Battleship New Jersey - 6abc Loves the Arts

Monday, August 17, 2015

The Battleship New Jersey is open for tours year round.

August 13, 2015 -- The most decorated Battleship in US history doubles as a museum and it's right across the river in Camden.

The Battleship New Jersey has sat on the banks of the Delaware River for the past 14 years. Climb aboard and, curator Jason Hall says, you can experience the life of a sailor during World War II.

"The wonderful thing about touring the battleship is, unlike going to museums where you're looking at history through glass, here you get to walk through history. You actually get to touch history."

The ship first launched in December of 1942 and, with a span of 3 football fields, Hall says it is the longest of its kind, "The ship was actually built in Philadelphia so she's a local girl...actually built predominately by women...from here in Camden and in Philadelphia."

Through 50 years of service, from World War II to the Persian Gulf War, over 55-thousand Americans called the Battleship New Jersey home. The tours offer a glimpse into the life of a sailor.

"Where they slept, where they ate, what life was like at sea on this massive ship," says Hall who adds there are self-guided tours, "they can actually see more on us than they can on any other battleship in the world. You can actually go inside the turret you can crawl around and see the guns...yu can also see where they can launch nuclear missiles."

Or, he says, you can sign up for a more interactive experience like the new Turret Two Tour, "you can actually lay on a rack where the sailors did. You can sleep onboard the ship where you actually get to handle the projectiles and the powder bags and computer and you actually get to pull the trigger and fire the guns so we really bring history to life here."

Hall says touring the Battleship can be a powerful experience. "I think they come away with a better understanding of what people have sacrificed so we can have the freedoms that we have today."

The Battleship New Jersey is open for tours year round. You can find all of the details at battleshipnew jersey.org.