Intrepid Museum

The Intrepid Museum (originally the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum) is a military and maritime history museum in New York City, United States. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street, along the Hudson River, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum is mostly composed of exhibits, aircraft, and spacecraft aboard the museum ship Template:USS, a World War II–era aircraft carrier and National Historic Landmark, in addition to a cruise missile submarine named Template:USS and a Concorde on Pier 86. The Intrepid Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1979, operates the museum.

The museum was proposed in the late 1970s as a way to preserve Intrepid, and it opened on August 3, 1982. The Intrepid Museum Foundation filed for bankruptcy protection in 1985 after struggling to attract visitors. The foundation acquired USS Growler and the destroyer USS Edson in the late 1980s to attract guests and raise money, although it remained unprofitable through the 1990s. The museum received a minor renovation in 1998 after it started turning a profit. Between 2006 and 2008, the Intrepid Museum was completely closed for a $115 million renovation. A new pavilion for the Space Shuttle Enterprise opened in 2012.

The Intrepid Museum spans three of the carrier's decks; from top to bottom, they are the flight, hangar, and gallery decks. Most of the museum's collection is composed of aircraft, many of which were used by the United States Armed Forces. Among the museum's collection are a Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The hangar and gallery decks contain a variety of attractions such as exhibit halls, a theater, and flight simulators, as well as individual objects like a cockpit and an air turbine. Several craft and other objects have been sold off or removed from the museum's collection over the years. The museum serves as a space for community and national events, such as Fleet Week and awards ceremonies, in addition to educational programs.

History

Context and founding

Template:USS, an Essex-class aircraft carrier, was launched in 1943.<ref name="nrhpinv2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} and Template:NHLS url Template:Small</ref><ref name="nyt-1982-06-20">Template:Cite news</ref> She participated in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and was a recovery ship for space missions.<ref name="p153223797">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1000192180">Template:Cite news</ref> Intrepid was supposed to be scrapped after decommissioning in the late 1970s, but Odysseys in Flight, a nonprofit organization founded by Michael D. Piccola and Bruce Sherer,<ref name="p1000192180" /> wished to convert Intrepid into a museum ship.<ref name="nyt-1978-07-10" /><ref name="p545213506">Template:Cite news</ref> Odysseys in Flight had initially planned to salvage the carriers Template:USS<ref name="p1000192180" /> or Template:USS.<ref name="p203497063">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The United States Navy wanted the organization to raise $3 million for the carrier's upkeep.<ref name=nyt-1978-07-10>Template:Cite news</ref> The organization hosted an exhibit at 6 World Trade Center to raise support for the project,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Odysseys in Flight had raised $2 million by March 1979.<ref name="p120924288">Template:Cite news</ref> One of the museum's largest supporters was local real estate developer Zachary Fisher,<ref name="p1000192180" /><ref name="p398105369">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p229938535">Template:Cite magazine</ref> who established the Intrepid Museum Foundation in March 1978<ref name="n131635156">Template:Cite news</ref> and contributed over $25 million to the museum during his lifetime.<ref name="nyt-1999-06-05">Template:Cite news</ref> Fisher was enthusiastic about the project, eventually attracting other high-profile supporters such as radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey and actress Maureen O'Hara.<ref name="p1000192180" /> The Navy also hoped that Intrepid could be used for recruitment.<ref name="p398105369" />

Mayor Ed Koch announced plans for the IntrepidTemplate:'s conversion in mid-April 1981,<ref name="n131495895">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the United States Department of the Navy transferred the Intrepid to Fisher, who led the nonprofit Intrepid Museum Foundation, on April 27, 1981.<ref name="n131495729">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1981-04-28">Template:Cite news</ref> The conversion of the carrier's top two decks cost $22 million<ref name="p121921748">Template:Cite news</ref> and was funded by $2.4 million in private donations,<ref name="p232165926">Template:Cite news</ref> as well as $15.2 million of tax-exempt bonds and $4.5 million from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.<ref name="p232165926" /><ref name="nyt-1982-08-02">Template:Cite news</ref> After the New York City Board of Estimate gave the Intrepid Museum Foundation permission to sell tax-exempt bonds in December 1980,<ref name="p121459660">Template:Cite news</ref> the bonds were sold to the public in July 1981.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The federal grant was approved in January 1982,<ref name="p398105369" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> even though the project "had nothing to do with housing".<ref name="p232165926" /> The renovation involved the addition of a theater,<ref name="n131518117">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131495381">Template:Cite news</ref> several planes on IntrepidTemplate:'s deck, and aviation and maritime exhibit halls.<ref name="nyt-1982-06-20" /><ref name="n131495729" /><ref name="n131518117" /> The carrier's navigation and flight bridges were also restored.<ref name="nyt-1982-03-07">Template:Cite news</ref> The city spent around $2.5 million to renovate Pier 86 on the West Side of Manhattan, where Intrepid was to be docked.<ref name="p1000192180" /><ref name="p232165926" /> The museum leased the pier from the city for 33 years at $50,000 per year,<ref name="p277882613">Template:Cite news</ref> making annual payments in lieu of taxes totaling $400,000.<ref name="p232165926" />

Intrepid was towed to her permanent home at Pier 86 in June 1982.<ref name="nyt-1982-06-20" /><ref name="p993569046">Template:Cite news</ref> Following a soft opening on July 4,<ref name="p1000192180" /> the museum opened on August 3, 1982, as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.<ref name="nyt-1982-08-02" /><ref name="n131495130">Template:Cite news</ref> This made Intrepid the second aircraft carrier in the U.S. to be converted into a museum, after the Template:USS.<ref name="p276620048">Template:Cite news</ref> Larry Sawinski was named as the museum's director of exhibits.<ref name="n131624744">Template:Cite news</ref> When the Intrepid Museum opened, it showcased several aircraft and spacecraft, and it also contained an exhibit on the early history of carriers. The exhibit halls on hangar level (including Pioneer Hall and Navy Hall), as well as the theater, were not completed.<ref name="p1000192180" /> Maritime and aviation schools were planned for the lower two decks, the renovation of which was expected to cost $22 million.<ref name="p121921748" /> The museum had 50 paid staff, who worked mostly in the cafeteria, gift shop, and ticket booths; another 100 volunteers were responsible for the museum's displays and expansion.<ref name="p203497063" /> The museum's opening was expected to create 469 jobs in the surrounding area, though many of these jobs never materialized.<ref name="p232165926" />

