NYC Insider: The Insider's Guide to New York City

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Pier 86 (Hudson River at West 46th Street)
Manhattan
(212) 245-0072

photo contributed by Bobby Franzese

Summary: Before being converted to a museum in 1982, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid was used in World War II, Vietnam, and the space program. Exhibits include historic aircraft on the flight deck and multi-media presentations below. Plus you get the opportunity to explore the massive carrier itself, with more areas than ever open to the public, following the Intrepid's recent refurbishment.

The bulk of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum exists on the Essex class air craft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid, which has been refurbished to make it a "museum" in some places, but is preserved as a military ship in others. Other ships can be seen here, too: the U.S.S. Growler, the only stratetic diesel-powered nuclear missile submarine open to the public; and the British Airways Concorde.

U.S.S. Intrepid
When you first arrive at the museum, one of the first things you will notice are the planes on the flight deck. As you walk among the many planes and helicopters, take note of the AV-8 Harrier plane which can take off vertically; the A-12 Blackbird, the fastest plane in the world and the first to fly at three times the speed of sound; a Polish Mig-21; and the Bell Sea Cobra Helicopter, used in Vietnam and the Gulf War. As you wander around, enjoy the views of the enormous cruise ships on the north side of the Intrepid, and the busy Circle Line boats on the south side. The view of New Jersey on the other side of the Hudson is nice, too.

You will also have access to the Intrepid's "island," the command structure that protrudes from the deck. Be sure to climb up to the Navigation Bridge and "take the helm." Take note the Commanding Officer's stateroom and compare it to the crew quarter's you'll see below. You'll also find chart tables, radar consoles, communications equipment, and plenty of volunteers on hand who will explain everything to you.

Below the Flight Deck is the Gallery Deck, where you can see the ship's combat information center (CIC): complete with radar scopes, wax plotter boards and communications equipment, this area was top secret and state-of-the-art for its day. It was also one of the first spaces to be air conditioned (you'll see why).

Be sure to leave time for exploring the bulk of the museum, which is housed in the Intrepid's hangar deck, the level below the Gallery Deck. Highlights of this area include:

U.S.S. Growler
Although the Intrepid can be a full day's museum in itself, you'll want to take a look at the museum's submarine (unless you are claustrophobic or under 6 years of age) if only to say that you've been in it. Don't expect to have much time to explore the Growler, however. It's popular and space is limited, so tour guides want you in and out of it as quickly as possible But you'll see an example of an early guided cruise missile, two torpedo rooms, the navigation compartment, and even the missile guidance center (which was classified "top secret" for years).

British Airways Concorde
We were less impressed with our tour of the world's fastest commercial aircraft. Frankly, there isn't much to see -- it is just a smaller, more cramped version of an average plane and the plastic covered, cordoned off seats that screamed "hands-off!" are incongruous with the hands-on, interactive element that pervades the rest of the museum.

Who Should Go
Because the museum displays its many wares so well, we think that people of all ages and inclinations will enjoy it and that its relatively high cost of admission is justified. You should be aware, however, that although there is handicapped access to the hangar of the Intrepid, there is no handicapped access to the deck, nor to the other ships.

Some Tips
Although we had expected that the Intrepid would be large, we were still amazed at how absolutely enormous it really is. The museum claims that you can go through this ship in about three hours, but we have found seeing everything takes a good deal longer, especially if you watch the many films and documentaries shown throughout the museum. While we must point out that nothing less than a fifty page document could begin to do justice in describing all this museum offers, we do have a few suggestions to make the most out of your day here:

First, get in line for the Growler whenever you see that the line is short. Only 13 people at a time are allowed in, so lines can get rather long.

Second, plan to make a day of this museum: you will need that much time, especially if air, space or sea exploration is a special interest for you. Don't arrive in the middle of the afternoon and expect to have time to see everything.

Third, there is a Au Bon Pain restaurant above the gift shop in the visitor's center (the building through which you enter the museum) but it tends to be very crowded at meal time. So either eat your lunch early or late -- or avoid the crowds altogether by having your meal in the Crew Mess Area on the Third Deck (now a cafeteria serving Au Bon Pain fare) and then, having sampled where the crew would have eaten, go off to see the Marine Berthing area where they would have slept.

Fourth, keep in mind that you will be out of doors a lot at this museum, so bring appropriate clothes (or reschedule your visit) if it looks like rain.

Additionally, since exploring the Intrepid involves a great deal of climbing up and down narrow staircases, women in high heels and long, full skirts may find that their outfits make their visit a bit treacherous.

Extras
The Intrepid offers a full schedule of special events, including free movie nights in the summer, plus special days to honor specific groups in uniform. Kids are invited to host their birthday party at the museum or event to spend the night via Operation Slumber. And for children who are particularly interested in all that the Intrepid offers, the education department offers Intrepid Camp and SOSI (School's Out, Ships In) events.

Getting There
Since there is no subway station near Pier 86, you will be in for a walk if you take the subway. The quickest train to take is the C or E to 50th Street. Walk west until you reach the West Side Highway, and then walk south four blocks.

If you have never seen Times Square, we recommend that you take a subway there (the N, R, S, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9 trains all have stops at Times Square) and do a little extra walking. From Times Square, walk north on Broadway to 46th Street and then continue west towards the Hudson River.

Buses are a better bet if you don't like to walk -- the M50 (which goes west on 49th Street) drops you off right in front of the museum.

For more detailed directions, plus information about hours, admission fees and other logistics, visit the Intrepid Museum's web site.