intrepid concorde tour

Visiting Concorde at New York’s Intrepid Air & Space Museum

An icon of our time, an engineering marvel and a symbol of cooperative work between nations; Concorde represents so much more than just a plane. This is an aircraft which could fly higher and faster than any other commercial passenger jet in history. Crossing the Atlantic from London to New York at twice the speed of sound it took only 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Since Concorde’s retirement in 2003, the fleet were dispersed around the globe to aviation museums that would honour their achievements. British Airways flew 7 aircraft in total and their Concorde registration G-BOAD was donated to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. Parked next to the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier on the West Side of Midtown, Concorde is now a landmark on the Hudson.

The Museum offers a guided tour of Concorde; it’s the only way to gain access inside and visit the cabin and flight deck. The Guided tour “ Concorde: A Supersonic Story “;

• Duration 1 hour.
• restricted to a maximum of 12 guests.
• available 5 times a weekday (11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm) and additionally 9am on weekends.
• Tickets are $20 adults and $15 child; reduced rates available for members.

The Concorde Tour: Inside the Cabin

The only way to visit inside the Concorde in New York is to book on the guided tour.

The cabin interior of Concorde is relatively new and still in great condition thanks to being preserved with plastic seat covers. In 2001 following the grounding of Concorde after the tragic Air France disaster, British Airways spent £14 Million refurbishing the cabin during this down-time. The new interior only saw 2 years of active service before Concorde’s retirement in 2003. The comfortable leather seats have the British Airways S peedmarque or Speedbird  emblem designed into the shape of the arm rests.

At the front of the cabin, on the bulkheads are the “ Marilake ” indicators which display flight progress information; such as the speed (Mach 2.0), altitude (53,000ft), aswell as temperature and mph speed.

The windows on Concorde are tiny! There is good reason for this. Partly to reduce the stresses on the air-frame and partly to reduce the outflow of air in case of a decompression; the small window would allow more air to remain in the cabin longer, to allow passengers and crew more time to don their emergency oxygen masks. Because of the high altitude Concorde flew at, the amount of time before the human body would survive without oxygen is much reduced, compared with normal commercial airlines.

Only the front third of the Concorde cabin is open for viewing as the rest of the cabin is partitioned off. But visitors still get access, with your Guide’s supervision, of the flight deck.

The Concorde Tour: Flight Deck

A long corridor containing the galley, forward toilet and engineering equipment leads to the open flight deck.

Concorde flew with 3 flight crew; The Captain (front Left seat), First Officer (front right seat) and Flight Engineer (rear right seat). There was an additional jumpseat for observers. The Flight engineer’s seat is unique, with a large control panel to monitor the four Rolls Royce Olympus engines as well as the fuel, hydraulic and air systems.

The Concorde flight deck has the unique “Ramshorns” flight control columns. Although you wont be allowed to climb into the pilots seats (we want to preserve this aviation monument), the tour guide takes guests in pairs onto the flight deck for a quick look around. Nothing has changed since the last day she flew. There are even the signatures of the last crew to fly her, signed on the ceiling with the Captain’s hat wedged in the engineering panel (I’ll let the tour guide explain that story for you!).

The Concorde Nose Visor

You will only get this close up view of the unique Concorde nose visor from the access steps on the guided tour.

The visor provides a streamlined aerodynamic nose for supersonic flight (as pictured), but for take-off and landings the aircraft flies with a very high nose angle. In order for the pilots to be able to see out the front windows the nose is designed to droop and the pilots select this setting on the control panel.

Concorde Walk Around

The exterior of Concorde is accessible to all visitors to the Intrepid Museum. So don’t forget to explore the gracious delta wings and artistic aerodynamic shapes of this unique flying machine.

The four Rolls Royce Olympus engines each produce 38,000lbs of thrust with the afterburners on. These power Concorde up to the cruising altitude of 60,000ft and a speed of Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound).

