The Intrepid Museum is a world-class cultural institution and 2022 marks its 40th anniversary. There will be a year-long celebration featuring new exhibits, a preview of the future restoration of historic spaces on the Intrepid, plus special in-person and virtual educational programming. Guests will also have the chance to view new content across the museum’s digital platforms that highlight its history.
Founded in 1982, the Intrepid Museum has become a prime destination in New York City for families looking to take kids on a journey into the past and adventures for the future. The Intrepid was saved from the scrapyard and currently resides at Pier 86 on Manhattan’s west side. Its presence honors the men and women who have served in the armed forces while educating children and the general public about history and innovations.
The museum is a national historic landmark and its complex features Growler, the only American diesel-powered guided missile submarine open to the public, and the space shuttle Enterprise. The collection also features 28 historic aircraft including Lockheed A-12, the world’s fastest military jet and spy plane.
“The Intrepid Museum, in its 40 years, has evolved into one of the world’s more unique and beloved cultural institutions,” says museum president Susan Marenoff-Zausner. “As we reflect on our four decades and look ahead to the future, we are incredibly proud of our museum and the role it plays in elevating extraordinary stories of heroism, bravery, significant accomplishments and overcoming adversity, to educate and inspire today, tomorrow and always.”
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the 40th-anniversary events and programs:
January
Virtual Astronomy Live: This popular series launches for 2022 on Jan. 20 previewing NASA’s Artemis I test flight. The program expands to include several in-person events and a new partnership with NASA Spaceflight beginning in March.
February
NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity Helicopter models are on display in the Space Shuttle Pavilion beginning Feb. 18.
Kids Week: The Museum’s annual fun-filled festival returns in person, Feb. 19-26. Through daily activities, kids of all ages can explore space, science, technology and the arts.
March
The temporary exhibition On the Mend: Restoring Intrepid’s Sick Bay opens, examining the history of medical care on the ship while also illuminating the museum’s current efforts to restore the ship’s sickbay and open it to visitors.
The annual Girls in Science and Engineering Day celebrates the accomplishments of women in STEM fields and endeavors to inspire young women to pursue their dreams.
April
Free Fridays are back! The museum remains open after hours on the last Friday of the month from April-September as we invite the community to experience the Intrepid Museum for free. Our popular movie nights on the flight deck take place during select Free Fridays featuring movies also celebrating their 40th anniversary, including E.T. and An Officer and a Gentlemen.
May
The museum’s 40th Anniversary Virtual Experiences take audiences behind the scenes to tour some of the Museum’s biggest acquisitions over the last 40 years. In the first of four programs, come along for a tour of the flight deck, including a look at the F-14 Tomcat, made famous in the film Top Gun!
The Museum is once again a hub for New York’s annual Fleet Week celebration of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. On May 30, the Intrepid Museum honors the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces at its yearly Memorial Day Ceremony.
June
The Intrepid Museum conducts its Youth Summit, a free virtual conference that invites students to join the Museum for a day of inspiration and action, featuring highly-motivated teens who have created or worked on projects that address issues or problems that they see in their daily lives, whether locally, nationally or globally.
After a year-long restoration project led by the museum’s in-house specialists, the newly-restored Douglas F4D Skyray, the very aircraft that flew from the flight deck of Intrepid and returned to the Museum in July 2021, is unveiled to the public.
July
40th Anniversary Virtual Experience: Get a rare look inside the space shuttle Enterprise, with a former NASA astronaut as your virtual tour guide.
August
The museum celebrates the day (August 2, 1982) and month of its founding with special content, programming, events and throwback pricing.
September
40th Anniversary Virtual Experience: Explore a supersonic jet, the British Airways Concorde, and talk to pilots that flew it.
October
A new temporary exhibit exploring women in space exploration debuts in the museum’s Space Shuttle Pavilion with English and Spanish language content.
November
The museum’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony takes place on Friday, November 11 and celebrates the museum’s former crew members and all who served in our nation’s Armed Forces.
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, the Veterans Job Fair returns to connect veterans and military spouses to employment and networking opportunities, expert-led workshops geared towards job acquisition and expanding professional development, community resources and free professional headshots.
December
The museum carries on its annual salute to the survivors and victims of December 7, 1941 with its Pearl Harbor Day Ceremony that includes family members of those who served in Pearl Harbor on that fateful day.
40th Anniversary Virtual Experience: Tour the submarine Growler with former crew members and get an inside look at this once top-secret vessel.
New diverse content incorporated into the museum’s education programming and via the Museum’s accessible exhibit guide debuts as part of Full Muster: Inclusive Histories on Historic Naval Ships, a grant-supported project to explore underrepresented stories in the U.S. Navy service from World War II to today.
You can also join in the fun by sharing your photos and memories of the Intrepid using the hashtag #INTREPID40 on social media. The Intrepid is located at Pier 86, W. 46th St., New York, NY and is open seven days a week from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information on the anniversary celebration visit Intrepidmuseum.org/40.
