Battleship Texas is currently in dry dock at Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston.

The 2019 Texas Legislature has funded a $35 million project to bring Battleship Texas to dry dock for major hull repairs. On August 31^st, 2022, Battleship Texas arrived at Gulf Copper and was raised out of the water for repairs. Gulf Copper has been repairing and replacing hull plating below the waterline. The ship’s torpedo blisters (sacrificial exterior tanks added in 1925-1926 to protect the ship from torpedoes) have been entirely cut away below the waterline and are being reconstructed. The new torpedo blisters are of a slightly different design to reduce future maintenance needs and will be coated inside and out to protect from corrosion.

After the hull repairs and torpedo blister rebuild are completed, an underwater coating system will be applied to the exterior hull below the waterline. The rest of the ship’s exterior will be repainted in Measure 21 camouflage (navy blue on vertical surfaces, a darker “deck blue” on horizontal surfaces). After the ship is repainted, she will leave dry dock and begin pierside work. In June 2023 the Texas Legislature appropriated an additional $25 million for this project, extending our time in dry dock until March 2024. This funding will enable us to do more repairs to the underside of the ship, as well as preventative work inside

Pierside work will include various repairs to the ship’s superstructure funded in part by the Save America’s Treasures grant (the superstructure is the structures above main deck, such as the masts, smoke stack, and aft fire control tower), replacing some or all of the ship’s wood decking, and cleaning up, restoration, repainting, and installing exhibits in interior spaces. This work will prepare the ship to receive visitors again and we estimate this will take at least a year to eighteen months after Battleship Texas leaves dry dock.

We are currently offering dry dock tours, click here for more information. Aside from a dry dock tour, the best place to see Battleship Texas in dry dock is from the Pier 21 area in Galveston. There is an excellent view from the pier, as well as restaurants and museums, and the pier is within walking distance of Galveston’s historic downtown. We also post pictures and videos from the dry dock on our news page and social media.

We are actively talking with multiple organizations – public and private – about multiple locations in Galveston. As of now a final decision has not been made.

We are targeting mid-to-late 2025 for our grand reopening.

The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is operated by the Texas Historical Commission. Battleship Texas Foundation has no involvement with San Jacinto. Please check their website for information.

Battleship Texas is owned by the State of Texas.

Between 1946 and 1948, legislation was passed at the state and federal levels to allow the US Navy to donate Battleship Texas to the State of Texas to be operated as a museum and memorial. This federal program still operates today and is the source of most former Navy vessels that have been donated to serve as museum ships in the US.

When the State of Texas received Battleship Texas in 1948, a state commission called the Battleship Texas Commission was responsible for the ship. This commission was established by an act of the legislature in 1947 and abolished by an act of the legislature in 1983.

After the Battleship Texas Commission was abolished, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department was given responsibility for Battleship Texas. Texas Parks & Wildlife operated the ship until August 1^st, 2020, when operational control was given to Battleship Texas Foundation at the direction of legislation passed in 2019. We are the Battleship Texas Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 1998 in support of Battleship Texas.

Battleship Texas Foundation does not own the ship. We operate the ship on behalf of the State of Texas, with oversight from Texas Parks & Wildlife and (as necessary for all historic sites in Texas) the Texas Historical Commission.

We currently plan to finish work in dry dock in March 2024. After Battleship Texas leaves dry dock, she will be moved to another pier at Gulf Copper’s facility where additional work will be done. We estimate that this additional work will take at least a year to eighteen months to complete, see “What work is going on?” for more details.

No. In 2019, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department requested $100 million in funding for the construction of a permanent dry berth for Battleship Texas. This cost is far in excess of money that we can raise in the foreseeable future and so there are currently no plans to permanently dry berth Battleship Texas.

Usable scrap steel is being made into various items, which are available for donations here. There are currently a large number of Battleship Texas Artisans working on producing unique items from scrap steel, more information can be found here.