These engines were the main source of noise and the reason why the US initially banned Concorde from flying in it’s airspace! Whilst the United States lifted this ban in 1977, New York banned Concorde locally, but this was overturned a few months later.

British Airways operated Concorde services to and from New York from 1977 until 2003.

To find the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; see #15 on my interactive New York map  of Top Things to do in NYC.

Learn more about concorde with the concorde story.

• Christopher Orlebar
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Edition no. 7 (03/10/2011)
• Hardcover: 248 pages

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We were lucky enough to fly on this amazing aircraft from our local airport on a charter flight to celebrate our son’s 21st birthday. To see the Mach indicator reach Mach 2 and see the curvature of the earth is something I will never forget. We visited the flight deck and the crew were brilliant, they loved doing these flights as nearly everyone was celebrating something. They gave our son a bottle of champagne (he still has the empty bottle).

That’s a great story to hear Maureen, thank you. I was just starting university when Concorde retired, so my generation of pilots missed out on the opportunity to fly her. There are some exciting developments in the world of supersonic passenger jets, so it wont be long before we’ll be able to fly at mach 2 and greater again!

What an awesome place! Coming around the corner, you’re immediately hit with just how… massive Aircraft carriers are. Lots of excellent exhibits to visit… and of course, lots of birds of the best variety… Concorde G-BOAD, the Shuttle Enterprise, and even an A-12 Oxcart… although, my phone died before I could get a good picture… I’ll just have to go back!

I think what’s so surprising is the enormity of both the Aircraft Carrier but also the size of the museum inside and outside. Didn’t have time to visit the Submarine exhibit, so will have to go back on my next NYC visit.

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Touring the Concorde at New York’s Intrepid Museum

• F-16 Falcon
• Lockheed A-12 the predecessor to the SR-71
• A-4 Skyhawk
• A-6 Intruder

One of the more recent additions is the former British Airways Concorde (G-BOAD) affectionately referred to as “Alpha Delta”. This aircraft set a record time in 1996 crossing the Atlantic in 2 hours and 52 minutes.

Visitors to the Intrepid Museum can purchase an additional tour to sit inside the Concorde. The tour starts with a history of the Concorde program and then you board the aircraft to sit in the seats and tour the flight deck.

British Airways G-BOAD (Alpha Delta)

The cabin ceilings are low, the windows small, and the seats spaced for a short three hour flight. No flat beds here nor would they be required. The front of the fuselage has very low ceilings, in fact walking in through the forward door requires bending down even for an average height person. No economy plus here:

When choosing your seat on the Concorde I’d recommend skipping the bulkhead – no floor cutout. 😉

Tonight’s Concorde menu includes:

• Trio of Salmon to start
• A choice of Fillet of Beef, Maine Lobster, Aubergine Ravioli or Antipasti Salad
• For dessert: New York Style Cheesecake or a selection of cheeses

Then we toured the flight deck:

Overall I would recommend visiting the Intrepid Museum and adding on the Concorde tour. The fact that you can sit in the seats and go into the cockpit lets you experience, if albeit briefly, a great piece of commercial aviation history. And with the recent arrival of the space shuttle, there is even more to see.

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On my first flights on Allegheny and Piedmont so many years ago, I immediately got the flying bug. After years of traveling I started the blogs and podcasts at UPGRD.com. And, like many of you, I've done a lot of flying for miles and status. I once flew from New York City to Honolulu and back again just for elite status (and a quick Mai Tai).

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Concorde supersonic jet will return to New York’s Intrepid Museum after seven-month facelift

The British Airways Concorde supersonic jet, which holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing, is beginning a very subsonic passage back to the Intrepid Museum following a months-long restoration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (AP Video: Joseph B. Frederick and Jeremy Brown)

A retired British Airways Concorde supersonic aircraft is transported by barge on the East River, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)

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NEW YORK (AP) — The retired Concorde jet that belongs to New York’s Intrepid Museum will return to its home on a Manhattan pier on Thursday after a seven-month restoration, Intrepid officials said.

