Tours of the Battleship New Jersey as it sits in dry dock began this month, giving visitors a rare chance to see the hull of a fully exposed battleship and an opportunity to walk beneath a massive piece of American history.
The USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in U.S. Navy history, left its home pier on the Camden waterfront and was towed to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for major repairs on March 27.
Public tours are being offered on weekends through the end of May while the battleship undergoes restoration at the shipyard.
Tickets and can be purchased through the Battleship New Jersey museum’s website for $225. The tours are limited to people ages 16 or older. Veterans who served on the battleship can get discounted tickets for $170.
As of Thursday, more than 70% of tickets have been sold, according to officials.
For Libby Jones, who has been the Battleship New Jersey museum’s director of eduction for six years, the guided dry dock tours are a big change of pace.
The first weekend of tours, which began on April 6, completely sold out. People from around the country and the world have come to see the 887-feet long decommissioned warship out of water, said Jones, who serves as a tour guide.
“We’ve seen people from all over,” Jones said. “We saw folks from Switzerland ... somebody came from the Philippines just for a tour.”
Before joining the dry dock tour, visitors are reminded to dress appropriately and wear steel-toed shoes and sturdy pants because it’s an active worksite. Complimentary commemorative branded hats and protective eyewear are provided, along with steel toe covers for those who need them, officials said.
The tours, conducted in groups of about 10, begin at the top of the dock with museum directors delving into the history and ongoing work being done on the battleship.
Then, visitors descend into the dock, approximately 50 feet deep, to get an up-close look at the hull and the ship’s 18-foot tall propellers. And those taking the tour can touch the vessel.
Tour guides then switch on the lights on their hard hats to lead the group underneath the 45,000-ton ship for an experience that has never been offered before. The ship is currently elevated on about 360 blocks, a few feet above the ground, so those attending need to crouch down beneath the ship during the tour.
While there have been no injuries reported, children under 16 are not allowed on tours because it is an active worksite, musuem officials said. And, because climbing steep flights of stairs to get into and out of the site is required, the tour is not wheelchair or walker accessible.
Towards the end of the tour, as the group makes its way to the front tip of the vessel, visitors will find some of the best views for photos, guides said. When you look up at the ship from the front, you get a feel for just how massive the battleship is, Jones said.
Depending on the day the tour is booked, the public can get to see various stages of the battleship’s restoration.
Workers are repainting the ship’s hull, repairing the anti-corrosion system underneath the ship, and inspecting the through-hull openings. Also, the ship’s zinc anodes, used to prevent corrosion, will be replaced with aluminum, a better choice for the ship’s freshwater environment in the Delaware River.
Earlier this month, workers were power washing the hull to remove mud, old paint and any leftover debris, before it gets coated with fresh paint.
About 5,200 gallons of paint will be used to repaint the ship’s hull a traditional red color, said museum curator Ryan Szimanski.
Dry dock tour tickets are still available but nearly sold out, officials said.
“We’ve got slots left, but they’re selling quick,” Jones said.
Mandy Trunzo, of Palmerton, Pennsylvania, first became a Battleship New Jersey supporter about 18 years ago when she brought a group of Girl Scouts on an overnight tour of the ship in Camden. She was among the first set of people to secure a ticket for the first week of sold-out tours.
“This was an amazing once in a lifetime experience for my fiancé, Vincent, and I,” Trunzo said. “To be able to go underneath a 45,000-ton battleship is an amazing experience.”
Battleship New Jersey Director of Education Libby Jones leads the way under the ship at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Each block holding up the ship supports 155 tons.Dave Hernandez | For NJ Advance
The entire dry dock repair process, which will cost about $10 million, is expected to take about two months. Afterwards, the ship will return home to Camden, where it has served as a museum for 25 years.
Funding for the project came from various sources, including $5 million from the 2024 state budget, a $750,000 grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and a $3.25 million bond issued with backing from Camden County. The museum is working to cover the rest of the repair costs through its private fundraisers, officials said.
The Battleship New Jersey, also known as “Big J,” is the adorned with 19 battle stars. As an Iowa-class ship, it holds the distinction of being among the last American battleships to serve in World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War.
The Philadelphia Navy Yard dock, where the battleship is being repaired, is significant because it’s where the ship was originally built and launched in 1942, a year after the Pearl Harbor attack. The last time it entered to dry dock was in 1967 when it was reactivated for the Vietnam War, Szimanski said.
Decommissioned museum ships must undergo dry docking for maintenance every 20 years, according to Navy regulations. However, this is the first time in decades the Battleship New Jersey has undergone a major maintenance project, officials said.
When the vessel was first tugged away last month to make its way to Paulsboro for the first step of its repair journey, the sendoff was witnessed by hundreds on the Camden waterfront. The event may have been the the last opportunity for veterans who had served on the decorated ship to see it move again. Many watched again a few days later when the ship was towed from Paulsboro to Philadelphia to enter dry dock.
Judging by the response the museum has had from the dry dock tours, the excitement won’t be dying down anytime soon, said Jones.
“I don’t think it’ll die down until we’re very comfortably back in Camden,” she said.
The Battleship New Jersey sits in dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The mist is from workers pressure washing the ships hull in preparation for paint.Dave Hernandez | For NJ Advance
Stories by Nyah Marshall
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Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com.