Important points: The USS Texas (BB-35), a historic World War I and II battleship undergoing extensive restoration, remains without a permanent berth.
– Despite nearly 300,000 man-hours spent on repairs and millions spent, debates about its future home continue.
-Galveston is the leading contender, but local opposition and logistical challenges remain.
-Seawolf Park, a popular public facility and home to other historic ships, was closed due to high dredging costs. With the restoration nearing completion, the USS Texas risks becoming a battleship without a permanent port.
USS Texas: The historic battleship looking for a home
The battleship Texas won't be home for Christmas – but there's now hope it will find a permanent berth by the end of 2025. The former USS Texas (BB-35), the only surviving battleship that saw action in both world wars, remains there undergoing much-needed restoration. But in recent months there have been fears that once repairs are completed, the BB-35 will be completely bereft and literally going nowhere.
Launched in 1912, the warship became a museum ship after the end of World War II and was based for decades on the Houston Ship Channel near the San Jacinto Monument. But all the years spent in the water and exposed to the elements took their toll on the venerable chariot. At one point in 2017, leaks in her hull were so bad that emergency repairs were required just to keep the warship afloat.
In August 2022, the USS Texas was towed to Galveston where extensive restoration work was carried out. Gulf Copper Dry Dock & Rig Repair in Galveston replaced more than 700 tons of steel and overhauled the ship's anti-aircraft guns. Since 2022, almost 300,000 hours of work have gone into restoring the battleship.
Battleship USS Texas. Image: Creative Commons.
USS Texas: The Battleship of the Homeless
Millions have been spent to preserve the warship for at least another generation, and yet there has been a dispute over where the warship will go next – and not because multiple entities want the warship. Rather, the proposed locations either don't work or the locals don't want the ship to dock there.
In the latter case, there was strong opposition from Galveston businesses, who do not want the warship to be moored on the famous waterfront because they fear its location would spoil the view of the harbor. Over the summer, Katie's Seafood House, a restaurant and wholesale market in Galveston, even launched an online petition to prevent the battleship from being moored at Pier 19-20.
It was also determined that the USS Texas cannot simply return to the site of the San Jacinto Battlefield, which would be an appropriate choice and which has been its home since 1947 (barring an earlier restoration effort). This was due to several factors, including the issue of ownership. Control of the warship was transferred from Texas Parks and Wildlife to the Battleship Texas Foundation in 2019 after state officials ordered the ship to be “permanently removed from the battlefield.” The problem was that while the floating museum has been an important artifact for the Lone Star State in recent years – as the USS Texas is the official flagship of Texas – it has failed to generate enough revenue to support its upkeep finance.
Other potential homes for BB-35 have faced similar problems, namely the lack of tourist traffic to keep the floating museum financially afloat.
Galveston is the only option
It has been accepted that Galveston remains the best and only option – so now it's a compromise. Chron.com reported that alternative options are being considered at Pier 20, which could include replacing the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum. It is unclear whether this will be addressed by countermeasures, as it will result in one museum ship being replaced by another.
Battleship USS Texas. Image: Creative Commons.
Alternatively, Pier 15 is being considered. It's near a cargo warehouse that's being converted into a cruise terminal for passengers – and that could help attract additional tourists.
A perfect location has public support
It is also somewhat ironic that the site that enjoys the greatest public support has been disavowed by the foundation.
That would bring the USS Texas to Seawolf Park, home to the Galveston Naval Museum, as well as the Gato-class submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) – the submarine that sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shkaku in World War II – and the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Stewart (DE-238).
Additionally, Seawolf Park houses the remains of the World War I tanker SS Selma – one of the twelve experimental concrete ships that were to be built.
The foundation repeatedly thought the move was simply too expensive because it would have required dredging the canal. Another problem could be the above-mentioned property, and perhaps the foundation does not want to share custody of the battleship.
But until a solution is found, the USS Texas is the battleship without a home.
Author's experience and expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a senior editor focusing on defense issues at 19FortyFive. Over the course of his twenty-year career as a journalist, he has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with over 3,500 published stories. He writes regularly about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on X: @PeterSuciu – and on Bluesky: @petersuciu.bsky.social.