Battleship New Jersey will glide into the Camden waterfront in June after nearly three months away from its longtime port.
The decommissioned warship and museum is set to return Thursday, June 20. The battleship will depart its current location at the Philadelphia Navy Yard six days earlier and briefly stop in Paulsboro for ballast work. It's expected to arrive in Camden around 1:20 p.m., but the public is invited to the pier and promenade starting at 11 a.m. to help welcome the vessel.
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The ship has been docked on dry land at the Philadelphia Navy Yard since March for hull maintenance. The tune-up was long overdue; the last time the Battleship New Jersey was dry docked for maintenance was in 1991, when it was still an active warship. The ship since has been decommissioned and serves as a museum, but it has been closed to visitors while it undergoes repairs.
Upon its return to Camden, the Battleship New Jersey will reopen for public tours during its usual 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily hours. But a select few can join the journey to Paulsboro or Camden; the museum is currently selling 15 tickets for each voyage.
Battleship New Jersey, formally known as USS New Jersey, is the most decorated battleship in U.S. naval history. It was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and launched on the one-year anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The vessel was active not only during World War II, but the Korean War, Vietnam War and Cold War.
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