Battleship New Jersey to close after Labor Day

Smaller crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic will force the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial to temporarily close after Labor Day.

In a statement from Phil Rowan, the battleship’s CEO the museum announced “the volume of visitors has been much less than normal” due to the pandemic and that “With just a fraction of our normal revenue coming in daily, we can no longer continue to operate indefinitely at this level.”

The Navy’s most decorated battleship has been operated as a museum on the Camden waterfront since 2001. It will still offer tours and events through September 7th; after that, it will close until “such time that the Board deems it viable to re-open.” Most of its planned events had to be scrubbed because of the emergency orders imposed by Governor Murphy because of the coronavirus, so just a skeleton crew of security and maintenance personnel will be retained after Labor Day; according to the board of trustees, “by taking proactive action, the Board believes this temporary decision will result in a long-term benefit to the ship.”

According to the museum’s website, under normal conditions, the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial provides an up-close look at our nation’s military history. Guests of all ages and interests will enjoy their visit to this floating U.S. Navy museum of our nation’s largest battle ships ever built. From World War II to Korea, Vietnam and active duty during the 1980s, this is among the can’t-miss U.S. Navy museum ships open to the public today. A wealth of history along with engaging activities aboard our battleship museum awaits!

The museum counts on state appropriations and donations to operate. To donate, visit here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.