The supersonic jet will travel by barge up the Hudson River and will be lifted by a crane onto Pier 86, the officials at the decommissioned aircraft carrier turned museum said in a news release.

The needle-nosed aircraft left Pier 86 on Aug. 9, 2023 for a restoration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that included sanding and repainting.

It was barged from Brooklyn to a Jersey City, New Jersey, dock for storage overnight Wednesday prior to being reinstalled on the pier on Thursday.

The Concorde is the only supersonic commercial jet that ever flew. The Intrepid’s British Airways Concorde still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger aircraft — 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds from Heathrow to JFK.

Public tours of the jet will resume on April 4, museum officials said.

Simple Flying

Best seats in the house: how to visit concorde's cockpit in new york city.

Have you ever wanted to sit at the front end of the world's faster airliner? Here's how you can!

Flying on Concorde was a unique experience for those lucky few that got to fly on the iconic supersonic jet. But should you ever find yourself in downtown New York City, why not take a trip to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, where one such example awaits your visit?

A unique piece of aviation history

Even for those not lucky enough to fly on her, Concorde still holds a special place in every aviation enthusiast's heart. The iconic passenger jet was special in many ways - an engineering marvel, a flying experience like no other, and a design that remains instantly identifiable even today. This year marks 20 years since Concorde retired from commercial service.

Even how we refer to the plane differentiates her from other passenger aircraft. We might say, "oh look, there is an Airbus A330", or "last year, I flew on a Boeing 737 on vacation". Yet with Concorde, we only refer to the plane in the singular, as if there was only one - "I always wanted to fly on Concorde." And in many ways, she was, indeed, one of a kind.

14 production Concordes entered commercial passenger service with just two airlines - Air France and British Airways. Other airlines dabbled with Concorde through short-lived commercial arrangements, such as Braniff in the United States and Singapore Airlines in the Far East. Yet it was with the two national airlines that Concorde spent its entire service life.

Sadly, in 2003, following the accident in Paris involving Air France Concorde F-BTSC in July 2000, the two carriers reluctantly decided to retire her and end supersonic operations - 27 years after she had first entered commercial service.

Fortunately, there are now a total of 17 pre-production and production Concordes spending their retirement in aviation museums worldwide.

The example which forms the subject of this article is G-BOAD - the fourth production Concorde off the line in Filton, near Bristol in the United Kingdom, which spent its entire career flying for British Airways.

Concorde G-BOAD (or 'Alpha Delta' as she became known within British Airways) now resides at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, located at Pier 86 in the mid-town district of Manhattan, on the banks of the Hudson River, very close to where US Airways Flight 1549 made its miraculous water landing in 2009 .

G-BOAD - a brief history

Before we examine how you can visit Alpha Delta in her current home, we should first learn a little more about the aircraft, its provenance, and its service history.

According to the website HeritageConcorde.com, Concorde production number 100-010 was initially registered as G-BOAD on May 9th, 1975, to British Airways. It was built by the British Aircraft Corporation in Filton in 1976, having its first flight on August 25th, 1976.

Alpha Delta was powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus 593 MK 610-14-28 turbojets and had a maximum take-off weight of 408,010 lbs (185,070 kg).

Having entered service with British Airways in 1976, Alpha Delta was one of the only Concever to wear anything but a British Airways or Air France livery (the other being Air France Concorde F-BTSD which featured a 'Pepsi' themed paint scheme for a promotional world tour in 1996).

As part of an arrangement with Singapore Airlines in 1976, the two airlines jointly operated a Bahrain to Singapore service as an extension to the British Airways Concorde route from London Heathrow (LHR) to Bahrain (BAH).

As part of the agreement, British Airways allowed Singapore Airlines to paint the left-hand side of the aircraft in its own livery. Meanwhile, the right-hand side retained its existing British Airways color scheme. The agreement was short-lived, however, with Alpha Delta returning to the full British Airways scheme upon the termination of the contract.

