The iconic Battleship Texas is getting a massive makeover and for the first time in months, KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner got a behind-the-scenes look at the historic restoration underway in Galveston.
The nearly 111-year-old battleship entered dry dock in August 2022 after years of deterioration left the ship in critical condition. Aging steel, leaks, and decades of damage caused the vessel to take on water, at times pushing it dangerously close to sinking.
State leaders stepped in, launching a $75 million restoration project aimed at saving the last surviving battleship to serve in both World Wars.
“This is Battleship Texas behind me,” said Travis Davis, Vice President of Ship Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the Battleship Texas Foundation.
Davis guided KPRC 2 through the massive ship, explaining the history and showcasing the completed work. Fresh coats of battleship gray paint, newly blasted steel surfaces, and restored anti-aircraft gun mounts now line the decks visible signs of a transformation years in the making.
One of the most critical repairs involves sealing gaps in the ship’s structure to prevent water intrusion.
“The whole point of that is, is that we close that gap up right there, so that no water gets into the interior of the ship,” Davis explained.
Since entering dry dock, crews have logged more than 406,000 hours of labor, replacing over 700 tons of steel, restoring and replacing anti-aircraft guns, and rebuilding key areas of the ship from the hull to the superstructure.
That work includes replacing the ship’s iconic wooden deck using lumber sourced straight from East Texas.
“So, it was, comes from the pining woods, gone through sawmills in East Texas, and then actually milled here in Houston before coming down to the ship. So, as someone who’s grew up around Nacogdoches, I’m very, that’s very, I’m very proud of that,” Davis said.
Inside the ship, crews are also transforming interior spaces with historically accurate paint colors. One of those areas is the wardroom a place where sailors once ate, rested, and recharged.
“When we do, like, the green that’s in the passageways here and some of the staterooms is different from the green that’s in the wardroom, because they’re from different eras. And we’ve tried to capture and paint it in the last color green that it was painted during while it was in service,” Davis explained.
Leaders say the goal of the restoration is to preserve the Battleship Texas for future generations ensuring visitors can safely walk the decks of a vessel that played a key role in American history.
“To see the evolution of what we’ve done. The work that’s happened since 2022 has been nothing short of transformative. And to see it, to see people react and engage with the work that we’ve been doing, and the changes in the ship has just been incredible,“ Davis said.
Once restoration work wraps up, the Battleship Texas will relocate to Pier 15 in Galveston, becoming a permanently moored museum ship. The Foundation expects the historic vessel to reopen to the public in late 2026 or early 2027, marking the next chapter in its storied history.