Spend A Day At The Intrepid Museum in New York City

Learn all about military and space history at the Intrepid Museum in New York City.

New York City is famous for its many museums. But did you know that in Midtown, right on the Hudson River, there is a military and space museum? It’s called Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and it is so much fun!

Head over to Pier 86 at Hudson Yards on the West Side of Manhattan, where you can spend a wonderful day exploring the museum and the USS Intrepid.

The air carrier is the centerpiece of this museum but you’ll also find a variety of airplanes, a submarine from the Cold War Era, a space pavilion, and the supersonic plane Concorde.

There is a lot to see; interactive exhibits, hands-on learning zones, captivating movies, and augmented visual experiences in the 3D/4D theater. It’s fun for all ages!

Your plan of attack: To see the Museum

You can choose to see the museum on a guided tour or on your own. We like exploring museums at our own pace and reading everything so we skipped the guided tours.

If you choose to discover on your own we recommend one of two routes; start at the Hangar Deck where you will find the majority of the exhibits and move upwards to the Flight Deck.

Alternatively, you can start at the Flight Deck, see the Space Shuttle Pavilion, and then make your way down through the ship.

USS Intrepid Aircraft Carrier

Intrepid History

The USS Intrepid is an aircraft carrier that saw action during World War II, and the Vietnam War and more recently it was used to recover NASA astronauts.

The Intrepid was launched in 1943; in its first years, it survived 5 kamikaze attacks, and one torpedo strike and took part in the attack and destruction of the super battleship Musashi. This was just the beginning!

You’ll find all of the air carrier’s history and experiences throughout the ship. The best part is that you can explore it during your visit to the museum.

Exploring Intrepid

If you decide to begin your exploration on the Flight Deck you’ll find yourself wandering among a fascinating range of airplanes: propeller planes, weather reconnaissance planes, helicopters, and fighter planes. A real treat for anyone who loves aircrafts.

From the flight deck, you can visit the flag bridge and the navigation bridge, the room from where the captain gave directions for navigating the ship.

Before heading down be sure to visit the Space Shuttle Pavilion, especially if you like space exploration. More on that below.

As you make your way to the Gallery Deck you’ll find the Gun Tub. AKA, the ships fighting guns!

You’ll get to see firsthand how massive these guns are, and you can even take a seat on one pretending you’re aiming to take down an enemy plane!

The anchor room and the combat information center are other interesting rooms you can explore on this deck.

The next deck down will be the Hangar Deck. Here you’ll find most of the exhibitions, interactive exhibits, and movies from the WWII tours of duty.

Finally, head down to the third deck where you will encounter the galley (kitchen), mess hall, and sleeping quarters for the sailors.

You’ll find photos and paraphernalia from the years of service of the USS Intrepid throughout your route. They help visualize the era it was in service.

Space Shuttle Pavilion

If you’re a fan of space exploration or NASA then you’ll be thrilled here. The main attraction in this pavilion is the space shuttle Enterprise. This is not a replica, it’s the real thing!

In addition to walking under, and around this massive space shuttle you’ll be able to read about its history and the other space shuttles built for this program.

You’ll be able to explore NASA’s Space Shuttle program from its inception to its end in 2011. How it came to be, its successes, and its failures.

But that’s not all, the pavilion has a virtual reality experience that you can participate in. This “ride” does have an additional cost but if you have the opportunity it could be the next best thing to actually being an astronaut.

Furthermore, if you’re a Lego fan, there was a very cool Lego construction in this pavilion. Be sure not to miss it.

Growler: A Guided Missile Submarine

When you’re finished seeing the USS Intrepid don’t forget to visit the submarine Growler. This is the only nuclear missile submarine open to the public.

The exhibition before entering the submarine itself is very interesting. It gives you a perspective of life inside the submarine. Can you imagine living underwater for months at a time?

Once inside the submarine you can visit the sonar and control room, pass by the mess hall which is used both for eating and entertainment, the bunks, and the torpedo room.

Because of the size and configuration of the submarine beware that you must be at least 40′ tall to go inside. Strollers are not allowed so children must be able to pass through a hatch unaided. This visit is not adequate for people suffering from claustrophobia or people with mobility limitations.

Things To Know

Part of the offerings in the Intrepid Museum is a visit inside a Concorde. For those of you too young to remember, the Concorde is the fastest commercial airplane to fly the skies.

This specific Concorde holds the record for the fastest flight at 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds from London to New York. A visit to the Concorde requires an additional fee and must be by guided tour.

Since there is a lot to see this museum can take four to five hours to truly see. If you have children this can be a full-day activity.

You can bring snacks and drinks into the museum, but you can only eat in designated areas.

There are two dining alternatives on the Intrepid; The Aviator Grill on the 2nd floor of the Welcome Center or the Intrepid Marketplace on the Third Deck of the air-carrier right past the Galley and Mess Hall.

Parting Thoughts

The Intrepid Museum offers an enriching and interesting alternative for families and adults while visiting New York City.

The museum has a rotating calendar of events and exhibitions. Be sure to check the Intrepid Museum Website to see what they are during your visit. You can also purchase tickets ahead of time through their website.

We found the experience fun and enlightening and we enjoyed it immensely. We hope you do too.