1980s

The Intrepid Museum Foundation dedicated the Hall of Honor, the United States' first archive dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, on December 10, 1983;<ref name="n131562183">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131562303">Template:Cite news</ref> the Medal of Honor Society also relocated into offices within the carrier.<ref name="p153671379">Template:Cite news</ref> The museum originally was projected to attract 1.3 to 1.4 million visitors annually,<ref name="p232165926" /><ref name="nyt-1982-08-02" /> but it recorded only half of this amount in its first year.<ref name="nyt-1983-12-05">Template:Cite news</ref> This forced the museum's directors to delay payments on its debt.<ref name="p232165926" /><ref name="nyt-1983-12-05" /> The museum had recorded 450,000 patrons in 1984, nearly half of the 800,000 annual patrons that were required to break even.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Attendance had been negatively impacted because of the lack of nearby public transit,<ref name="n131497395">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131496678" /> and the museum struggled to raise money despite increasing its ticket prices.<ref name="p398105369" /> Nonetheless, the museum planned to expand by 1984; it had received $250,000 from the Astor Foundation for classrooms and conference rooms, and the New York state government gave $850,000 for historic preservation.<ref name="n131496678">Template:Cite news</ref> Film and television executive Stanley Abrams was named as the museum's president in June 1984.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Intrepid Museum Foundation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1985, declaring $28.4 million in debt and $16.5 million in assets.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131497581">Template:Cite news</ref> Only about a third of the museum's revenues came from admissions, with the remaining two-thirds coming from grants, donations, or fundraisers and other such events.<ref name="n131570425">Template:Cite news</ref> Nonetheless, museum officials planned to continue normal operations and launch a campaign to attract visitors;<ref name="n131497395" /> Lawrence Sowinski, the director of exhibits, described the museum as "too valuable a resource to close".<ref name="p111299677">Template:Cite news</ref> Advertising firm McCann-Erickson was hired to promote the museum, running cheap advertisements in newspapers, on the radio, and in New York City Subway cars.<ref name="nyt-1985-04-11">Template:Cite news</ref> The state also provided $1.024 million for the museum in its 1985 budget,<ref name="nyt-1985-04-07">Template:Cite news</ref> though ultimately the museum got $850,000.<ref name="p285368536">Template:Cite news</ref> Intrepid was officially designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986,<ref name="p425762249">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131562797">Template:Cite news</ref> and its annual allocation from the state was raised to $895,000 that year.<ref name="p285368536" /> Investigators announced in early 1987 that members of the Westies gang had engaged in racketeering,<ref name="n131562797" /><ref name="nyt-1987-04-04">Template:Cite news</ref> stealing $100,000 to $120,000 annually from the Intrepid Museum.<ref name="n124859727">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the late 1980s, the museum had 400,000 annual visitors;<ref name="n131562797" /> its low attendance was attributed to competition from more popular tourist attractions.<ref name="p392206770">Template:Cite news</ref> Additionally, the museum was the only major point of interest on the rundown Hudson River waterfront,<ref name="nyt-1992-01-10">Template:Cite news</ref> in part due to delays in the construction of nearby developments such as Javits Center.<ref name="n131570425" /><ref name="p392206770" /> The Intrepid Museum Foundation presented a reorganization plan to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in July 1987, in which nearly half of the museum's $28.4 million debt would be forgiven, but creditors would only receive a portion of their claims.<ref name="p1747116626">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131572805">Template:Cite news</ref> After successfully exiting bankruptcy proceedings, the museum planned to display a submarine alongside Intrepid.<ref name="p203497063" /><ref name="n131631148">Template:Cite news</ref> Fisher funded the addition of two permanent exhibits in the late 1980s,<ref name="n131624744" /><ref name="p278165890">Template:Cite news</ref> at which point Intrepid had 39 aircraft.<ref name="p1896258135">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:USS, a Template:Sclass that carried nuclear Regulus missiles, was towed to the museum in late 1988<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and opened to the public the next May.<ref name="p278165890" /><ref name="nyt-1989-05-26">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:USS, a Template:Sclass that was the last all-gun destroyer in the United States Navy,<ref name="nyt-1988-12-17">Template:Cite news</ref> was displayed at the Intrepid Museum starting in July 1989.<ref name="n131625039">Template:Cite news</ref> At the time, the museum had few repeat visitors, and Fisher hoped that Growler and Edson would attract returning patrons.<ref name="p278165890" />

1990s

File:Intrepid 01.JPG

Museum entrance

The outbreak of the Gulf War in the early 1990s caused interest in the Intrepid Museum to increase;<ref name="nyt-1991-02-12">Template:Cite news</ref> at the time, the museum was displaying an exhibit on the Gulf War.<ref name="p239570689">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p283238162">Template:Cite news</ref> By early 1991, the museum recorded 5,000 visitors on a typical weekend, more than twice the previous year's weekend patronage.<ref name="nyt-1991-02-12" /> The Intrepid Museum received $900,000 from the state, $350,000 from the New York City Board of Education, and $60,000 from the city government annually. All of this funding was eliminated in 1992, forcing the museum to fire a quarter of its staff, and two young men formed the Intrepid Museum Society and raised money through various events.<ref name="p219112872">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Intrepid Museum held numerous fundraisers and received $1.1 million from numerous city and state agencies between 1992 and 1996. Despite this, the museum continued to struggle to remain solvent; the Village Voice wrote in 1996 that "the continued taxpayer subsidies seem hard to justify".<ref name="p232165926" /> Although the museum rented Pier 86 from the city for $252,000 annually, it paid no rent between March 1995 and October 1997.<ref name="p279131577">Template:Cite news</ref>

