Not sure why it took us so long to visit -- but sure glad we did! What an amazing history lesson and a page from the past. Words just can not describe how emotionally moving it is to listen to the tour guides recant what took place on this dynamic vessel. Please take advantage of its location and visit....you'll be glad you did.
The Battleship NJ is one of just a few Iowa class battleships. The ship served in many conflicts, including WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and the first Gulf conflict. I did the self-guided tour option. Basically, you enter the ship and then follow a red line as it takes you through various parts of the ship. You dont see the entire ship, but you do travel through many decks. There are numerous climbing of angled steps that are essentially ladders. Volunteers are stationed in certain areas to provide information about various parts of the ship. An audio guide is available to help narrate the tour. The tour spends about 50% of the time in the interior of the ship, and the other 50% on outside decks, so take the weather into account. This attraction works best in decent weather. You can park in front of the Adventure aquarium and then walk to the battleship through a park area with good views of the river and Philadelphia on the other side. The walk is about a 10 minute walk. The self-guided Battleship tour takes about 60 - 80 minutes, depending on how much you want to look around;. Then you can walk back over to check out the nearby aquarium if you have some more time to spend at the waterfront. My 10 year old boy loved going up and down the ladders, and seeing the large guns, and just being on the deck of such a large ship. For enthusiasts of naval history, visiting an Iowa class ship is essential, and the Battleship NJ will not disappoint you.
Visited here the day after seeing Independence Seaport Museum - the ferry from Penns Landing over to Camden does not run during the winter months so we rented a car for our trip knowing this in advance. It's free to go over the bridge from Philly on the outbound but a $5 toll on the way back. There were a few parking options but the only free one is a three block walk from the battleship and it was not very well signposted. The Battleship itself was excellent - it was $21 a person to visit but a real piece of naval history to view. There are discounts for vets and seniors and kids etc. The most decorated battleship - she has taken part in so many global operations it's incredible and she is well worth a visit and a tour. We were there for 2.5 hours. You can read her entire history on the ship's web site at: http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/history/full_history.phpPlease go visit and support the Battleship NJ.
I had always wanted to visit the Battleship NEW JERSEY (BB62), as I had already visited six of the eight former USN battleships that have now retired as memorial museums. I finally got my chance when I was visiting nearby Philadelphia. The ship is impressive to say the least, and you need several visits to see most of it. Although not in its original WW2 configuration; it still has the basic profile and look. It is truly amazing, and a marvel to naval engineering. Bring good shoes, preferably boots of some type. There is a nice gift shop for when you are done exploring the many decks and compartments. I also encourage membership to the ship, which allows you free admission and gift shop discounts. It is very important that we preserve this icon of our history. Two rabbit ears up!!(\ (\( -.-)o_(")(")
Loved going here. We made it through almost to the end before the young boys started getting bored. It was really interesting and a lot of fun. Something every American should experience!!
On our last day in Philadelphia we decided to go to the Adventure Aquarium across the Delaware River in Camden NJ. We arrived before it opened so decided to first go to the USS New Jersey Battleship Museum that is nearby. Well, we never did end up at the aquarium. On the battleship, we met many veterans from WWII and Korea. They had spent duty time on the ship at various times. Their stories were priceless. We were unaware that the USS New Jersey was America's most decorated ship. It served from WWII right up to the Persian Gulf War in 1989. It was the first ship to fire a tomahawk missile. This is a truly great piece of American history!
If you have boys, this is just the place to go to. I took my 12-year old and boy he loved it. Get a guided tour, it is worth it. You will learn a lot. We went on one of those days where it was at a discount, even better! Our long drive down from northern Jersey was definitely worth it! Only wish they had better snacking facilities...
My Husband and I were able to have a day trip to the Battleship New Jersey in September of 2014. The staff was so pleasant and friendly. We were given fantastic help and met many intelligent staff members. We did a self-guided tour and had so much fun trying bunks out, walking through out the different floors, Captain's Quarters, the Brig, and the the Mess Hall to name a few. There were many explanations of the areas posted very clearly. What a fantastic way to spend time together while appreciating the history of this beautiful Lady!!!
We recently spent the weekend in Philadelphia and went across the river to Camden, NJ to visit the Battleship New Jersey. My husband, 10-year old son and I equally enjoyed it. The docents (including senior citizen, middle and college ages) were friendly and incredibly knowledgeabl about the New Jersey's incredibly history. A "must see" if you're in the Philly area.
First let me start out by wishing everyone a Happy 2015. We decided that we wanted to watch the Philadelphia/Camden 2015 NYE fireworks from someplace different. I decided to purchase 2 tickets to the Battleship New Jersey for $10 each. The website and ticket purchase was extremely easy and I was able to download my tickets in minutes. The battleship is advertised as one of the best views of the fireworks- but this is so not true! The fireworks are launched from a barge closer to the bridge. Due to the position of the ship, the view is very poor. In addition, the DJ on the deck of the ship, did not do a count down to midnight?? and the audio quality of the fireworks soundtrack was muffled and very poor quality. I would not go back to watch the fireworks on the ship. To be clear, this review is only of the NYE fireworks, I'm sure that the tour during the day would be very cool.