AUSTIN— Starting July 8, the Battleship Texas State Historic Site is reducing its visitation hours to allow staff full accessibility to the ship and its historic artifacts ahead of an upcoming trip to a drydock facility for major repairs to restore the ship’s leaking hull. The ship will be closed to the public Monday-Thursday and open weekends 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

During the partial closure, staff will be cataloging and storing the thousands of artifacts found on board the Battleship Texas. Artifacts being secured from the ship include a flag that flew on D-Day, a silver presentation to the Battleship from the citizens of Texas, crewmember scrapbooks from World War I and World War II, and objects of daily life, like barber chairs and bunks.

Visitors can still tour the Battleship Texas Friday-Sunday but, as artifacts are continuously removed, should expect a different visual experience when visiting the ship.

Reservations made before June 26 for visits during July and August will be honored, but no new reservations will be accepted.

For more information about the Battleship Texas State Historic Site, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website.