To raise money,<ref name="nyt-1996-03-03">Template:Cite news</ref> the museum tried to acquire the decommissioned amphibious assault ship Template:USS in 1994, berth her next to Intrepid, and use Guadalcanal as a heliport.<ref name="nyt-1994-05-15">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131636932">Template:Cite news</ref> Although the United States Senate approved the plan,<ref name="nyt-1994-07-052">Template:Cite news</ref> residents of the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood objected to the fact that the heliport would cut off their access to Pier 84.<ref name="Lambert 1996">Template:Cite news</ref> That year, the museum received part of a $1 million appropriation earmarked for the restoration of the Template:USS in Baltimore.<ref name="p406886532">Template:Cite news</ref> The museum remained unprofitable, recording a $1 million loss in 1996. Annual revenue from ticket sales totaled $3 million, less than half of the museum's budget; donations and event rentals covered the rest of the budget.<ref name="nyt-1996-03-03" /><ref name="p232192990">Template:Cite news</ref> Agencies that had loaned planes to the Intrepid Museum, such as the Air Force Museum Foundation, expressed concerns that the museum was incapable of properly maintaining the aircraft.<ref name="p232192990" /> After the Guadalcanal plan was canceled in early 1996,<ref name="Lambert 1996" /><ref name="p232192990" /> the Intrepid Museum launched an advertising campaigns to attract patrons; previously, most of its publicity came from word of mouth and public service announcements.<ref name="nyt-1996-03-03" />

Retired Marine Corps general Donald Ray Gardner replaced Sowinski as the Intrepid Museum Foundation's president in September 1996.<ref name="p232192990" /> Gardner laid off staff, sharply restricted expense spending, deaccessioned some costly artifacts, and reduced the number of planes on exhibit.<ref name="p232192990" /><ref name="nyt-1997-05-25" /> Gardner also planned to add electronic kiosks to attract children, as well as develop an endowment fund.<ref name="nyt-1997-05-25">Template:Cite news</ref> U.S. President Bill Clinton approved $13 million for a renovation of the Intrepid Museum in late 1997, over his staff's objections to the project;<ref name="p279112299">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p398807060">Template:Cite news</ref> at the time, the museum had 500,000 annual visitors.<ref name="p279131577" /><ref name="p313555902">Template:Cite news</ref> The next year, Gardner closed the Intrepid Museum for a minor renovation, the first in its history;<ref name="p279121917">Template:Cite news</ref> the museum reopened in February 1998<ref name="nyt-1998-02-08">Template:Cite news</ref> with two new exhibits.<ref name="p279121917" /><ref name="p236028136">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The city waived $600,000 in unpaid rent, as well as future rent payments for Pier 86, in late 1998 after Fisher donated to mayor Rudy Giuliani.<ref name="p279131577" /> By then, the museum received hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the Navy, the state, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.<ref name="p279131577" />

In mid-1999, retired Marine Corps general Martin R. Steele took over as the Intrepid Museum Foundation's president and began planning 15 modifications to exhibits and 17 construction projects, including a $5.25 million renovation of the flight deck.<ref name="p229938535" /><ref name="nyt-1999-09-21">Template:Cite news</ref> Steele wished to attract students and increase annual patronage to 1.2 million,<ref name="nyt-1999-09-21" /> and he installed interactive kiosks within a year of taking over.<ref name="p229938535" /> Restaurant Associates took over the museum's food service the same year to accommodate the high number of after-hours parties and events at the Intrepid Museum.<ref name="p229377017">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="p219160930">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Intrepid Museum constructed a new visitor center at 46th Street and 12th Avenue that year. In addition, the museum planned to improve Pier 86, build a 245-seat theater, and erect a pedestrian overpass on 12th Avenue.<ref name="nyt-1999-12-05">Template:Cite news</ref>

2000s

As part of a project announced in May 2001,<ref name="p305675109">Template:Cite news</ref> Earth Tech Inc. built a cable-stayed bridge connecting the museum to the east side of 12th Avenue.<ref name="p235755880">Template:Cite magazine</ref> By then, nearly half of the museum's patrons hailed from foreign countries, and Steele described the Intrepid as the "largest naval museum in the world".<ref name="p910905309">Template:Cite news</ref> After the September 11 attacks, the museum was temporarily closed<ref name="p279462089">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p408857985">Template:Cite news</ref> and served as temporary field headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) while they investigated the attacks.<ref name="nyt-2001-09-24">Template:Cite news</ref> Additionally, part of the flight deck was cleared to make way for a temporary helipad.<ref name="p398768605">Template:Cite news</ref> The museum reopened after five weeks<ref name="nyt-2006-07-06">Template:Cite news</ref> and hosted an exhibit commemorating attack victims.<ref name="nyt-2002-02-23">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131813110">Template:Cite news</ref> The footbridge across 12th Avenue was completed in May 2003 for $11 million. Its construction experienced delays because of difficulties in constructing the foundations and because of the need to decontaminate the site.<ref name="nyt-2003-05-17">Template:Cite news</ref>

