Battleship North Carolina adds new public spaces to tour for first time in decades

The cold storage compartments are the first new spaces added to the tour route in decades, according to a press release.

Posted 9:41 p.m. Jul 11, 2019 — Updated 9:55 a.m. Jul 12, 2019

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

WILMINGTON, N.C. — A new area of the Battleship North Carolina is now open daily to visitors. The cold storage compartments are the first new spaces added to the tour route in decades, according to a press release.

“The battleship is host to more than 200,000 visitors each year, and food is a topic that everyone can relate to,” staff Curator Mary Ames Booker said in the release. “Over the past several years volunteers also have made changes in the main galley (kitchen), butcher and bake shops, and the vegetable preparation room to enhance our presentation of daily life aboard the battleship.”

Here's a bit about the cold storage compartments, courtesy of the battleship:

The battleship had seven refrigerated compartments on the third deck for fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, and butter and eggs. Supplies were hauled twice daily to the ship's kitchens, butcher and bake shops. Although the ship could store 200,000 pounds of fresh food, supplies were depleted after 90 to 120 days at sea, feeding 2,000 young men. Daily trips into cold storage brought welcome relief to sailors in the hot South Pacific, while a gong pull in each compartment guaranteed they were not locked inside. Visitors also can see into the ice machine room with its original equipment. Large blocks of ice were used in the kitchens to keep prepared ingredients fresh for the next day's meals.

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With lots of steps, ladders, nooks and crannies, the Battleship North Carolina is a great place for families to visit. One staffer there called it a "jungle gym for kids," when I wrote about it a few years ago.

The ship played an important role in World War II. It took part in every major naval battle in the Pacific, eventually becoming the most decorated battleship during that war. As many as 2,339 officers and enlisted men joined her crew at any one time.

She was decommissioned and placed in storage after six years at sea. In 1958, a grassroots campaign in North Carolina, led, in part, by children donating their spare change, brought the ship to the Cape Fear River.

It opened to the public in 1962 and has since been a major tourist draw for the region.

The news release credits volunteers, especially Richard Johnson, who led the restoration efforts, and Leo Spencer, designer and fabricator, for their work to open the spaces up to the public. The battleship is open daily. Tickets are $14 for ages 12 and up and $6 for kids ages 6 to 11.

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