Summary and Key Points: The USS Texas, a historic battleship launched in 1912 and a veteran of both world wars, is undergoing a monumental restoration to preserve it as a museum ship.

-The $75 million project, which began in 2022 in Galveston, Texas, has already seen 700 tons of steel replaced and the ship refloated.

-The next phase involves deck replacement, interior restoration, and superstructure repairs, expected to take until 2025 or 2026.

-The Battleship Texas Foundation is crucial in fundraising and public engagement, aiming to transform the ship into a state-of-the-art museum and educational center, ensuring its legacy endures.

The USS Texas Restoration is Going to Be Tough

USS Texas (BB-35) is worth remembering. Launched in 1912, Texas was the first battleship to mount 14-inch guns. She served in both world wars, and she even participated in the Normandy Landings on D-Day in the Second World War. Because of her great history, the Navy preserved her as a museum ship. But the ship is old, and the effort needed to restore Texas is great.

Decades of exposure to the harsh elements of the sea have forced this restoration, if only to prevent greater deterioration. Begun in 2022 in Galveston, Texas, the monumental restoration of the battleship Texas is costing millions of dollars and countless hours of labor. 

The first part of the restoration was getting Texas out of the water into drydock so shipyard workers could assess the damage. Over 700 tons of steel were replaced during this process, and the warship was repainted. 

In early 2024, it was reported that the battleship Texas was successfully refloated after an 18-month stem-to-stern restoration. The project now moves to deck replacement, interior restoration, and superstructure repairs. This should take approximately two more years.

But Texas is a museum ship, meaning the public has to be highly engaged for anything to be done at all. The cost is projected to be $75 million, and the restoration project will need donations from the public to help to keep it going. 

The Battleship Texas Foundation has been a key player in fundraising and public engagement. One of the interesting things they’ve done is to offer a drydock tour aimed at informing a public that has all but forgotten about the Navy’s battleship lineage, while at the same time raising funds for the continuation of the expensive restoration project.

Given that the battleship is named after the Lone Star State and is physically based in Texas, the state of Texas has been overwhelmingly supportive of the efforts to refurbish USS Texas. 

By engaging the public and seeking to complete the $75 million renovation, the Battleship Texas Foundation is hoping to turn the legendary warship into a state-of-the-art museum and educational center.

The warship’s overhaul might not only be on the more expensive side of things – its engineering timeline might not see the boat reopen to the public until 2025 or 2026.

When restoration is complete, though, Americans will have a grand repository of educational outreach, historical preservation, and community engagement that will likely ensure USS Texas continues to make history. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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