A Concorde supersonic aircraft was towed to the Intrepid Museum in November 2003,<ref name="p3940468222">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-2003-11-26">Template:Cite news</ref> making the museum one of two in the United States with a Concorde.<ref name="p3940468222" /><ref name="nyt-2003-10-31">Template:Cite news</ref> In conjunction with this acquisition, the museum created a new exhibit on transatlantic crossings.<ref name="nyt-2003-10-31" /> Also in late 2003, the Intrepid Museum offered to resell Edson back to the Navy, citing the fact that the adjacent pier needed to be repaired and could not be used for berthing Edson. After Edson was removed from the Intrepid Museum in 2004, the Navy sold the destroyer to the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum.<ref name="Burger 2012 b679">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Michael Tyler Fisher Center for Education opened within the museum in 2004,<ref name="Free Online Library 2015 c215">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, cofounded by the Fishers, occupied some space during the early 2000s.<ref name="p219169589">Template:Cite magazine</ref> By the middle of that decade, the museum had 750,000 visitors per year,<ref name="p306074926">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including over 100,000 students;<ref name="nyt-2006-11-21">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Parker 2008 x652">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it had recorded ten million all-time visitors by August 2005.<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /> The museum spent $17 million annually just on overhead costs.<ref name="p398974436">Template:Cite news</ref>

Renovation

File:Intrepid museum aerial.jpg

Aerial view of the museum from the Hudson River, 2011

By June 2006, the Intrepid Museum Foundation executives had notified state and federal governments of their plans to renovate Intrepid, though few details of this renovation were disclosed publicly.<ref name="p398974436"/><ref name="nyt-2006-06-17">Template:Cite news</ref> The foundation had already asked the United States Army Corps of Engineers to help dredge the mud around the keel so tugboats could tow her to a dry dock.<ref name="nyt-2006-06-17" /> That July, the foundation announced that Intrepid, along with Pier 86, would undergo renovations and repairs.<ref name="nyt-2006-07-06" /><ref name="n131501909">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p2800437802">Template:Cite news</ref> Initially, the project was supposed to cost $58 million and take 18 months.<ref name="n131516255" /><ref name="n131851506-">Template:Cite news</ref> The project was to be funded with $31 million from the federal government, $17 million from the New York City Council, and $5 million from the state;<ref name="p2800437802"/> the city later increased its share to $23 million.<ref name="nyt-2006-11-21" /> Intrepid closed on October 1, 2006,<ref name="n131516255">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n131851506-" /> in preparation for being towed to a dry dock at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey.<ref name="intrepid closure1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt-2006-10-27">Template:Cite news</ref> Museum officials had decided to tow the carrier away, as they estimated that the project would cost $100 million and take five years if Intrepid were left in place.<ref name="nyt-2006-07-06" />

Just before the renovation was scheduled to begin, Newsday reported that corrupt activities may have been involved in the renovation contract for Pier 86, prompting concerns that Intrepid and the Intrepid Museum Foundation were being investigated.<ref name="n131516512">Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, after the dry dock in Bayonne was found to be deteriorated, museum officials decided to move Intrepid to another pier in that city until the dry dock was repaired.<ref name="nyt-2006-10-27" /> The scheduled move on November 6, 2006,<ref name="nyt-2006-11-06">Template:Cite news</ref> was delayed when IntrepidTemplate:'s propellers stuck in the Hudson River mud, preventing tugboats from moving the ship out of her berth.<ref name="nyt-2006-11-08">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p280060170">Template:Cite news</ref> The Navy and USACE spent $3 million to extricate the carrier,<ref name="nyt-2006-11-21" /><ref name="NBC News 2006 r109">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> removing Template:Convert of sediment and mud from the propellers and pier.,<ref name="nyt-2006-12-02">Template:Cite news</ref> Tugboats made a successful second attempt on December 5, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the end of the year, Growler was also towed to Bayonne for renovation,<ref name="nyt-2006-12-14">Template:Cite news</ref> while the Concorde on Pier 86 was floated to Floyd Bennett Field so the pier could be repaired.<ref name="WAFF 2006 c889">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Intrepid Museum Foundation also sold $7.08 million in bonds to fund its continuing operations.<ref name="wsj-2007-03-30">Template:Cite news</ref>

Pier 86 was demolished and rebuilt to accommodate plumbing and cables, which had not been present in the original pier.<ref name="p2800437802"/> After sitting at a cruise-ship port for four months,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Intrepid was towed to dry dock in April 2007 and received exterior modifications,<ref name="nyt-2007-04-11">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="New York Daily News 2007 i950">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> including new paint, new propellers, and a restored hull.<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="p203467368">Template:Cite magazine</ref> After exterior modifications were completed, the carrier was towed to Staten Island, New York, for interior repairs in June 2007, on the anniversary of D-Day.<ref name="NBC News 2007 e574">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="III 2007 n685">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At Staten Island, IntrepidTemplate:'s facilities were upgraded and expanded; for example, workers replaced Template:Convert on IntrepidTemplate:'s three top decks.<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /> The fo'c'sle was restored, the starboard side and flight deck were deoxidized,<ref name="p2800437802"/><ref name="p2359769642">Template:Cite magazine</ref> a new aircraft elevator was installed, and new wiring was installed.<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /> The firm of Perkins + Will was hired to redesign several exhibits and create other exhibits within space that had been closed to the public.<ref name="p2359769642"/> The exterior renovations were budgeted at $4.8 million, while the interior cost another $6 million to $8 million.<ref name="p203467368" />

The renovation, including the cost of Pier 86, ultimately cost $115 million<ref name="p2359769642"/><ref name="nyt-2008-11-07">Template:Cite news</ref> or $120 million.<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /><ref name="p280205403">Template:Cite news</ref> The cost overruns almost bankrupted the museum, which asked donors and politicians to contribute an additional $10 million each to the project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p351619548">Template:Cite news</ref> The carrier was towed back to Pier 86 at the beginning of October 2008,<ref name="p280205403" /><ref name="nyt02008-10-03">Template:Cite news</ref> and the Concorde was moved back to Pier 86.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The museum reopened to the public on November 8.<ref name="NBC New York 2008 z914">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Lewiston Sun Journal 2008 l030">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="wsj-2008-11-082">Template:Cite news</ref> Four aircraft were added to the museum's collection when the museum reopened.<ref name="p280205403" /> At the time, the Intrepid Museum planned to attract one million annual visitors, with ten percent of this figure being students.<ref name="nyt-2008-11-07" /> Museum officials hired advertising firm Austin & Williams to promote the museum.<ref name="p280224789">Template:Cite news</ref>

