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| The Battleship at War |
The USS Texas is the only surviving Dreadnought battleship to have served in both World Wars. Texas is owned by the state of Texas and is officially under the jurisdiction of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Everyday operations and maintenance of Texas have been handled by the nonprofit organization Battleship Texas Foundation since August 2020. At the end of August 2022 she was moved to a dry dock in Galveston, Texas, to undergo a $60 million repair project. As of October 2025, the repair project is still underway, but she has moved out of dry dock and is in final stages of restoration.
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| Leaving Dry Dock in Galveston |
The Battleship Texas Foundation has posted the following information on the status of the project:
What is the current location of USS Texas and where will she berth permanently?
The USS Texas is currently located at the Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston, Texas, where it is undergoing a major restoration, including steel work, structural repairs, and deck replacement. The historic battleship is scheduled to be moved to its permanent future home at Pier 15 in Galveston after repairs are completed, with a lease agreement recently approved for the new location.
What Restoration Work Is Underway for the USS Texas?
The Texas Legislature has funded $60 million of a projected $75 million restoration project for Battleship Texas. On 31 August 2022, Battleship Texas arrived at Gulf Copper and was raised out of the water for repairs. Gulf Copper has repaired and replaced hull plating below the waterline, totally about 700 tons of steel. The ship’s torpedo blisters (sacrificial exterior tanks added in 1925–1926 to protect the ship from torpedoes) have been entirely cut away below the waterline and reconstructed. The new torpedo blisters are of a slightly different design to reduce future maintenance needs and will be coated inside and out to protect from corrosion.
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| Foretop Under Restoration |
After the hull repairs and torpedo blister rebuild were completed, Gulf Copper applied marine grade paint coatings to the hull. The ship is being painted to the historical Measure 21 camouflage scheme, which she wore in the Pacific Theater in 1945. This will mean Navy Blue 5-N on all vertical surfaces and Deck Blue 20-B on all horizontal surfaces.
On 5 March 2024, Battleship Texas left dry dock and moved to another pier at Gulf Copper for pier-side work. This phase of the project includes various repairs to the ship’s superstructure funded in part by the Save America’s Treasures grant (the superstructure is the structures above main deck, such as the masts, smoke stack, and aft fire control tower), replacing some or all of the ship’s wood decking, and cleaning up, restoration, repainting, and installing exhibits in interior spaces. This work will prepare the ship to receive visitors again and we estimate this will take at least a year to eighteen months after Battleship Texas leaves dry dock.
Can the ship be viewed in the shipyard during restoration?
The best place to see Battleship Texas in the shipyard is from Galveston’s Pier 21.
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| USS Texas During the Iwo Jima Assault |
When will the ship reopen?
We are targeting 2026 for our grand reopening.
What are the planned tours and onboard experiences once Battleship Texas reopens?
The Battleship Texas will become the centerpiece of a world-class museum. The museum and ship will feature a robust roster of educational and community programing that will include patriotic and historic celebrations such as July 4th, Veterans Day, etc. Overnight experiences and school visits will resume and we will add event rental options for weddings, parties, and business gatherings.
Sources: Battleship Texas Foundation; Wikipedia
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