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Board the gigantic aircraft carrier docked along the Hudson River for a trip to space this spring. The Intrepid Museum will soon host "Apollo: When We Went to the Moon," the largest temporary exhibition in its four-decade history.
The exhibit, which runs from March 26 through September 2, blasts off into an exploration of the space race, both as a scientific feat and as an inspiration for millions. The new exhibit is included with museum admission.
RECOMMENDED: See the observatory that is being installed in the Bronx this spring
Visitors can climb aboard a lunar rover model, leave footprints on the Moon via a virtual moonwalk, and see Apollo artifacts. "Apollo: When We Went to the Moon" spans 9,000 square feet in the museum’s Space Shuttle Pavilion where it'll join the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
To create the exhibition, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's education and curatorial staff teamed up with exhibition company Flying Fish. The team dug into the depths of the Rocket Center's archives and collections to create a full picture of the Apollo mission.
The exhibit's landing at The Intrepid comes with a special connection, the museum's president Susan Marenoff-Zausner said in a press release.
"[The exhibit] underscores the Intrepid's historic heritage with the space program, having served as a primary recovery vessel for the Mercury-Atlas 7 and Gemini 3 space missions, retrieving astronauts and their capsules after ocean landings," she said
Considering the museum's mission to help visitors understand history and science, this exhibit makes for a perfect fit. The all-ages experience welcomes space fans, history buffs, families, and students to discover the wonders of space exploration and the people who made it happen.
More than a million visitors, including many students, walk aboard The Intrepid every year. Perhaps one of them will even become an astronaut themselves.
"As a child, the awe-inspiring marvel of humans landing on the Moon fueled my dream of becoming an astronaut. Now, witnessing the unveiling of the groundbreaking exhibition Apollo: When We Went to the Moon at the Intrepid Museum, I'm excited to see this transformative moment for me, on display for all,” said Mike Massimino, former NASA astronaut and Intrepid Museum space senior advisor. "This enthralling experience showcases the Museum's commitment to inspire curiosity and captivate the public through the history and potential of space exploration."
In addition to exploring "Apollo: When We Went to the Moon" and just generally feeling awed by the aircraft carrier itself, also check out dozens of military aircraft including fighter jets, a supersonic spy plane, and the Concorde, the world’s fastest commercial airliner, while you're onboard the Intrepid.