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INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
I've always wanted to visit the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, which opened in 1982 and is located at Pier 86, at W. 46th Street and 12th Avenue. The museum is centered on the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11). She's one of the most successful ships in U.S. history and is now a National Historic Landmark. She began her duty in 1943 and served in World War II, was one of the primary recovery vessels for NASA, did three tours of duty off Vietnam, and performed submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic during the Cold War.



ADMISSION
The ship is now a monument and an educational center. My sister Carol and I got in line at 9:40 a.m., 20 minutes before she opened, so we wouldn't miss a thing. BTW: The entry fees are $22 for adults; $18 for seniors and U.S. college students; and $17 for youth 3–17 and veterans. It's free for active military, retired U.S. military, and children under three.

FEATURES
Since we arrived early, the first thing we should've done was tour the Growler (SSG-577), as it has limited space and the line gets longer throughout the day. TIP: If you are one of the first in the museum, hit the Growler first. FYI: The Growler is the only extant submarine that fired nuclear missiles.

CONCORDE
Instead of hitting the Growler, the first place I made a bee-line to was the retired British Airways Concorde (one of seven in the world) that now sits at the far end of the ship. It was my first time stepping foot on one, so I couldn't wait. Visitors enter through the mid door and the back of the plane is blocked off, so all you can do is peek your head in to get a feel for it. The front half of the plane (it's all one class) has a plastic barrier around the seats, bathroom, and cockpit so you can't sit, only look. Here's a cool website with more info on British Airways Concordes.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Other Intrepid highlights included wandering the top deck of the ship to see one of the best jet-age Cold War aircraft collections in the country (the best is the Udvar-Hazy Center outside of Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C.). The Intrepid has 30 aircraft including the A-12 Blackbird spy plane and early helicopters. Be sure to watch the short movies throughout the ship. In the main theater they show an eight-minute film every 10 minutes; one thing I took away from it was a meaningful quote from a seven-year POW: "You can never have a bad day when you have a doorknob on the inside."

The museum also offers interactive displays and simulators.

Did You Know: Since the museum opened in 1982, the Intrepid has become a national icon. More than 915,000 people visit each year.

For more info on the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, log on to Intrepidmuseum.org.

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Note: This trip was sponsored in part by Intrepid Museum







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