HOUSTON – There’s one last chance to visit Battleship Texas before the 108-year-old dreadnought departs its berth at the San Jacinto Battleground in east Harris County, the ship’s location since 1948.
Battleship Texas will open to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors can purchase tickets online or on location. General admission is $10 for adults (ages 12 to 64) and $5 for children (ages 4 to 11). Active military and seniors (ages 65 and older) can purchase tickets for $5.
Visitors will have access to the ship’s main deck, superstructure, and Ward Room, where interactive historic exhibits will be displayed.
The U.S.S. Texas was commissioned in 1914 “as the most powerful weapon in the world,” according to the Battleship Texas Foundation.
It was decommissioned in 1948, presented to the state of Texas, and recommissioned as flagship of the Texas Navy, according to the Texas State Historical Association. In 1983, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired the ship and later had it restored based on plans drawn up by a naval architect. The ship was on display and open to the public until 2019, when it was closed for lengthy repairs.
Battleship Texas is the only battleship in existence today that fought in both World War I and World War II.
In the summer, Battleship Texas will go to Gulf Cooper Shipyard in Galveston for repairs. It’s unclear where the ship will go after the repairs are complete.
“Her new home port has not yet been decided, though multiple interested parties have submitted proposals, all within or near the Greater Houston Area,” the Battleship Texas Foundation says on its website.
For additional information, visit battleshiptexas.org.