The Intrepid Museum floats as a monument to American military aviation and space exploration. You’ll find it aboard the legendary USS Intrepid aircraft carrier at Manhattan’s Pier 86.
This historic ship throws you right into naval aviation history. It also puts cutting-edge spacecraft technology on display—stuff that helped launch today’s commercial space industry.
The USS Intrepid started its service in 1943 as an aircraft carrier in World War II. Over three decades, it served in the U.S. Navy, including action in the Vietnam War.
By 1982, the vessel got a second life as a museum focused on preserving American military heritage. Turning a warship into an educational spot created a one-of-a-kind platform for naval aviation achievements.
The museum’s core mission aims to:
Inside, the Intrepid Museum shows off a collection ranging from World War II aircraft to NASA’s space shuttle Enterprise. You can wander among dozens of military aircraft on the ship’s flight deck and hangar bay.
You’ll also find a nuclear submarine, the USS Growler, which gives you a peek into Cold War maritime strategy. The mix of air, sea, and space exhibits makes for a pretty broad military technology experience.
The Intrepid Museum stands out among New York City’s cultural institutions. It’s a top family destination at West 46th Street and 12th Avenue, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
It’s basically Manhattan’s go-to military history spot. The museum’s Hudson River location means you can get there easily by subway or bus.
What makes it special in the city:
The museum’s educational programs reach thousands of New York students every year. Kids get hands-on with science and tech, using real spacecraft and military gear.
The Intrepid Museum also hosts special events and ceremonies. The annual commissioning anniversary celebration keeps the ship’s legacy alive while looking ahead to future space exploration.
You’ll find the Intrepid Museum at Pier 86 on Manhattan’s West Side, right along the Hudson River waterfront. Getting there means a bit of planning since it’s not super close to the main subway lines.
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum sits at Pier 86, West 46th Street and 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036. That puts it in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, facing the Hudson River.
Pier 86 juts out into the river, so you can spot the museum from the water or nearby streets. It’s about 1.2 miles from Lincoln Center.
If you’re coming from Midtown, just head west toward the river. The carrier’s silhouette pops up as you get closer to the waterfront.
The pier gives the museum a unique vibe, since the USS Intrepid stays permanently docked here. So, the ship acts as both a museum and a landmark.
Public Transportation gets you pretty close. The A, C, or E subway lines stop at 42nd Street-Port Authority. From there, just walk west to 12th Avenue and north to 46th Street.
The M42 and M50 crosstown buses make things easier. The M50 bus actually stops right in front of the museum entrance.
If you’re walking from the 50th Street and 8th Avenue subway, it’s about a 10-15 minute trek. You’ll pass through Times Square before hitting the river.
Driving and parking near Pier 86 can be tricky since street parking is tight. There are a few paid lots within walking distance, though.
Taxi and rideshare services will drop you off right at the entrance—definitely handy if you’re carrying stuff or traveling with kids.
The Intrepid Museum uses digital-only ticketing for online sales, and every visitor needs a timed entry slot. NYC residents get 50% off, and active military or veterans can enter free with ID.
General admission covers the aircraft carrier Intrepid, Space Shuttle Enterprise, all 26 aircraft, and the submarine Growler. If you want to see the British Airways Concorde, you’ll need to pay extra for a guided tour.
Special Discounts:
Kids must be at least 40 inches tall to go inside the submarine. Children under 16 need to stick with an adult.
Plan for two to three hours if you want to see everything. The last entry is one hour before closing.
Digital tickets are the only way to go if you buy online. You can’t print or screenshot QR codes, since they refresh every 30 seconds for security.
Bring ID that matches the name on your ticket. Tickets only work for the date and 30-minute window you picked.
Grab your tickets at mytickets.intrepidmuseum.org using your account. If you don’t have a password, the system can send a one-time code.
You’ll need:
You can still buy tickets at the Welcome Center box office until an hour before closing, but buying online is faster and means you won’t get shut out if they’re busy.
