Battleship New Jersey Is Reopen to Visitors
The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial has reopened to tourists with discounted tickets and free parking.
Located along Camden Waterfront, the Battleship NJ, which set sail on December 7, 1942 a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, is the most-decorated Naval ship in our country's history.
It has been closed to visitors since March 16th in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement, the Battleship's Board of Trustees Chariman Marshall Spevak said, "We are thrilled to reopen our nation’s most decorated battleship and allow people to experience this national treasure. The well-being of our staff, volunteers, and guests remains paramount during this time, and with enhanced health screening measures, we’re proud to reopen in a safe, entertaining, and educational environment.”
For the time being, tours will be limited to the U.S.S. New Jersey's outside decks, and visitors will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken before boarding the battleship, reports Courier Post.
So, what is there to see on the outside? According to Courier Post, 'The towering 16-inch, 50-caliber guns of its three turrets, M2 50-caliber machine guns; 5-inch, 38-caliber gun mounts, Phalanx CIWS, Tomahawk missile launch boxes, Seasprite helicopter, Bofors 40 mm antiaircraft gun, Oerlikon 20 mm guns and the recently-added captain's boat.' That's some SERIOUS weaponry!
Tours happen daily between 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. (running every 15 minutes) and are limited to 10 people at a time to allow for adequate social distancing. Ticket info can be found here.
The Battleship New Jersey is a piece of history well worth seeing and touring in person. I took my dad there for Father's Day a few years ago and we really enjoyed the tour. To call the ship 'massive' is an understatement. But feeling diminutive in it's presence made me appreciate just how many dedicated service men it took to operate such a thing of beauty at a time when America's freedom was at stake. I hope you'll take some time to check it out this summer.
SOURCES: BattleshipNewJersey.org; Courier Post
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