History Buff News This Week - Battleship New Jersey Made a Historic Departure for Dry Dock on March 21st

The iconic Battleship New Jersey will leave her home dock in Camden for the first time in nearly 25 years to travel down the Delaware River to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she was originally built, for dry dock maintenance work.

The departure event was open to the public and featured comments from Governor Murphy, Congressman Donald Norcross, Rear Admiral Thomas J. Anderson, USN, and more; music from the Camden Creative Arts High School band, and delicious treats from local food trucks and vendors.

Kids can sleep in the bunks where the sailors slept in an overnight encampment

DRY DOCK GUIDED TOURS

Walk under the World’s Greatest Battleship! Guided dry dock tours of the Battleship will take place during Saturdays and Sundays while the ship is at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. See the massive Iowa-class battleship propellers, the underside of the ship and more. Every dry dock tour guest will get a collectible Battleship hard hat to take home.

Dry Dock Guided Tour Tickets will launch on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning April 6 and 7, and run every Saturday and Sunday while the Battleship is in dry dock. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. Standard Dry Dock Tickets are a $225 donation per person.

Battleship Curator Ryan Szimanski will also lead Dry Dock tours. For Ryan to lead your tour, there is a $1,000 donation per person.

Tickets for the Dry Dock Tour DRY DOCK GUIDED TOUR TICKETS 

Archival image of BB-62 sailors

About the Battleship New Jersey

Berthed on the Camden Waterfront along the Delaware River, the New Jersey was originally built at this Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 1940-1943 for World War II, then drydocked and reactivated in Philadelphia again from 1967-1968 for service in Vietnam – one of her four tours of duty. With 19 Battle Stars, the New Jersey is the most decorated battleship in the 248-year history of the United States Navy. To donate to the drydocking effort, visit www.battleshipnewjersey.org.

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