Alpha Delta was later part-leased to Braniff Airways in the United States to operate a unique domestic service from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) to Dallas. For this purpose, the aircraft was re-registered as G-N94AD / N94AD on January 5th, 1979, to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

With the agreement with Braniff coming to an end just 18 months later, the aircraft returned to its previous UK registration of G-BOAD on June 19th, 1980. The aircraft flew exclusively for British Airways until its retirement in 2003.

With its withdrawal from commercial service, Alpha Delta was finally de-registered from the British register on May 4th, 2004, as 'Permanently withdrawn from use.' The aircraft had flown a total of 23,397 hours, completing 8,406 landings and 7.010 supersonic cycles in its career.

Alpha Delta holds the record for the f astest-ever flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow , lasting just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds on February 7th, 1996. She also flew the flypast along with the Red Arrows display team at the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.

Retired to New York

Upon her retirement in 2003, British Airways sought homes for six of its seven Concorde aircraft. A complete list of their current locations was covered by Simple Flying back in October 2022.

It was decided that Alpha Delta should return to the United States, given the aircraft's long relationship with the country and with New York in particular. With the Intrepid Air and Space Museum stating an interest in exhibiting Alpha Delta alongside its collection of 29 other aircraft, the aircraft was selected to be the one that would be despatched stateside on loan to the museum.

On November 10th, 2003, the aircraft flew for the final time from Heathrow to New York JFK to be put on temporary display while a new exhibition pier was built at the Intrepid museum specifically for her.

Upon her arrival in New York, Alpha Delta was subsequently transferred from JFK (on a barge originally used to move Space Shuttle external fuel tanks) to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Its route took it past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River alongside the USS Intrepid, it's future home.

As with the rest of the British Airways Concorde fleet, she was drained of hydraulic fluid, and its engines were removed to reduce weight. Its temporary home was on a barge alongside the aircraft carrier, pending the construction of a permanent quayside display structure.

In December 2006, Alpha Delta was moved (once again by barge) to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where regretfully, she was kept in poor condition. Her nose cone was knocked off by a truck in June 2008. The damage was repaired, and she was subsequently moved back to Pier 86 in Manhattan and finally placed on the newly-built pier on October 20th, 2008.

Visiting Alpha Delta - a unique experience

Alpha Delta has been on display to the general public at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum since its arrival. However, in 2011, the museum launched a new guided tour program (" The Concorde Experience ") on Alpha Delta, which provides a far more engaging and all-round experience of the aircraft and what it was like to fly on her.

The museum has a team of tour guides giving unique tours of Alpha Delta throughout the day. The 20-minute experience is offered every 30 minutes beginning at 11:00 am daily.

The Concorde Experience takes visitors on a unique tour of Alpha Delta, starting with a short timeline of the development of the aircraft, followed by a few minutes explaining Concorde's technical innovation while looking aircraft's exterior.

Visitors then enter the passenger cabin, as the guide describes a typical New York JFK – London LHR flight on Alpha Delta to the seated guests. The passenger cabin can only be visited during the guided tour, which helps keep the aircraft interior in better condition.

With over 700,000 visitors a year to the museum, that amount of traffic causes enormous wear and tear on the interior of the aircraft, which the museum staff does their best to keep on top of.

The five front rows of seats in the front cabin have covers to protect the leather, and this is where the guests sit, so they visually get a chance to sit in one of the famous seats - once only the preserve of the rich and famous.

Most exciting of all, and probably the highlight of the visit, is that Alpha Delta's flight deck is also accessible under the guide's supervision. You get a chance to gaze at the myriad of dials, switches, and instruments required to fly the airplane safely - both by the pilots and the flight engineer. The tour ends with the chance of that highly sought-after photo opportunity of sitting in one of the pilot's seats.

While The Concorde Experience is not included with general admission and has limited availability, the cost is just US$9 per person or just $5 for museum members.

