Battleship Texas to reopen for first time in almost 2 years for July 4th weekend

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Battleship Texas to reopen for limited time July 4th weekend

It's back! Even if it's just for two days, we're happy to see this historic Texas landmark welcoming guests once again!

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) -- Texans, we've got big news about Battleship Texas!

The historic Texas landmark is reopening for the first time in almost two years for Fourth of July weekend.

The tourist site was closed for repairs, but the Battleship Texas Foundation says it will temporarily reopen for July 3 and July 4.

The former USS Texas will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days.

The officer's wardroom, main deck and navigation bridge will all be open to guests. The rest of the ship will remain closed due to construction.

The two-day event will also feature live music.

Guests can purchase tickets at battleshiptexas.org.

Battleship Texas closed to the public in Aug. 2019 to allow for preparation for transportation to a shipyard for extensive repair work.

A few months before the closure, it was announced that the ship was eventually going to be moved to a new docking site. The ship has been docked across the road from the San Jacinto Monument for more than 70 years.

It's expected to completely reopen to the public in the first quarter of 2022, according to a 2020 release.

Once open, the foundation will operate the ship with constant preservation and maintenance efforts. The foundation will also offer new experiences and programs for the ship's visitors, the release reads.

In 2019, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Battleship Foundation entered a memorandum of understanding in which the foundation will maintain the ship for the department and the state of Texas.

Battleship Texas is the last remaining battleship that participated in both World War I and World War II, according to the department.