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Spruced-up USS Intrepid Returns to Manhattan

October 5, 2008 at 1:03 PM | 0 Comments

The World War II aircraft carrier Intrepid has returned to its berth on Manhattan's West Side following a two-year refurbishment in Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. The decommissioned ship had served as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum at Manhattan's Pier 86 since 1982, but two decades of visitors stomping through its narrow passageways had left it looking worse for wear, so an ambitious renovation was initiated in late 2006.

When the museum reopens on November 8, visitors will be able to explore parts of the ship that were previously off-limits, including the forecastle and machine shop, as well as gawk at several new aircraft on the flight deck. The hangar deck, meanwhile, will contain a host of interactive exhibits that tell the story of the ship's history in periods of both war and peace.

The Intrepid is one of only a handful of attractions in the city solely dedicated to the military, and its return to the West Side Piers should give a welcome bump to tourism in an area that was once one of the busiest ports in the country.

[Photo: The New York Times]

Related Stories:
· Floating Proudly, a Warship Returns to Its Mission [The New York Times]
· Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum [Official Site]
· Museum Coverage [Jaunted]