The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is located on the West side of Manhattan on Pier 86, 12th Ave. & 46th Street,
New York, N.Y. 10036


** Open Monday through Friday 10 AM to 5 PM Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 10 AM to 7 PM

USS Intrepid, CV-11, CVA-11, CVS-11

The USS Intrepid is an Essex class aircraft carrier launched 26 April 1943 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia. She was commissioned 16 August 1943; modernized in 1954 and 1959; and served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. This is the fourth US ship to be named Intrepid.

She was damaged by a Japanese counterattack during air raids on Truk Lagoon on 16 February 1944 and received temporary repairs at Pearl Harbor. Full repairs were completed on 10 June 1944 at Hunter's Point, California.

On 20 October 1944, the Intrepid took place in the largest naval battle in history (the battle of Leyte Gulf) as her planes flew missions in support of the landings of Leyte, the Philippines. This battle led to the liberation of the Philippines.

The Intrepid was extensively modernized at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1954 to convert her to a modern attack carrier capable of handling jets, and recommissioned in reserve 18 June 1954 as CVA-11. On 13 October 1954, she became the first carrier to launch aircraft with steam catapults.

In the early 1960's, Intrepid served as the prime recovery vessel for the Gemini and Mercury Space Programs. She also served three tours of duty in Vietnam (1966 - 1968). In March 1974, she was decommissioned.

In March 1978, Zachary Fisher established the Intrepid Museum Foundation to save the USS Intrepid, and on 3 August 1982 the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum opened to the public.

** The Intrepid museum complex is closed until Fall of 2008.

November 6, 2006: The museum planned to move the Intrepid to Bayonne, NJ for a two year restoration today, but the ship would not cooperate. Workers had removed some 27 feet of silt in preparation for the move, but it was not enough. Quoting Fox News, "a small armada of tugboats couldn't free the ship from its berth at Pier 86." This is one $60-million rehabilitation project that has gotten off to a bad start.