The general admission prices for the museum are currently $36 for adults, $34 for children, and $26 for seniors. Other concessions are available. Tickets can either be purchased online or onsite at the Museum box office or Information Desk.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is located on the West side of Manhattan on Pier 86, 12th Ave. & 46th Street. It is easily accessible from all points in the New York City Metro area and is open from 10:00 to 17:00 daily, including holidays. Extended opening hours are offered on the weekends between April and September.

Worth a visit if visiting New York

With cockpit visits essentially a thing of the past in these days of heightened security and restricted access, the opportunity to sit in the left or right-hand seat of possibly the most iconic and identifiable passenger plane ever is not to be missed.

As you stare in wonder at the instrument panel before you, why not also glance out of the forward cockpit windows and down the long nose cone? As you do, imagine the fantastic sights that have been seen out of those windows over the years by those who were fortunate enough to take the controls of this magnificent invention.

Before your tour ends, as you disembark Alpha Delta at the end of your visit, perhaps take a moment to wonder whether supersonic passenger air travel will ever return and when that might be.

Have you had the opportunity to visit G-BOAD in New York? Perhaps you even flew on her when she was in service? Tell us more in the comments.

Sources: Heritageconcorde.com , Intrepid Air and Space Museum , Concordesst.com

Explore the world of Concorde with Heritage Concorde

Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. 

Pier 86 46th street and 12th avenue, new york, ny 10036, phone: 212-245-0072, british airways concorde g-boad.

Compared to the development prototype Concordes, the final Production airframe version that we all know so well have a higher gross weight slightly extended main landing gear legs and improved aircraft systems. They were fitted with the Olympus 593 Mk 602 or 610 production engines. One of the interesting facts about the production Concordes, is that none of them are the same, they differed in weight, this is due them being hand-built and further development as the production of the aircraft continued. 216 G-BOAF was the most up to date and lightest Concorde being last to be built, and benefiting from new materials and improvements to the design.

The number one location to visit Concorde in the USA!

Visit G-BOAD, the fastest of all the Passenger Airliner Concordes. This Concorde holds the record for the fastest flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow (2 hours 52 minutes 59 Seconds), she also flew the fly past along with the red arrows at the Queens Golden Jubilee during 2002.

New Guided Tours of “Concorde” at the Intrepid Museum

During 2011, the museum launched a new guided tour program for Concorde Alpha Delta, which has proved a great success with the public, so if you have visited this Concorde in the past, maybe its time to re-visit her for one of these amazing tours.

They now have 5 tour guides giving hour long tours daily. The passenger cabin can only be visited during the guided tour, which helps keep the aircraft in better shape. The front 5 rows of seats in the front cabin have covers to protect the leather, and this is where the guests sit, so you will actually get a chance to sit in one of the famous seats. The flight deck is now also accessible, but under the guide’s supervision. Ross Williamson from Concorde G-BOAC at Manchester, UK, has also helped with a lot of advice based on his tour experience with Manchester’s Concorde.

“Concorde: A Supersonic Story” takes visitors on a unique 45 minute tours of Concorde G-BOAD, the fastest commercial aircraft to ever cross the Atlantic, start with a short timeline of development of the aircraft, followed by about 15 minutes explaining Concorde’s technical innovation while looking at the exterior of the aircraft. The visitors then enter the passenger cabin, and the guide describes a typical New York JFK – London LHR flight on Alpha Delta to the seated guests. The tour ends with a short flight deck visit and of course the chance of the photo opportunity.

Concorde pilots reunite at the Intrepid Museum

On a visit to Intrepid Museum on April 25th, two Concorde pilots were reunited. Senior Flight Engineer Steve Hull visited the Concorde cockpit with Captain Leslie Scott. They first flew the supersonic airliner together in 2000, and had not seen each other for about ten years. Captain Scott flew for British Airways for 34 years, retiring in 2002 after 8 years as a Concorde captain. Mr Hull flew Concordes from 2000 until 2003, when the fleet was retired.

