Overview
- The redevelopment was announced Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, and is supported by $19.9 million in New Jersey Economic Development Authority tax credits with Camden County providing lease support, cash equity and a bond guarantee.
- Landside work includes a $9.5 million, three-story visitor center of about 8,700 square feet with exhibit space, a store, a cafe and staff offices to replace the museum’s temporary 2001 building.
- The plan will expand parking at the Wiggins Marina site to roughly 240 spaces by adding a level to the lot so visitors can park in a single, consolidated structure.
- About $6 million is allocated for onboard repairs and upgrades including a private event space, painting and superstructure fixes, new exterior lighting, accessibility and bathroom renovations, generator and elevator shaft work, and pier repairs.
- Design is being led by PS&S with Pennoni, a general contractor has not yet been chosen, work is expected to start in 2027 with roughly a two-year construction window, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans berth dredging likely in the second half of 2027 that may require a brief temporary relocation of the ship; the vessel returned to Camden in June after a two-year dry-dock in Philadelphia.