Historic Battleship Texas returns to the water after 18-month-long dry dock repair

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The historic Battleship Texas began the process of undocking on Tuesday morning and will be back in the water for the first time in 18 months.

The re-floating process marks the next step in the ship's $75 million restoration.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Battleship Texas enters $15M restoration phase as it gets closer to calling Galveston, 'home'

Over the next 18 to 24 months, crews will be replacing the deck superstructure and interiors.

Battleship Texas had been drydocked at Gulf Copper Dry Dock & Rig Repair's shipyard for $21 million worth of extensive repairs since August 2022. During that time, crews replaced over 700 tons of steel, painted the hull, and performed quality control checks, according to the Battleship Texas Foundation.

Before it was moved to Galveston for repairs, the iconic 122-year-old Dreadnought -- which served in both WWI and WWII -- called the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site home for over 70 years.

The ship is expected to reopen in a new home sometime next year.

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Battleship Texas docks in Galveston after daylong, historic tow

Welcome home, for now. The USS Texas made it to Galveston after spending decades at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. So, what's next? ABC13 breaks it down here.

This is what the Battleship Texas looked like in the 1960s

Take a step back in time and watch events and celebrations at the Battleship Texas from the ABC13 archives.