The Battleship New Jersey is back home and officially opened its doors for tours this month after undergoing a 12-week repair project that cost $10 million. (Battleship New Jersey/Facebook)
CAMDEN, N.J. (Tribune News Service) — The Battleship New Jersey is back home and officially opened its doors for tours this month after undergoing a 12-week repair project that cost $10 million.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Wednesday marked the occasion, with officials from the museum and Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen welcoming visitors back aboard the ship.
Self-guided and guided tours on the ship are now available every day. Guided tours, priced at $40 for adults and $35 for children and veterans, include a 90-minute journey aboard the ship with opportunities to fire the battleship’s saluting gun.
The USS New Jersey, also known as “Big J,” is the most decorated, fastest and longest U.S. Navy warship.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Camden City Mayor Vic Carstarphen, officials from Battleship New Jersey and others was held Wednesday to mark the reopening. (Battleship New Jersey/Facebook)
For 12 weeks, the vessel underwent repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard dry dock after departing from its home pier on the Camden Waterfront in March. Tugboats pulled the ship down the Delaware River and back, marking its first movement in 25 years.
The ship returned on June 21 with a fresh coat of red paint on its hull, which took around 5,000 gallons to complete, along with a new anti-corrosion system and replaced anodes to protect the ship’s metal structures from erosion. Workers also removed marine growth and debris from the ship.
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 covered the rest of the repair costs through its private fundraisers, officials said.
The project was completed on time and within budget, according to museum officials.
“When she left in March, it felt like this day might never come,” Marshall Spevak, CEO of Battleship New Jersey said in a statement.
Throughout the repairs, Battleship New Jersey officials hosted over 6,200 dry dock tours for thousands of visitors from around the world. The tours, priced at $225, included guided visits around and underneath the 45,000-ton vessel, showcasing its fully exposed hull and 18-foot tall propellers.
“The work doesn’t end with dry docking though, it’s just beginning,” Spevak said. “That’s why we’re thrilled to have her home where she belongs on the Camden Waterfront.”
The ship’s renovations were long overdue. According to Navy regulations, decommissioned museum ships must undergo dry docking for maintenance every 20 years. However, this was the first major maintenance project for the ship in decades.
Since 2001, the battleship has served as a museum, a decade after its fourth and final decommissioning on February 8, 1991.
It entered into service in 1942, a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Adorned with 19 battle stars, the battleship also holds the distinction of being one of the last American battleships to serve during World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War.
More information about tours can be found on the Battleship New Jersey’s website.
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