USS Missouri Memorial Association Begins Construction of its Education Resource Center & Entrance Upgrades
Pearl Harbor, HI – (January 14, 2020) – The USS Missouri Memorial Association held a blessing ceremony at the entrance to Pier Foxtrot-5, which signifies the start of construction on a new Education Resource Center (ERC) and surrounding entrance upgrades to the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
The $4-million project includes an enhanced visitor experience, which includes the renovation of a 5,500 square foot ERC that will house artifacts in a climate-controlled environment, plus an upgraded entrance to the Battleship Missouri Memorial with a new shuttle drop-off and pick-up area and visitor restroom facilities.
“Our mission to preserve the past and educate the future has really evolved over time, and especially so as we approach the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II. This project is the first step the Association is taking to turn the USS Missouri into the finest historic ship destination in the world,” said Michael Carr, president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. “The future Education Resource Center will include historical photos, letters, official documents that will be preserved in perpetuity, but also a place scholars and students studying about World War II can visit to gain knowledge and insight about an event that changed Hawaii and the world.”
The Association’s 25-year lease with the U.S. Navy allows a number of overdue, long-term improvements to the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s pier facilities. The project is being funded by the Association’s Expanding our Horizons Capital Campaign, which launched mid-2019. So far, the campaign over $2.4 million with an overall fundraising goal of $5 million, which would also support the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s upcoming 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II commemoration events on September 2, 2020.
Kahu Kordell Kekoa led today’s blessing ceremony with representatives from the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Constructors Hawaii Inc., Mason Architects Inc, and the USS Missouri Memorial Associations board of directors.
Over the past two years, the Association successfully completed the repair and preservation of the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s forward and aft superstructures and main deck flooring.
About the Battleship Missouri Memorial
Since opening in January 1999, the Battleship Missouri Memorial has attracted more than 9 million visitors from around the world with a fascinating tour experience showcasing the USS Missouri’s unique place in history. Located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, the Mighty Mo completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and ends with Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
The USS Missouri had an astounding career over five decades and three wars – World War II, the Korean War, and Desert Storm – after which it was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Association operates the Battleship Missouri Memorial as a historic attraction and oversees her care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants, and donations.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. General admission, which includes choice of an optional tour, is $29.99 per adult and $13.99 per child (4-12). Military, kama‘aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For information or reservations, call (toll-free) 1-877-644-4896 or visit USSMissouri.org.
Please credit images to Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Link to image:
https://bit.ly/2R3o7P0
Caption: A rendering of the future Education Resource Center located at the entrance to Pier Foxtrot-5 and the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Link to image: https://bit.ly/35T3ydh
Caption: Representatives from the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Contractors Hawaii Inc. and Mason Architects Inc., participating in today’s blessing ceremony.
Link to image: https://bit.ly/3a9wyRt
Caption: Kahu Kordell Kekoa led today’s blessing ceremony for the future Education Resource Center.
Link to image: https://bit.ly/2RcDVio
Caption: Kahu Kordell Kekoa led today’s blessing ceremony for the future Education Resource Center.
Link to image: https://bit.ly/2Tk2Jrs
Caption: Mike Carr, President and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, with a rendering of the future Education Resource Center.
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