The USS Intrepid started as a World War II combat vessel and, after a huge restoration, became one of New York’s most popular attractions. After serving in World War II and Vietnam, the ship became the museum’s centerpiece in 1982.
Restorers worked hard to turn the USS Intrepid into a floating museum at Pier 86. They kept the ship’s original structure, but made it safe and accessible for visitors.
The carrier stretches 872 feet long. Its flight deck now displays dozens of military aircraft from different eras.
You can wander the hangar deck, crew quarters, and bridge areas.
Notable spaces you can check out:
The museum added elevators and walkways for safety. Despite these updates, the ship still feels like a real, working aircraft carrier.
The USS Intrepid fought in the Pacific during World War II. It took part in big battles like the Marshall Islands campaign and attacks on Japan.
During the war, the ship survived several kamikaze attacks. Enemy planes hit the Intrepid five times, but the crew kept her going.
After the war, the ship shifted to anti-submarine work during the Cold War. The Intrepid also helped NASA by recovering Mercury and Gemini space capsules after their final flight missions.
In the Vietnam War, the ship completed three tours. The Intrepid launched thousands of combat missions from the South China Sea, showing just how important it remained to naval aviation.
The Intrepid Museum packs in a huge array of military vessels, aircraft, and space exploration artifacts. You’ll find over 30 restored aircraft, a Cold War-era submarine, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise—all up close.
The flight deck is loaded with military aircraft from different decades. Fighter planes, helicopters, and reconnaissance aircraft fill the deck.
You’ll spot a supersonic spy plane, plus several World War II fighters. The newly restored FG-1D Corsair greets you as part of the museum’s permanent WWII display.
Aircraft you shouldn’t miss:
The aircraft carrier itself is an exhibit. You’ll walk the same decks where military crews once worked.
The museum shows off rare World War II artifacts in its permanent exhibits. These items help tell the stories of people who served on the Intrepid.
Personal stories from crew members bring history to life. The displays cover both technology and the human side of naval aviation.
Artifact types include:
Photos and testimonials document the ship’s final flight ceremonies and decommissioning. These show how the Intrepid went from active service to museum life.
You can crawl through the USS Growler submarine and see its tight quarters. The sub carried nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
Hands-on displays let you try out replica controls and learn about naval operations. The Space Shuttle Enterprise gives you a close look at real spacecraft used in space exploration programs.
The Explorium Hall offers interactive learning stations for all ages. These focus on naval history, aviation basics, and space exploration with practical demos.
You can try simulated flight controls and learn how aircraft carrier operations work. The exhibits show what life was like for crews stuck at sea for months.
The Space Shuttle Pavilion houses NASA’s prototype orbiter Enterprise and features 17 dynamic exhibit zones. You can walk right beneath the historic spacecraft that helped launch America’s shuttle program, and check out authentic space artifacts along the way.
Enterprise sits at the heart of the pavilion. This prototype orbiter never got to fly in space, but it played a crucial part in testing the shuttle program’s design and flight capabilities.
You can walk right underneath the enormous orbiter. Standing there, you really get a sense of just how massive and complex this spacecraft is.
An elevated platform gives you a dramatic view from above. From up there, you can check out the orbiter’s black and white thermal tiles and its unique wing shape.
Original artifacts, photos, and films from the shuttle program fill the exhibit. You’ll hear audio of real conversations between mission control and Enterprise pilots during those approach and landing tests.
Interactive displays break down how engineers designed and developed Enterprise. The exhibit highlights the talented teams behind this groundbreaking spacecraft.
Enterprise made its way to the museum in 2012 after a complicated transport operation. It traveled from Washington DC to JFK Airport, then took a multi-day journey through New Jersey and up the Hudson River to finally reach its new home.
The pavilion displays a space-flown Soyuz TMA-6 capsule right next to Enterprise. Seeing this authentic Russian spacecraft gives you a striking contrast between American and Soviet space program designs.
The Soyuz capsule shows off its compact, bell-shaped build, which carries astronauts to and from the International Space Station. You can examine the heat-scorched exterior and peek through the tiny porthole windows that astronauts used during their missions.
