Formerly the USS Intrepid, this 900-ft aircraft carrier is serving out its retirement as the centerpiece of Manhattan's only floating museum, completed with vintage preplans and supersonic jet aircrafts. Docked alongside, and also part of the museum, are the Growler, a strategic -missile submarine; the Edson, a Vietnam-era destroyer, and several other battle-scarred naval veterans. Computerized interactive exhibits including flight simulation and space travel.

On the hangar deck of the Intrepid one can see the legendary aircraft types which originally flew from the Intrepid during World War II - an original TBM Avenger torpedo bomber (on long term loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation). Within the first bay of the hangar deck - Navy hall - the guests can see one of the important planes that flew from the Intrepid during the Vietnam-War era, the A4 Skyhawk, nicknamed "Heinemann's Hot Rod" after its designer, Edward Heinemann.

On the flight deck America's modern military cutting edge is represented by a Navy F-14 Tomcat, an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon (on long term loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force), a Marine Corps AV-8A Harrier (on long term loan from the United States Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum), and an A-12 Blackbird spy plane (on long term loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force) formerly in service with the CIA.

The Intrepid's helicopter collection includes two Vietnam-era UH-1 Hueys, a Marine Corps AH-1J Sea Cobra (on long term loan from the United States Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum), and a fully restored Army AH-1G Cobra gunship.

Computerized interactive exhibits including flight simulation and space travel.