Here is a current example:
"USS TEXAS needs substantial long term funding for staffing and to maintain the ship, in addition to an immediate and urgent need for funds to undergo a massive stabilization and/or restoration to prevent imminent loss of historical integrity.
The benefit Texas has, is it carries the name of a great state, which taxpayers have been willing to carry some of the burden. But you are asking for a perpetual tax burden, and it needs to be thought out.
My recommendation? Turn it into a world class military academy AND museum. Everything needed is already there.
Sounds like a GREAT idea.
Yes, the hull of the ship in the water gets thinner and thinner and thinner.
You likely have the most workable and economic solution. Ask for the Island, a berthing area, Engineering Central if possible or a Boiler Room Console booth. Those should be doable. Pieces of the Catwalk like the catapult controls and LSO Platform/Arresting gear controls sections. IOW a land based museum with sections of the ship and pictures of the other portions. Do things like a Sound Powered Phone System, DC equipment such as OBA's of the era, flame safety lamps etc. The Navy does release such things to Naval Bases like Great Lakes, San Diego, JAX, etc and could be a joint operations venture. It's a good back up option and really one that could be asked for simultaneously while seeking a museum hold.
One of the neater ship preservation ideas I heard was for docking the old LPH Guam next to Intrepid on the Hudson for use as a West Side heliport.
Yorktown at Patriots Point/Mt. Pleasant SC (across from Charleston) gets state funding partly because her hangar is where the SC State Police and other agencies shelter their helicopters during hurticanes. The land them on the starboard deck edge elevator, which is permanently lowered, roll them inside and drop the shutters.
If you ever go aboard her you’ll notice they keep that area empty of displays. There’s the Medal of Honor room on the port side, flight simulators (which can be easily unplugged and moved) forward and then the large USO stage and area with the snack bar tables aft. They even have their B-25 winched into the overhead to free up available deck space.
Floating hospital off-shore for healthcare.
It won’t happen, but we can dream.