G-BOAD, the Intrepid’s Concorde, which is on loan from British Airways, is the fastest commercial aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The flight from New York to London on February 7th 1996 was clocked at 2 hours 52 minutes 59 seconds. Captain Scott and Mr Hull kindly donated material from their Concorde flying careers to Intrepid’s archives.

Story and pictures by John Lyon , Intrepid Museum Concorde Tours

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The Intrepid's iconic Concorde was just lifted back onto the museum's deck

We finally have her back after a months-long hiatus.

If you’re an aviation nerd, then you’ve probably really missed the Concorde, the iconic supersonic jet that was on display at the Intrepid Museum in Hell's Kitchen before it was taken down.

On Thursday morning, the famous jet was lifted by 300-foot crane back onto Pier 86 after a months-long restoration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

RECOMMENDED: The Intrepid Museum is about to launch its largest temporary exhibit ever

The Concorde, or the British Airways Concorde G-BOAD (Alpha Delta) if you want to be really official, holds the record for having flown the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger aircraft at a speed of 1,350 mph and an altitude of 60,000 feet. That's so high that passengers could see the curvature of the earth when they were on it, per the Intrepid Museum’s website. In February 1996, the Concorde completed a flight between New York City and London in just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds, compared to the average 7-hour flight time between the two cities on a regular commercial plane.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Intrepid Museum (@intrepidmuseum)

Although it was an iconic plane, the Concorde was discontinued from commercial use in 2003 for a number of reasons, including the fact that it was way too expensive and noisy to operate, as well as a tragic Air France Concorde crash in 2000 that killed 109 people on board and four people on the ground.

During its hiatus from Pier 86, the Concorde’s restoration included paint coating, sanding, and recoating to make it look closer to the way it did in its heyday. Before its return to the Pier 86, The Concorde traveled on a barge up the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, and Hudson Yards. Although you can now see the plane in its former home, you won’t be able to tour the inside of it until April 4. Make sure to check out the museum’s website for tickets.

• Ian Kumamoto Staff Writer

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Monday, April 29, 2024 11:15 am (Paris)

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Concorde to return to New York's Intrepid Museum after seven-month restoration

The Concorde is the only supersonic commercial jet that ever took to the air. Public tours of the jet at the museum will resume on April 4.

Le Monde with AP

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The retired Concorde jet that belongs to New York's Intrepid Museum will return to its home on a Manhattan pier on Thursday, March 14, after a seven-month restoration, Intrepid officials said.

The supersonic jet will travel by barge up the Hudson River and will be lifted by a crane onto Pier 86, the officials at the decommissioned aircraft carrier turned museum said in a news release.

The needle-nosed aircraft left Pier 86 on August 9, 2023, for a restoration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that included sanding and repainting.

It was barged from Brooklyn to a Jersey City, New Jersey, dock for storage overnight Wednesday prior to being reinstalled on the pier on Thursday.

The Concorde is the only supersonic commercial jet that ever flew. The Intrepid's British Airways Concorde still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger aircraft – 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds from Heathrow to JFK. Public tours of the jet will resume on April 4, museum officials said.

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Watch CBS News

British Airways Concorde jet hoisted back into place onboard Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

By Natalie Duddridge

Updated on: March 14, 2024 / 6:38 PM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK -- After months of restorations, the British Airways Concorde jet was lifted back into place Thursday onboard New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum .

The historic supersonic jet could fly more than twice the speed of sound and holds the record for the fastest Transatlantic passenger flight in 1996 -- just 2 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds from London's Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport . 

Watch the Concorde lifted into place

The Concorde left Brooklyn's Navy Yard on Wednesday and then docked for the night in Jersey City.

It started heading up the  Hudson River  early Thursday morning, passing the Statue of Liberty on its way to Pier 86 on Manhattan's West Side. 

