Press release from The City of Norfolk:

City of Norfolk Assumes Ownership of Battleship Wisconsin

BB64 to be included in Nauticus admission

Norfolk, Va—Transfer of the Navy’s last and largest battleship—the USS Wisconsin—is now complete, paving the way for the public to see interior areas of the ship within the next three years. Navy officials signed papers on Monday, December 14, transferring ownership of the ship to the City of Norfolk. Nauticus will now handle the day-to-day operations of the ship and will continue in partnership with the Navy, through the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, for some uses, such as naval ceremonies. As a result of the transfer, care for this major icon of naval sea power lies in the hands of the entire Hampton Roads community.

“Nauticus is excited about taking over stewardship of the Battleship Wisconsin,”said Nauticus Executive Director Hank Lynch. “It’s been a long time coming, and we are anxious to give the public more access to this American treasure and icon of the City of Norfolk.”

The Battleship Wisconsin, long homeported in Norfolk, serves as a focal point for visitors to Downtown Norfolk. The long-range goal of the City and Nauticus is to preserve, maintain, and improve this beautiful ship for countless future generations. To that end, the City has set aside $6.2 million in capital improvement funds for immediate environmental and ship’s systems upgrades. But, to fund routine maintenance and preservation, the battleship will become part of the existing Nauticus paid experience. Starting Saturday, December 19, battleship access will be included in Nauticus’ current admission of $10.95 for adults, and $8.50 for children ages 4-12. Children age 3 and under are admitted free.

Admissions and special events rental revenues will also help Nauticus improve the interpretation of the ship’s interior. Some spaces of the ship are expected to be open for guided, hard hat tours, by next spring. Over time, more and more of the ship will be prepared for visitors to experience.

Naval ceremonies, including re-enlistments and retirements—will continue to be offered on the ship free of charge.. However, a suggested donation of $64 may be requested – any such donations will go directly to the Wisconsin Preservation Fund for ship’s maintenance costs.

Over the coming weeks, visitors to the battleship will experience new interpretive signage and additional programs to assist with understanding the significant role that the Battleship Wisconsin has played throughout history, including her service in World War II, the Korean War, and Operation Desert Storm. As before, the docent force of veterans and Battleship lovers will be on board to tell the story of this great ship. Long term plans call for diverse educational programming and access to the combat information center, berthing areas, wardroom and barber shop. Oral histories will also blend with innovative technology to tell the personal stories of veterans who served on the ship.