2010s to present

File:Space Shuttle Enterprise delivered to the Intrepid Museum.jpg

Enterprise being lowered onto Intrepid in 2012

The museum's president Bill White, who had overseen the 2000s renovation, resigned in 2010<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and was succeeded the next year by Susan Marenoff-Zausner, who had been the executive director.<ref name=" The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum j022">Template:Cite press release</ref> Before resigning, White had tried to obtain a Space Shuttle for the museum's collection.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Intrepid Museum announced in May 2011 that it would acquire the Space Shuttle Enterprise.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It initially planned to exhibit the Space Shuttle on Pier 86, but then announced plans to display the spacecraft in a parking lot across 12th Avenue,<ref name="nyt-2012-04-19">Template:Cite news</ref> prompting U.S. senator Sherrod Brown to ask that NASA award the shuttle to another museum.<ref name="nyt-2011-10-12">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The museum took title to the spacecraft that December,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="NAS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> after engineers determined that it was safe to fly on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft once again.<ref name="nsf1003142">Template:Cite news</ref> Enterprise was flown to the nearby JFK Airport in April 2012<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CBS News 2012 x525">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and then moved by barge to the Intrepid Museum that June.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Christian Science Monitor 2012 l544">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To make room for the Enterprise display, three aircraft were transferred to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum near Schenectady, New York.<ref name="nyt-2012-04-19"/> The Enterprise went on public display July 19, 2012, at the Intrepid Museum's new Space Shuttle Pavilion,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Narov 2012 b089">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> charging an additional fee for admission.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The museum was closed in October 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy, which damaged Enterprise.<ref name="Pearlman 2012 u332">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although the museum reopened that December,<ref name="Kramer 2012 k381">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Katz 2012 j412">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the Space Shuttle Pavilion did not reopen until July 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt-2013-07-09">Template:Cite news</ref> Museum officials contemplated erecting a permanent pavilion for Enterprise on Pier 86 or on a parking lot across 12th Avenue.<ref name="nyt-2013-07-09" /> At the time, the museum had 915,000 annual visitors.<ref name="p1399546810">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the museum was closed between March and September 2020,<ref name="NBC New York 2020 q327">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Garber 2020 j632">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> though it continued to host online events during its closure.<ref name="Wright 2020 t755">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The museum's Concorde aircraft, which had been displayed on Pier 86, was removed for restoration in 2023<ref name="AP News 2023 e504">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ABC7 New York 2023 h871">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and towed back to the Intrepid Museum in March 2024.<ref name="ABC7 New York 2024 a700">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CBS New York 2024 z006">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As part of the project, the museum added Template:Convert of park space to Pier 86.<ref name="ABC7 New York 2023 h871" /> The Intrepid Museum dropped "Sea, Air & Space" from its official name in October 2023 as part of a rebranding.<ref name="Ginsburg Cohen 2023 p908">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2024, the museum opened Template:Convert of space on Pier 86 as a public park.<ref name="Rahmanan 2024 e231">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Early the following year, the New York state government announced plans to redevelop one of the Intrepid Museum's parking lots on the east side of 12th Avenue.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition, the museum completed a restoration of the USS Growler in 2024, reopening the vessel with upgraded visitor pathways and new interactive panels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Description

The Intrepid Museum is located along Hudson River Park at the intersection of 46th Street and 12th Avenue, within the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.<ref name="nyt-2006-05-16">Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the collection is on board Intrepid,<ref name="WG p. 317" /><ref name="p432180811" /> the third Essex-class carrier built<ref name="nrhpinv2" />Template:Rp and one of four preserved Essex-class carriers, besides Yorktown, Lexington, and Template:USS.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> When Intrepid was converted into a museum ship, only one-quarter of her area was accessible to the public. Additionally, many of the carrier's equipment, including the large airplane elevators, were disabled.<ref name="p392206770" /> One of the carrier's former elevators, which transported planes between the flight and hangar decks, was converted into a theater.<ref name="nyt-1982-08-02" /> Due to regulations that require "easy passage", and to prevent theft, much of IntrepidTemplate:'s equipment has been removed or relocated.<ref name="p203497063" />

Flight, hangar, and gallery decks

File:New York Intrepid 501576 fh000009.jpg

Flight deck of Intrepid

The Intrepid Museum spans three of the carrier's decks; due to fire-safety regulations, IntrepidTemplate:'s other decks remain closed to the public.<ref name="p205992626">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The carrier's topmost deck, the flight deck, showcases many of the museum's craft (see Template:Section link).<ref name="n131562797" /><ref name="p239570689" /> The Space Shuttle Enterprise is housed within a pavilion on the flight deck,<ref name="Intrepid Museum 2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CBS New York 2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> originally within an inflatable tent placed on the stern of Intrepid.<ref name="The Vege 2012 h2892">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The superstructure's command bridges are accessible to the public.<ref name="p392206770" /> There is a three-inch weapon mount on the carrier's island on the starboard side, as well as an anti-aircraft mount in a gun tub on the starboard bow.<ref name="p203497063" /> Also on the flight deck is a plaque marking the spot where a 1944 kamikaze attack killed or injured 22 soldiers.<ref name="nyt-1992-01-10" />

