attacks that is worth watching. It is a 4D movie with some interaction. If you have had a concussion, the lights might be a little triggering, so be aware of that if you go down in the hangar to watch it. Personally, just a dull documentary would have done the trick for me. You can tour the hangar and not watch the movie so please tour the hangar.

There are different staircases to tour the different parts of the ship. It is very impressive, to say the least. You can start wherever you like, and you can just explore for however long you like. I could have spent more time here, but the family was fatigued. I think we spent about 3 ½ hours between the sub and the Intrepid. In 3 ½ hours, we had enough time for a good tour.

There are plenty of decommissioned planes on the deck to give you an idea of how much the ship can hold. It is impressive how big the thing is, and it is about 100 feet shorter than most modern aircraft carriers. This is definitely worth checking out.

How did we get there?

So, you are excited and want to see the Intrepid, but you don’t want to drive around NYC? I don’t blame you. Remember that Elf reminded us that the yellow ones don’t stop. That was true in the filming of Elf and is just as true today. NYC is like a game of Frogger. You have to avoid the Yellow Cabs and the delivery people on e-bikes. Think of this as reflex training. Honestly, I don’t like driving in NYC, so we opted for another plan.

We have pre-paid parking in Hoboken. We purchased our ticket and parked in a nice garage. There was someone at the entrance of the garage keeping watch, which was reassuring. We had our rental van, so I really was not that worried about a Ferris Bueller experience. Thankfully, we didn’t have to run the van backwards when we got back. Seriously, there are many options online to get this done.

We walked from the parking garage to the ferry. You only walk maybe 1/2 miles to the Intrepid from the dock. You buy your ticket, and you pay attention to your “slip.” This tells you what ferry to take and the time that the ferry leaves. Think of this as the gate for a plane. The slip is just the dock where the ferry is located. The ticket is about 10 bucks per person per trip. So yes, this is not cheap with a family, but it is very convenient.

The Actual Museum

We bought our tickets online. At the time of this writing, the tickets were 38 for adults and free for 4-year-olds. I guess you can always try for a fake ID, but unless you are Benjamin Button, the ID is probably not going to fly. So, make sure you budget for the experience and for getting into the city.

You get a lot for your money! We started with the Submarine the USS Growler. My kids preferred the sub over the Intrepid. They liked both exhibits, but they preferred the sub because it was so unique. It is insane to think about people living in the sub underwater for weeks on end. I don’t think I could do it.

The Intrepid allows you to meander through the ship. You can burn hours on the ship. There are a variety of planes; you can ride the elevator that brings the planes up and down. The elevator has some of the original planked decking. It is just fascinating to see the aircraft carrier. I’m not even a military historian, and I could have spent more time there.

My favorite thing was to walk around the navigator quarters. It is just amazing to see how this ship navigates the vast ocean. There were also volunteers answering questions about the ship and its navigation techniques. I would encourage you to take the time and make your way up the stairs. Do your best to get those people talking because it is just fascinating to listen to how these ships run.

There is something there for the kids to enjoy, too. They have a whole kids’ section on the lower hangar deck. I did not spend much time there as I figured a dude with grown kids walking around the section with a camera would make any caring parent nervous. My daughter went over there just to see what it offered. There are a ton of interactive things, but it is geared well for younger kids.

One of the coolest things! Ed Diment built a 22 foot model of the Intrepid. Are you ready for this? Out of LEGOs! How cool is that? My picture did not turn out well, but there is a sailor about to encounter a shark. The 550 pound Lego exhibit makes the admission price worth it! This is found in the hanger.

We left the Intrepid and made the mistake of getting food from a food cart on the street. Personally, I wish we just sat down and ate at the little cafe they have in the basement of the Intrepid…. Basement of a ship…. That is funny. However, we wanted the full NYC experience, so we got ripped off at a food cart. We ate something that resembled meat, and then headed up to Times Square. My kids enjoyed the lights, and be ready for “vendors” trying to sell or push things on you. It takes a very persistent “no” to repel them. We then booked it to the Public Library from Times Square. If you do that whole trip, be ready to walk about 6 miles. It was a hike, but it was nice for our kids to see everything. My friend works in NYC, so he knows the main streets to walk. Some of the side streets going back to the ferry, you definitely want to walk during the day. So plan accordingly. We had no incidents at all other than pushy salespeople trying to sell bus tours. Other than that, it was uneventful.

Conclusion

This is a great trip! If someone likes history, then this museum is amazing. It is sad to think about those who lost their lives in the kamikaze attacks, and I imagine that it is also difficult for the survivors after an attack. They have to bury their buddies at sea and then continue to get into the fight. It is a reminder that war is absurd, but sometimes necessary. Hopefully, we can remember that diplomacy is always the ideal policy.

I would highly recommend the Intrepid. It is just cool to see the old technology, and to listen to people talk about the ship. Seriously, this is worthy of some vacation budget money to see if you are heading to NYC or NJ!