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Key Points: The USS Texas (BB-35), a storied World War I and II battleship undergoing significant restoration, remains without a permanent berth.

-Despite nearly 300,000 man-hours of repair and millions spent, debates continue over its future home.

-Galveston is the leading contender, but local opposition and logistical challenges persist.

-Seawolf Park, a favored public option and home to other historic vessels, was dismissed due to high dredging costs. With its restoration nearing completion, USS Texas risks being a battleship without a permanent harbor.

USS Texas: The Historic Battleship Searching for a Home

The Battleship Texas won’t be home for Christmas – but there is now hope it will find a permanent berth by late 2025. The former USS Texas (BB-35), the only surviving battleship to see service in both World Wars, continues to undergo a much-needed restoration. But in recent months, there has been concern that when the repairs are completed BB-35 will be all dressed up with literally nowhere to go.

Launched in 1912, the warship became a museum ship after the end of the Second World War and for decades called the Houston Ship Channel near the San Jacinto Monument home. However, all the years spent in the water and exposure to the elements took a toll on the venerable battle wagon. Leaks in her hull were so bad at one point in 2017 that emergency repairs were required just to keep the warship afloat.

In August 2022, USS Texas was towed to Galveston where it has been undergoing a massive restoration effort. While at Gulf Copper Dry Dock & Rig Repair in Galveston, more than 700 tons of steel was replaced and the ship’s anti-aircraft guns were refurbished. Since 2022, nearly 300,000 man-hours have already gone into the battleship’s restoration efforts.

USS Texas battleship. Image: Creative Commons.

USS Texas: The Homeless Battleship

Millions have been spent to preserve the warship for at least another generation, and yet, there has been a fight over where the warship will head next – and not because multiple facilities want the warship. Rather, suggested locations either don’t work or locals don’t want the ship to be berthed there.

In the latter case, there has been intense pushback from Galveston businesses who don’t want to see the warship moored along the famed waterfront, due to fears that its location would impact views of the harbor. Over the summer Katie’s Seafood House, a Galveston restaurant and wholesale market, even started an online petition to keep the battleship from being moored along Pier 19-20.

It has also been determined that USS Texas can’t simply return to the site of the San Jacinto battleground which would seem a fitting choice, and which had been its home since 1947 (apart from a past restoration effort). That was due to several factors, including a matter of ownership. Control of the warship was transferred to the Battleship Texas Foundation from Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2019 after state officials mandated the ship be ‘permanently removed’ from the battleground. The issue was that while an important artifact for the Lone Star State – as USS Texas is the official Flagship of Texas – the floating museum has failed to raise enough revenue in recent years to support her upkeep.

Other potential homes for BB-35 have faced similar issues namely a lack of tourist traffic to keep the floating museum afloat financially.

Galveston Is The Only Option

It has been accepted that Galveston remains the best and only option – so now it is a matter of compromise. Chron.com reported that alternative options are being considered at Pier 20, and could include replacing the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum. It is unclear if that will be met by pushback as it will replace one museum vessel with another.

Battleship USS Texas. Image: Creative Commons.

Battleship USS Texas. Image: Creative Commons.

Alternatively, Pier 15 is being considered. It is near a cargo warehouse that is being renovated into a passenger cruise terminal – and that might help bring in additional tourists.

A Perfect Location Has Public Support

There is also some irony that the location that has the most public support has been disavowed by the foundation.

That was to bring USS Texas to Seawolf Park, which is home to the Galveston Naval Museum, as well as the Gato-class submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) – the sub that sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shkaku during World War II – and the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Stewart (DE-238).

In addition, Seawolf Park maintains the remains of the World War I tanker SS Selma – one of the twelve experimental concrete ships to be constructed.

The foundation has repeatedly deemed the move simply too expensive, as it would have required dredging the channel. Another issue could be that aforementioned ownership, and perhaps the foundation may not want to share custody of the battleship.

But until a solution is found, USS Texas is the battleship without a home.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Senior Editor focusing on defense issues for 19FortyFive. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,500 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on X: @PeterSuciu – and on Bluesky: @petersuciu.bsky.social.