The museum's main entrance has been through the carrier's hangar deck, below the flight deck, since 2008.<ref name="wsj-2008-11-08">Template:Cite news</ref> The hangar deck originally contained four permanent exhibit halls,<ref name="p203497063" /><ref name="nyt-1982-08-02" /> in addition to a space for temporary exhibits.<ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" /><ref name="n1316312404">Template:Cite news</ref> The original permanent exhibit halls were Pioneer Hall, which was dedicated to early air travel; Technology Hall, which contained displays about spaceflight; Navy Hall, which had Navy artifacts and a film; and Intrepid Hall, which discussed IntrepidTemplate:'s role in World War II.<ref name="p203497063" /> The exhibits about the oldest artifacts were originally toward the rear or aft; the back of the carrier contained a cafeteria, bathrooms, and a terrace on the stern.<ref name="n1316312404"/> The hangar deck also contains a space dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, as well as some aviation artifacts<ref name="p239570689" /> and plaques detailing the carrier's history and exhibits.<ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" /> Also on the hangar deck is the Exploreum, an interactive hall with exhibits such as a full-size Bell 47 helicopter.<ref name="Nast 2019 e087">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum s213">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The hangar deck also has an education center and Template:Convert event space called Michael Tyler Fisher Center,<ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum i428">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as the 245-seat Lutnick Theater,<ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum i428" /> which shows a 16-minute film on the carrier's history.<ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" />

The gallery deck houses the Combat Information Center and Men of the Intrepid exhibits.<ref name="n1316312406">Template:Cite news</ref> At the front of the carrier, artifacts from the officers' quarters are displayed in the fo'c'sle,<ref name="nyt-2008-11-07" /><ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" /> which was opened to the public in 2008.<ref name="p2359769642"/> The junior officers' and general berthing quarters are publicly accessible,<ref name="p2359769642"/> and the crew's quarters are open to the public as well.<ref name="p392206770" /><ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" /> There are replicas of two rooms that were created when the mess was subdivided in the 1970s.<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /> The middle of the carrier contains a hole that allows visitors to see through seven decks.<ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" />

The museum originally displayed newsreels of pre–World War II events, dioramas of World War II battles, and models of ships.<ref name="p392206770" /> By the 1990s, the museum also featured an undersea-exploration hall, a children's ride,<ref name="nyt-1992-01-10" /> a flight simulator,<ref name="n131813110" /> as well as a bathysphere that was closed to the public.<ref name="p205992626" /> Following the 2008 renovation, the museum has contained three flight simulators,<ref name="Nast 2019 e087" /> a 4D theater,<ref name="nyt-2008-11-07" /> and interactive exhibits for children.<ref name="p2359769642"/><ref name="wsj-2008-11-08" /> There is also a space dedicated to Zachary Fisher and his wife Elizabeth M. Fisher.<ref name="nyt-2008-11-07" /> The Michael Tyler Fisher Center for Education<ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum i428" /> occupies a three-story Template:Convert space in the museum, with a meeting space, breakout rooms, and classrooms.<ref name="Free Online Library 2015 c215" />

Other structures

There was originally two gift shops: one at the entrance to Pier 86 and one on the hangar deck.<ref name="n1316312404"/> The current Template:Convert visitor center at 46th Street and 12th Avenue, completed in 1999, replaces the original Template:Convert visitor center. The new edifice had a metal and glass facade, and it incorporated about one-fourth of the old visitor center.<ref name="nyt-1999-12-05" /> A bridge measuring Template:Convert long connects the museum to a ramp on the eastern side of 12th Avenue. This bridge contains a central Template:Convert tower, as well as sail-shaped fabric canopies.<ref name="p305675109" />

Exhibits and collection

Aircraft

All of the aircraft on IntrepidTemplate:'s flight deck are retired craft that are no longer capable of flying, either due to mechanical problems or because they had flown more than their maximum flight hours. Many of the aircraft lack engines, and some were disassembled before arriving at the museum. According to The New York Times, the vast majority of aircraft were transported to the museum by airplane, helicopter, or barge. One aircraft, a Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra gunship, flew to the museum under its own power before its engine was removed.<ref name="nyt-2000-11-05">Template:Cite news</ref> Visitors cannot ordinarily go inside the aircraft.<ref name="p205992626" />

File:New York Manhatten - panoramio (1).jpg

British Airways Concorde G-BOAD seen next to Intrepid

File:Tracer intrepid.jpg

E-1 Tracer exhibit

File:Huey intrepid.jpg

Bell UH-1 Iroquois exhibit

File:Harrier intrepid.jpg

AV-8C Harrier exhibit

Bombers/attack

• Douglas A-1 Skyraider from the US NavyTemplate:Sfn
• Douglas A-4 Skyhawk from the US Navy,<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /> served on Intrepid between 1966 and 1969Template:Sfn
• Grumman A-6 Intruder from the US Navy, used as a testbed for new radar and avionics in 1988Template:Sfn
• Grumman TBM-3E Avenger from the US Navy<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" />Template:Sfn

Fighters

• Goodyear FG-1D Corsair from the US Navy<ref>https://intrepidmuseum.org/2025-03-20/honoring-legend-intrepid-museums-new-fg-1d-corsair</ref>
• Grumman F-11 Tiger from the US Navy, once jet number 5 on the Blue AngelsTemplate:Sfn
• McDonnell F3H Demon from the US NavyTemplate:Sfn
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from Poland<ref name="p229938535" />Template:Sfn
• North American FJ-2/-3 Fury from the US Navy<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" />Template:Sfn
• PZL-Mielec Lim-5 (MiG-17), built in Poland and painted in North Vietnamese camouflageTemplate:Sfn
• Vought F-8 Crusader from the US NavyTemplate:Sfn

Multirole

• General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon, a multi-role fighter aircraft.<ref name="p229938535" /><ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /> This particular F-16 was flown by the US Air Force in Operation Desert Storm.Template:Sfn
• Grumman F-9 Cougar, a carrier-based fighter from the US NavyTemplate:Sfn
• Grumman F-14 Tomcat, a carrier-based fighter/interceptor.<ref name="p229938535" /> This particular Tomcat was used in 1973 as a Super Tomcat prototype.Template:Sfn
• Hawker Siddeley AV-8C Harrier, a V/STOL aircraft. This particular Harrier was flown by the US Marine Corps.Template:Sfn
• McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, a carrier-based fighter.<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /> This particular Phantom was flown by the US Marine Corps during Operation Eagle Claw in 1980.Template:Sfn
• IAI Kfir (F-21A Lion) from IsraelTemplate:Sfn