Seventeen exhibit zones across the pavilion showcase even more space artifacts. You’ll find mission patches, astronaut equipment, and technical parts from various shuttle missions.
These displays highlight how space exploration technology has evolved. You can trace the journey from early capsule designs, through the shuttle era, and into today’s commercial spaceflight efforts.
The USS Growler lets visitors step inside the only American nuclear missile submarine open to the public. This Cold War-era vessel offers an up-close look at submarine operations and what daily life was like aboard a military submarine.
The tour takes you through several key areas of the USS Growler. The crew’s mess doubled as a dining room and recreation space where enlisted men ate and relaxed off duty.
In the control room, you’ll spot three steering seats and two periscopes. Crew members ran the submarine from this central spot and used the periscopes to scan the water above.
The aft torpedo room packs in nine bunks for enlisted crew and stores torpedoes for self-defense. The submarine had torpedo rooms at both ends.
Safety requirements call for a minimum height of 40 inches for all visitors. Everyone has to pass through a replica hatch on their own, and the tight spaces inside might not work for those with claustrophobia.
Children need an adult with them at all times. Large bags, strollers, and food aren’t allowed inside the sub.
The USS Growler entered service in 1958 as one of the first American nuclear missile subs. It patrolled near Russia during the Cold War, carrying out top-secret missions.
You can now see the missile command center just as crew members used it during operations. This area was once classified as top secret.
In the galley, cooks somehow managed to prepare meals for the entire crew in a kitchen barely bigger than a closet. They fed dozens of people during long underwater patrols.
The submarine shows just how tough underwater life could get during extended missions. Crew lived in cramped quarters and had to stay ready for combat at any moment.
Today, the vessel serves as an educational exhibit about Cold War submarine warfare and naval tech from the 1950s.
The Intrepid Museum brings deep-sea discovery to life with immersive exhibits. You’ll see how advanced technology uncovers centuries-old mysteries beneath the waves.
Visitors get to experience firsthand how remotely operated vehicles and high-tech sonar help archaeologists explore shipwrecks and lost civilizations.
The Intrepid Museum features a 9,000-square-foot bilingual exhibition running through January 2026. You’ll find it in the Space Shuttle Pavilion, and it turns guests into underwater archaeologists for a day.
Fifteen interactive stations let you try sonar mapping and pilot remotely operated vehicles. You can even reconstruct digital dive sites using real archaeological data.
The hands-on approach really shows how modern tech has changed underwater discovery.
Key highlights include:
The exhibit covers big discoveries like Pavlopetri, the oldest sunken city, and the Clotilda slave ship. You’ll learn how climate change is affecting underwater heritage sites around the world.
Everything appears in both English and Spanish. This exhibition is the first stop on a multi-year international tour produced by Flying Fish and the Intrepid Museum.
Remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are the main tools for deep-sea archaeology. These robotic subs go where human divers simply can’t, and they offer precise control for delicate excavation work.
Modern ROVs come with high-def cameras, manipulator arms, and all sorts of sensors. They collect artifacts without disturbing fragile sites. The vehicles send live video feeds to surface teams, who direct the action from above.
Advanced technologies include:
At the exhibit, you can try out ROV simulators. It’s surprisingly tricky to maneuver these vehicles in underwater currents while handling delicate archaeological tasks.
These tools have changed underwater archaeology from limited dives into full-on scientific investigations. Teams can now document entire shipwrecks and submerged cities in stunning detail.
Underwater archaeologists have found sites that reveal thousands of years of human history. The Titanic probably stands as the most famous deep-sea site, resting 12,500 feet below the Atlantic.
The CSS Georgia battleship offers a glimpse into Civil War naval technology. Researchers use ROVs to study the ironclad ship without disturbing its fragile remains.
Ancient sites are just as fascinating. Pavlopetri, off the Greek coast, goes back 5,000 years and is the oldest known submerged city. Its Bronze Age buildings and streets still sit preserved underwater.