The voyage took about three hours before a 300-foot crane hoisted the plane back into position on the Intrepid.

Watch Chopper 2 over the Intrepid

Chopper 2 Flying Chopper 2 is over the British Airways Concorde jet as it returns to New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum after months of renovations. Watch more local news on CBS News New York: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live/ Posted by CBS New York on Thursday, March 14, 2024

CBS New York's Natalie Duddridge was along for the journey and had the chance to speak with Leslie Scott, the Concorde's record-setting pilot.

"The takeoff was always very exciting. The acceleration was a constant acceleration... So it was almost like a push in the back as you took off," he said. "The takeoff speeds were much higher than a regular airplane. We'd get in the air around 250 mph and accelerate up to 280 initially."

The decommissioned jet, which weighs 85 tons -- or that of 20 elephants -- traveled up the river on a 500-ton crane barge that was once used to lift the USS Enterprise space shuttle onto the Intrepid, and it pulled  Capt. Sully Sullenberger's "Miracle on the Hudson" plane  from the water in 2009.

Watch the journey up the river

Chopper 2 Flying Chopper 2 is over the British Airways Concorde jet as it makes its way back to New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum after months of renovations. Watch more local news on CBS News New York: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live/ Posted by CBS New York on Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Concorde has been at the museum since 2003. It was  removed for the first time last August  for an extensive renovation. Museum curators said the jet underwent meticulous treatment, including the removal of its paint coating and inspections for corrosion.    

"It's really so great. She was in need of restoration, there's no doubt. She had the most beautiful facelift. That was amazing" Intrepid Museum President Susan Marenoff-Zausner said. "And we really hear from the public how much she is missed."

"I mean, it's a legendary passage of flight, and also we're so lucky to have the Intrepid here on the West Side," said one spectator.

"It's amazing to be actually here to be able to watch this. She's back here. She has got a lovely new paint job," said Claire Walsh, a British Airways flight attendant.

"I'm fascinated with the Concorde," spectator David Dengilly said. "We used to think it was the thing of the future, and now, of course, it's a thing of the past."

• Flashback:   British Airways Concorde supersonic jet removed from Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum for restoration

The fleet of Concordes was retired in 2003 following a tragic crash. Experts said passengers became wary to fly after that, which combined with the expensive cost of tickets and the fleet needing an overhaul.

A flight cost about $7,000 back in 1976, which the museum says would be about $38,000 now, adjusting for inflation. At the time, it attracted many celebrities from rock stars to royals, as well as British family members of CBS New York's Chris Wragge. 

The museum says the Concorde will reopening for viewing on April 4.

• Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum

Natalie Duddridge is an award-winning journalist. She joined CBS2 News as a reporter in February 2018.

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• Preplanned tours
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• Customized tours
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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Our hours are subject to change on a daily basis based on special events and exhibition closures. Please check our Visitor Information page .  Last entry is one hour prior to closing.

Mon-Fri: 10:00am-5:00pm  

Sat, Sun, and Holidays: 10:00am-6:00pm  

The Space Shuttle Pavilion will be closed due to exhibition planning from  Monday, September 2 - Friday, September 27.  

Public Tours

Our expert guides lead fascinating explorations of the Museum and provide greater insight into the historical artifacts on display.

Explore unique historical spaces and learn about the different displays in the Museum’s collection on a one-hour guided tour.

Join one of the Museum’s knowledgeable guides for a 20-minute exploration inside Concorde’s first-class cabin to learn about the technology behind the aircraft. 

Go deeper into the storied history of Intrepid , reach for the stars in the Space Shuttle Pavilion, explore the submarine Growler or climb aboard the record-breaking British Airways Concorde—the choice is yours.

Join our expert tour guides and immerse yourself in the history of submarine Growler , take an intimate look inside the British Airways Concorde, marvel at the innovation of the A-12 Blackbird and so much more!

Explore an array of unforgettable experiences.  

Enjoy exclusive benefits, including free admission. Learn more and join today.

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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