Helicopters

• Bell UH-1A Iroquois from the US ArmyTemplate:Sfn
• Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra gunship from the US Marine CorpsTemplate:Sfn<ref name="nyt-2000-11-05" />
• Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever, painted to resemble a similar helicopter that was once based from Intrepid<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" />Template:Sfn
• Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw from the US Coast GuardTemplate:Sfn
• Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard from the US Coast GuardTemplate:Sfn

Reconnaissance and surveillance

• Grumman E-1B Tracer from the US NavyTemplate:Sfn
• Lockheed A-12 Blackbird (#60-6925 / Article 122)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> flown by the CIA.<ref name="Magazine Reichhardt 2008 w431" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This particular A-12 was the first production example of its model.Template:Sfn<ref name="WG p. 317">Template:Harvnb</ref>

Trainers

• Aermacchi MB-339 used by the Italian Air Force. This particular MB-339 is painted in the colors of the Frecce Tricolor.Template:Sfn
• Beechcraft T-34 Mentor used by the US NavyTemplate:Sfn
• Northrop T-38 Talon used by NASATemplate:Sfn

Concorde

In 2003,<ref name="p3940468222" /><ref name="nyt-2003-11-26" /> the museum received a Concorde, registered G-BOAD, that had been used by British Airways.Template:Sfn This airplane set a world speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996,<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /><ref name="WG p. 317" /> when it flew between London and New York in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds.<ref name="p3940468222" /><ref name="nyt-2023-08-09">Template:Cite news</ref> This airplane logged the most flying hours (23,397) of the 20 Concordes built;<ref name="heritage-concorde 1975 t337">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it typically occupies an exhibit space on Pier 86.<ref name="AP News 2023 e504" />

Ships

The vast majority of the museum's collection is displayed on the Essex-class aircraft carrier Template:USS.<ref name="WG p. 317" /><ref name="p432180811">Template:Cite news</ref> Like other "long-hull" Essex-class carriers, Intrepid has a displacement of 27,100 tonnes (26,700 long tons; 29,900 short tons). She has an overall length of Template:Convert, a beam of Template:Convert, and a draft of Template:Convert.<ref name="nrhpinv2" />Template:Rp<ref name="NHHC 1944 e027">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn Most of the museum's aircraft and spacecraft are on IntrepidTemplate:'s flight deck (see Template:Section link).<ref name="n131562797" /><ref name="p239570689" />

Template:USS, a diesel electric submarine which carried out nuclear deterrent patrols armed with Regulus missiles,<ref name="p432180811" /> is berthed next to Pier 86. The submarine is accessed exclusively through a series of narrow oval bulkhead doors<ref name="n1316312404"/><ref name="p432180811" /> and she can only fit roughly twenty guests at once.<ref name="nyt-1992-01-10" /> Due to restrictions created by fire codes, disabled visitors and individuals under forty inches tall cannot enter Growler.<ref name="n1316312404"/>

Spacecraft

File:Entreprise spaceship museum.jpg

Space Shuttle Enterprise

The museum has two pieces of spacecraft from NASA. One of these is a replica of a NASA Aurora 7 Mercury capsule.<ref name="Hsu 2012 f242">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The other is the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was used as a test orbiterTemplate:Sfn and is located within a pavilion on the flight deck.<ref name="Intrepid Museum 2011" /><ref name="CBS New York 2011" /> The museum also contains a Russian Soyuz descent module, which had docked with the International Space Station during the Soyuz TMA-6 mission.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Other exhibits

The museum has some individual objects in its collection. These include a ram air turbine, salvaged from an F-8 Crusader and restored,Template:Sfn as well as a Curtiss Pusher on the hangar deck.<ref name="p239570689" /> The below-decks spaces contain several thousand artifacts, such as a helmet that belonged to an aviation machinist fighting in the Vietnam War. The New York Times estimated in 2016 that former Intrepid crew members and their families donated 10 objects to the museum every month.<ref name="nyt-2016-02-13">Template:Cite news</ref> Artifacts donated by Intrepid crew members have included a Royal Navy uniform, gauge, dinner bell, and parachute-packing tool.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Temporary and former exhibits

The museum has hosted some attractions on a temporary basis; for example, the lightship Frying Pan (LV-115) was docked outside the museum during mid-1993.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Many objects from the Intrepid Museum's collection were loaned from the Army and Navy.<ref name="p232192990" /><ref name="nyt-1997-05-25" /> In the late 1990s, some of the craft were given back to their respective owners.<ref name="p232192990" /> Numerous other craft were relocated during that time, including the destroyer escort Template:USS<ref name="p203520294">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the lightship Nantucket (LV-112).<ref name="p290803788">Template:Cite news</ref> The destroyer Edson was given back to the Navy in 2004.<ref name="Burger 2012 b679" /> Additional objects were returned when the museum's renovation commenced in 2006, including a Saturn rocket loaned from the National Air and Space Museum.<ref name="nyt-2007-08-01">Template:Cite news</ref> After the Enterprise was lifted onto the IntrepidTemplate:'s flight deck in 2012, a Douglas F3D Skyknight, a Royal Navy Supermarine Scimitar, and a MiG-15 were transferred to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum.<ref name="nyt-2012-04-19" /> Growler was also displayed next to Intrepid until 2004.<ref name="Burger 2012 b679" /> The nose section of a former El Al Boeing 707, 4X-ATA, was put on display in 1985 after the airframe was retired and broken up. During the museum's renovations, it was sold to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale, New York.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Pier 86 formerly contained a graffitied portion of the Berlin Wall,<ref name="p239570689" /><ref name="Tampa Bay Times 2005 w346">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which was displayed temporarily during the 1990s and early 2000s. This segment of the Berlin Wall weighed Template:Convert and was painted by German artist Kiddy Citny, who gave it to artist Peter Max.<ref name="Young 2019 p912">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Felix de Weldon's 1954 sculpture Iwo Jima Monument (a smaller version of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia), was installed outside the Intrepid Museum in 1995.<ref name="p229938535" /><ref name="Press 2013 y838">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Jacobs 2013 p600">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The monument was removed after the Intrepid Museum closed for renovation in 2006,<ref name="Jacobs 2013 p600" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as the Intrepid Museum Foundation could not afford to buy the monument.<ref name="nyt-2007-08-01" /> A fiberglass model of the Statue of Liberty was given to the then-planned National September 11 Memorial & Museum when the Intrepid was renovated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Governance