The Clotilda, found in Alabama waters, was the last known slave ship to reach America. This discovery offers vital evidence about the final chapter of the Atlantic slave trade.
Other significant discoveries include:
Each find takes years of careful work and documentation. Teams use advanced imaging to create virtual reconstructions, preserving these sites for future generations.
The Intrepid Museum offers a handful of tour packages that give you deeper access to exhibits and expert commentary. Private VIP tours let small groups customize their visit, while special programs focus on attractions like the Concorde supersonic jet.
You can choose between standard admission for self-guided exploration or premium guided tours led by trained docents. Regular admission covers all the main exhibits, including the aircraft carrier deck, submarine Growler, and Space Shuttle Enterprise.
VIP tours fit up to 10 people for $750 and last about 90 minutes. These private tours include personalized commentary and access to collections not available during regular visits.
VVIP tours stretch to 2-3 hours for $1,250 per group. These experiences are fully customizable and include exclusive areas usually closed to the public.
Both private tours need to be booked in advance—usually two weeks ahead. Sometimes, the museum can handle last-minute requests if staff are available.
Tours run in English and can be scheduled before or after normal museum hours for an extra fee. Groups get dedicated guides who share in-depth stories about the exhibits and their history.
The British Airways Concorde is easily one of the museum’s most popular guided tour stops. This supersonic jet flew at twice the speed of sound, connecting New York and London in under four hours.
Guided tours aboard the Concorde let you explore the narrow cabin and cockpit. Guides explain how the plane’s engines and wings allowed it to reach speeds over 1,300 mph.
The tour highlights the engineering hurdles of supersonic flight and the Concorde’s place in luxury air travel. You can sit in the same seats as passengers who once paid a premium for the fastest flights across the Atlantic.
This experience is a hit with aviation fans and families who love flight technology. The jet’s compact interior and advanced controls show off aerospace innovation from the late 20th century.
The Intrepid Museum runs a wide range of educational programs for students, teachers, and the community, all centered around hands-on learning. The museum offers field trips for schools, interactive STEM activities, and free programs for underserved communities in New York City.
Every year, the museum welcomes thousands of students through structured field trips for all grade levels. Teachers can pick from history-based programs covering World War II, the Cold War, and Vietnam War experiences aboard the aircraft carrier.
Virtual field trips take the museum’s lessons worldwide. Since 2016, these programs have reached over 15,400 students across four continents and 20+ countries, totaling 800,000 virtual miles of content.
The museum is an approved Continuing Teacher and Leader Education provider with the New York State Education Department. Educators can earn professional development credits through its specialized courses.
Programs are inclusive and accommodate students of all abilities. Access Program Events offer sensory-friendly experiences and special tours so every student can participate fully.
Interactive exhibits and activities let students dive into science and technology concepts through hands-on challenges. The museum’s collection of engineering marvels gives real examples of innovation and creative problem-solving.
Learning stations encourage visitors to experiment with scientific principles. These activities connect the dots between historical breakthroughs and current technology, showing how past innovations shape today’s world.
The Learning Library has themed content and lessons that teachers can access online. Historic photos, oral histories, and videos supplement materials across different subjects and grade levels.
Students hear stories from people who actually operated the museum’s aircraft and spacecraft. These personal accounts help bring technical ideas to life with real-world experiences.
The museum offers free educational programs to NYC Department of Education schools and community organizations. This helps remove financial barriers that might otherwise block access to quality learning.
Youth and Community Development programs serve people throughout all five boroughs. The museum teams up with public libraries, NYCHA housing, and local groups to expand educational opportunities.
In recent years, the museum delivered programs to 161 community organizations. These efforts focus on reaching families in transitional housing and underserved neighborhoods across the city.
Community events also include special programming for people with disabilities and their families. The museum works hard to create inclusive spaces where everyone can explore history and science through engaging, accessible activities.
The Intrepid Museum offers a range of dining options and visitor services to accommodate guests of all abilities. Personal care assistants get free admission when accompanying visitors with disabilities.
