August 12, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Battleship New Jersey will undergo a $24.25 million renovation project to expand its visitor center, build a new parking lot and make upgrades to the vessel in the coming years.
Battleship New Jersey will get an expanded visitor center, parking garage and other upgrades as part of a $24.25 million project to bolster the World War II-era vessel on the Camden waterfront, officials said Wednesday.
The renovation, supported by $19.9 million in state tax credits, will be the largest capital investment for the decorated ship since it opened as a museum and memorial in 2001.
"As a Navy veteran, I know Battleship New Jersey stands as an enduring testament to the service and sacrifice of generations of Americans," New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement. "This investment will preserve that legacy and strengthen one of New Jersey's most treasured historic destinations."
The project is expected to start next spring and will take about two years to complete. The existing visitor center will get a $9.5 million expansion, creating a three-story building that fronts the battleship with new exhibition spaces. The $5.5 million parking structure will be built at Wiggins Park Marina.
Another $6 million in infrastructure upgrades are planned for the 887-foot-long vessel. The work will include new exterior lighting, bathroom and accessibility upgrades, a new event space and fixes to the pier, elevator shaft and generator system.
Battleship New Jersey will undergo a $24.25 million renovation project to expand its visitor center, build a new parking lot and make upgrades to the vessel in the coming years.
A rendering shows plans for Battleship New Jersey's expanded visitor center.
The Iowa-class warship, nicknamed Big J, was one of two built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in the early 1940s. It served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and several conflicts during the Cold War and Gulf War before it was permanently decommissioned in 1991.
Battleship New Jersey was towed to Philadelphia two years ago to be dry-docked for its first maintenance in three decades. The $10 million project added protective coating to the hull, sealed underwater openings and updated the vessel's anti-corrosion system. The ship was open to visitors for about three months while dry-docked in Philadelphia, allowing crews to complete additional repairs using revenue from ticket sales.
The museum said about 80,000 people visited for tours, overnight stays and events in 2023, the last full year of available data.
"This project will fundamentally change how visitors arrive, how they experience the ship, and how we sustain this national treasure over the long term," Marshall Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial, said in a statement.
Battleship New Jersey's main battery consists of its 50-caliber Mark 7 guns, which are housed in three turrets. When active, they could fire shells more than 20 miles. The ship also is equipped with 38-caliber Mark 12 guns and anti-aircraft and missile systems. The ship's last training firing was in 1990, and its last firing in combat occurred in 1984 during the Lebanese Civil War.
The ship has appeared in a few movies over the years, including brief cameos in the Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy "Kindergarten Cop" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," starring Richard Gere. There were reports this spring that Paramount Pictures held an open casting and a film shoot aboard Battleship New Jersey for an upcoming movie called "Little Falls."
Tax credits for the renovations are being provided through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion program and Camden County will serve as a partner on the project.
"The Battleship is an unmistakable part of Camden's identity and an enduring symbol of our city's strength and resilience," Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said in a statement. "This project means new investment, new activity, and new opportunities along our waterfront."