The Intrepid Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1979, operates the museum.<ref name="GuideStar Profile l424">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Suozzo Glassford Ngu Roberts 2013 y347">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:As of, Susan Marenoff is listed as the principal officer of the foundation.<ref name="GuideStar Profile l424" /> For the fiscal year that ended in December 2021, the organization recorded $23,304,017 in revenue and $23,432,181 in expenses.<ref name="Suozzo Glassford Ngu Roberts 2013 y347" /> In addition to operating the museum, the Intrepid Museum Foundation is associated with programs such as the Intrepid Family Support Fund and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund,<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /><ref name="p235979771">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and it distributes funds to families of US armed service members killed in action.<ref name="nyt-2003-05-12">Template:Cite news</ref> The museum also employs some youth through internship programs.<ref name="p1431279469">Template:Cite news</ref> As part of the Free Fridays program, admission to the museum is typically waived on selected Fridays during the summer.<ref name="Culgan 2023 a884">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Programming and events

Recurring events

The museum serves as an event space for community and national events. For example, it started hosting annual Fleet Week activities in 1988.<ref name="n131635156" /> It continues to host Fleet Week activities every year Template:As of.<ref name="Smith 2023 k624">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During past Fleet Weeks, Intrepid has hosted activities including tug-of-war, cooking, and arm wrestling contests,<ref name="p313698639">Template:Cite news</ref> as well as a "Flight Deck Olympics" and exhibitions of ships.<ref name="n131761102">Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the Intrepid Museum has presented Kids' Week, a series of activities geared toward children.<ref name="p425081117">Template:Cite news</ref> It held the New York Tugboat Race annually in the 1990s and early 2000s, with events such as line-throwing, nose-to-nose pushing, and spinach-eating contests.<ref name="p910905309" /> The museum has hosted sleepovers since 2009 as part of an event called Operation Slumber,<ref name="p1025005022">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and it also hosts Kids' Week events during late February.<ref name="Zanger 2024 p997">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Intrepid Museum Foundation issues several awards each year. These include the Intrepid Freedom Award, for political leaders; the Intrepid Salute Award, for philanthropists and businesspeople; the Intrepid Salute Award for the Performing Arts, for performing-arts organizations; the Zachary & Elizabeth Fisher Award for Patriotism; the Intrepid Leadership Award, for community leaders; the Hometown Heroes Award, for residents of the New York metropolitan area who have contributed to the community; and the Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award, for people who have helped others throughout their lifetime.<ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum f829">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Recipients of the awards have included U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush;<ref name="nyt-2008-11-12">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum t459">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> foreign heads of state; members of U.S. presidential cabinets; U.S. Congress members; and mayors of New York City,<ref name="The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum t459" />

Other events

File:A635, USS Intrepid at night, Pier 86 at 46th Street, Manhattan, July 2019.jpg

The Intrepid's superstructure and hull with lights at night

In the museum's first year, the Intrepid Museum Foundation hosted a party to celebrate the IntrepidTemplate:'s 40th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Starting in 1982, the Intrepid also hosted an annual benefit called Night to Remember,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> described by Naval History magazine as "a black-tie affair with thousands of couples dining and dancing to a swing band's music on the flight deck and disco tempos on the hangar deck".<ref name="p203497063" /> The Intrepid Museum Foundation, in conjunction with Radio City Music Hall Productions, also hosted concerts and other events on the nearby Pier 84 during the late 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other craft such as the battleship Template:USS, also berthed outside Intrepid for special events in the 1980s.<ref name="n131635156" /> After the Gulf War started, the museum held events such as a tribute for the first New Yorker who died in the war,<ref name="p278373954">Template:Cite news</ref> as well as a commemoration of the war's first anniversary.<ref name="p428109549">Template:Cite news</ref> During the 1990s, the museum continued to host other events such as memorials,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> benefits,<ref>See, for example:

• Template:Cite news
• Template:Cite news</ref> ceremonies, parties, and weddings.<ref name="p232165926" /> The museum's flight deck was temporarily converted to a 3,300-seat stadium during the 1998 Goodwill Games, when it hosted boxing and wrestling bouts.<ref name="p236028136" />

A series of professional boxing matches commenced at the museum in 2001,<ref name="p305600793">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> one of which resulted in the death of fighter Beethaeven Scottland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The museum's flight deck was later used as a filming location for the 2004 movie National Treasure and the 2007 film I Am Legend.<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /> When the museum reopened in 2008, the New York Daily News estimated that the carrier hosted 150 events annually, ranging "from black-tie galas to bar mitzvahs, photos shoots and runway shows".<ref name="Parker 2008 x652" /> It held concerts during the 2013 MLB All-Star Weekend<ref> Template:Cite news</ref> and during Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the museum continued to host other events such as political fundraisers,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> film screenings,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and social events like Astronomy Night.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The museum's operators have also rented out the flight deck and halls for weddings.<ref name="p279999342">Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
• List of maritime museums in the United States
• List of museum ships in North America
• List of museum ships of the United States military
• List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
• U.S. Navy museums (and other aircraft carrier museums)

References

Sources

• Template:Cite report
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Official website