BATON ROUGE – The USS Kidd will return to Baton Rouge soon. Visitors are expected to pour once the ship returns, which is a relief for museum officials.
The USS Kidd Veterans Museum typically has an economic impact of about $3 million a year, according to an economic impact survey.
The ship was temporarily moved to Houma in 2024. There, the USS Kidd underwent $16 million in renovations. But with the ship gone, museum superintendent Tim Nessmith said visitation dropped 93%.
“We have had visitation, but not nearly enough to keep the place open and operating. So, fundraising has helped,” said Nessmith.
With the loss of revenue, Nessmith said there have been layoffs.
“We’re down to bare bones, skeleton staff,” said Nessmith.
When the ship returns this year, museum leaders expect the economic impact to increase from $3 million to $5 million annually.
Renovations to the ship include the rudder, hull, and most notably, the paint job. There will also be a new exhibit on the USS Kidd highlighting the African American steward’s mates who worked onboard during World War II.
“We will talk about the African American experience aboard the Kidd in World War II, then direct customers up the street to the African American Museum. There, people will learn about the African American experience in Baton Rouge,” said Nessmith.
Gregory and Christine Williams stopped by the museum on Thursday, Feb. 26. Christine told WBRZ that she had never seen the ship in person and is excited for the USS Kidd’s return.
“We’ll be back for the celebration. I’ve seen a lot of pictures, so I’m excited to see her in person because pictures don’t really show the scale of how large a ship like her is,” said Christine.
Nessmith said the return date all depends on the Mississippi River’s levels between March and May 2026. The journey back is expected to take about 5 days.
Once the USS Kidd returns to Baton Rouge, the museum will start moving artifacts back onto the ship.
