Battleship Texas is currently closed for an extensive repair project. However, we do have limited Dry Dock Tours available until April 30th. More information is available here

The 2019 Texas legislature has funded a $35 million project to bring Battleship Texas to dry dock for major hull repairs. This project will completely repair or replace the ship’s hull below the waterline. Additional funds are being raised to complete as much additional work as possible while the ship is in dry dock, including but not limited to replacement of the ship’s wooden deck, and fresh paint inside and out.

Since April 2020, our staff and volunteers have been working to restore the ship’s anti-aircraft guns (and other deck-mounted equipment) in an offsite warehouse facility provided by NRG. After being restored, these guns will go back on the ship while she is in dry dock and be ready for her grand reopening.

On September 10th, 2021, the National Park Service announced the award of $500,000 to Battleship Texas through the Save America’s Treasures grant program, which will go towards repair and restoration of the ship’s superstructure while in dry dock.

On August 31st, 2022, Battleship Texas arrived at Gulf Copper in Galveston and has been raised out of the water on the dry dock.

On August 31st, 2022, Battleship Texas arrived at Gulf Copper in Galveston and has been raised out of the water on the dry dock.

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 the restaurants and museums around the pier. We also post pictures and videos from the dry dock on our battleship updates page as well as our social media.

We have ongoing talks with interested parties in Galveston, Baytown, and Beaumont. One of these three cities will become her new home after repairs are complete. Battleship Texas will not be returning to the San Jacinto State Historic Site.

We estimate Battleship Texas’ grand reopening will be sometime in 2024.

On August 31st, 2022, Battleship Texas left the San Jacinto State Historic Site and arrived at Gulf Copper in Galveston. She was lifted onto the dry dock and out of the water later that evening. Because of the enormous amount of planning and preparation done since this project began, this day went better than even our best case scenarios could have predicted.

From August to December 2020, work was underway to fill the ship’s torpedo blisters with marine foam. The foam is a rigid, closed-cell foam that seals existing leaks, minimizes flooding when new leaks form, and slightly reinforces the structure of the torpedo blisters. This work has dramatically reduced the need for pumps. Before foaming, 1,500-2,000 gallons per minute were being pumped off the ship 24/7. After foaming, a handful of pumps are turned on periodically, pumping on average 5 gallons per minute. This work will protect the ship from flooding while being towed to dry dock later this year.

In April 2020, the ship’s anti-aircraft guns and other deck mounted items were removed for restoration, with the help of Taylor Marine and Certified Pipe Services Houston. The items are currently being stored at an offsite warehouse facility provided by NRG. Since then, Battleship Texas volunteers and staff have been working on disassembling and restoring the guns and other equipment on a component level.

Starting in late Spring 2022, contractors mobilized to begin lead, asbestos, and PCB abatement in the ship’s superstructure, beginning the first phase of the Superstructure Repair Project that was partially funded by the Save America’s Treasures grant program. This work finished in late July 2022.

In July 2022, Resolve Marine remobilized to do final tow prep onboard Battleship Texas. They installed about twenty 4″ and 6″ pumps in key areas, temporary hatches with feedthroughs for hoses and electrical power for those pumps, an onboard generator to run this equipment, and completed other work over the next month.