Aviator Grill sits on the second floor of the Welcome Center and acts as the museum’s main restaurant. You’ll get a nice view of Pier 86 while you look over an expansive menu of American fare that’s honestly great for families.
On the ship’s third deck, you’ll find Intrepid Marketplace for quick bites. They focus on New York classics, which is perfect if you just want to grab something and keep moving.
Each spot caters to different moods. Families tend to settle in at Aviator Grill, while folks who want to keep exploring grab snacks at the marketplace between exhibits.
Both places open during regular museum hours. You can get to either one using the museum’s elevators at any point during your visit.
You’ll find elevators and restrooms all over the museum, including family restrooms. If you need a nursing mothers room, just ask at the information desk.
Gift shops pop up in two locations. The Welcome Center shop leans into history and tech-inspired items, while the Space Shuttle Pavilion store goes all-in on space-themed merchandise.
The museum’s Access Program offers specialized tours and sensory-friendly experiences for visitors with disabilities. These free programs make the museum more welcoming for guests with different needs and their families.
Interactive maps help everyone find their way. NYU’s Ability Project teamed up with the museum to create a free guide that makes self-guided navigation easier and shares accessible info about the exhibits.
All facilities meet accessibility standards, but the museum still keeps the authentic feel of the historic aircraft carrier.
People usually want the basics—how to buy tickets, when the place opens, and where it actually is—before they plan a visit. The museum sells digital tickets with timed entry, and you can visit any day starting at 10am.
The museum suggests buying tickets online through their official site for the quickest entry. They only deliver digital tickets when you buy online.
If you’d rather buy in person, the Welcome Center Box Office has you covered. Everyone in your group needs their own ticket for entry.
They stop selling tickets one hour before closing. When you arrive, you’ll need to show ID that matches the name on your ticket order.
Your digital ticket comes with a QR code that refreshes every 30 seconds. Screenshots or printouts of the code won’t get you in.
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum opens at 10am every day. They let in the last visitors one hour before closing.
Dining spots inside the museum also open at 10am. You’ll find Intrepid Marketplace on the mess deck and pier level, and Aviator Grill upstairs in the Welcome Center.
Most people spend two to three hours seeing the whole museum. Keep in mind, the submarine Growler sometimes closes earlier than the rest.
NYC residents get 50% off general admission if they show a valid government-issued photo ID with a printed address. You can also bring a current utility or mortgage statement with a five-borough address and matching photo ID.
U.S. military members and veterans always get in free with valid ID, thanks to support from Bank of America.
Spouses of active-duty service members receive a 20% discount on admission. Veterans can also get 20% off Individual, Dual, and Family Memberships.
The museum’s Sensory Guide on the Accessibility Tools page lists accessibility info and area details, including which sections you can reach by wheelchair.
If you want a sneak peek, check out the virtual tour on the Google Arts & Culture page. It shows both accessible and not-so-accessible areas of the ship.
You can also use the Bloomberg Connects mobile app for a free interactive guide. It’s packed with photos, videos, and visual descriptions of spots that might be tough to reach in person.
General admission gets you into the aircraft carrier Intrepid, the Space Shuttle Pavilion, and the submarine Growler. You’ll see all 26 aircraft and the main exhibits with one ticket.
If you want to tour the British Airways Concorde, you’ll need to buy a separate ticket for one of the daily private guided tours. That’s an extra fee on top of general admission.
CityPASS tickets save you up to 41% on admission when you bundle with four other NYC attractions. You’ll have nine days to use the passes however you like.
You’ll find the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Pier 86, right at West 46th Street and 12th Avenue in Manhattan.
It’s set at One Intrepid Square, just along the Hudson River.
The museum doesn’t have its own visitor parking lot. They aren’t connected to any nearby parking garages either.
If you’re driving, you’ll need to use one of the commercial parking lots within walking distance.
Public transportation is probably your best bet for getting there, especially since it’s on Manhattan’s west side.
Every year, more than a million visitors from all over the world come to check out this historic pier.