Baton Rouge’s resident naval ship is set to sail back to its cradle on the Mississippi River soon
The USS Kidd is making a comeback 🌊🚢
After a 14-month restorative stay in Houma’s Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors shipyard, the USS Kidd is finally ready to ship up to Baton Rouge.
In 2024, the iconic vessel sailed downstream for an overhaul to bring it back to its former glory, preserving decades of history.
At over 80 years old, the USS Kidd was starting to show its age. Two wars, numerous battles, a kamikaze attack, an appearance in a Tom Hanks movie, and 40 years bobbing in a “cradle,” which was used to allow the ship to rise and fall with the Mississippi River, took a toll on the Fletcher-class destroyer, the only museum ship still in its original World War II configuration and one of the most visited non-sports attractions in the state.
“This ship suffered from a unique problem,” says Les Nicholson, chair of the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission. “Its cradle was a tremendous protector for it, but it was also somewhat of an enemy of it, because as the ship moved around with waves, it rubbed. Ships aren’t designed to rub against concrete. Also, they’re really not designed to sit in a cradle. They’re supposed to be evenly supported by the water.”
So she got a much-needed facelift. But instead of plastic surgeons, the work was done by a team of technicians and craftsmen who breathed new life into the storied “Pirate of the Pacific.”
Over a year of repairs included mending holes in the hull created by rocking in its cradle and restoring the ship’s segregated quarters to help tell the stories of African American servicemen and the restrictions under which they served. The ship is also sporting a new paint job similar to the one she wore throughout 1944, nicknamed “Dazzle camouflage.”
“[The paint job] was an experiment that the Americans did during World War II. Before radar was available to track targets and fire things at them, everything was done visually,” USS Kidd Veterans Museum executive director Parks Stephenson says. The Dazzle camouflage, Stephenson explains, covered a ship with geometric shapes to break up its outline or to confuse an enemy that might be viewing it through an optical sight.
The recent restoration project marked the first time the ship had undergone major upgrades since ’60s, though the U.S. Department of the Interior recommends routine overhauls every two decades. Stephenson says the work should last another 40 to 60 years.
“I’ve been down there to see the ship, and she’s gorgeous,” he says. “Our expectations were not just matched, but exceeded. The shipyard developed the same passion for the ship that we have here for it. They saw it as a part of one of Louisiana’s biggest attractions.”
At home, the team at the USS Kidd Veterans Museum put in work, too, improving the docking system by adding padding to the cradle, reinforcing its framework and creating thicker plating on its touchpoints. These measures aim to prevent damage as the ship rises and falls with the river’s levels.
While the ship’s return is sure to delight landlubbers and seafarers alike, it will also serve as a revenue boost for Baton Rouge, bringing in tourists who also want to feast their eyes on the upgrades to the National Historic Landmark. The attraction usually contributes $3 million annually to the local economy but has seen a 93% dip in attendance due to the absence of its crown jewel. Its return is expected to increase its yearly economic impact to $5 million.
Returning the destroyer to its home dock outside the downtown museum wasn’t as easy as raising the anchor and setting sail. Instead, weather conditions were closely monitored to determine its arrival date, ensuring that water levels were ideal for the five-day journey back into its cradle.
Once back, Stephenson says there will be new features including exhibits, audio tours and educational programming. The ship will also have more parts of its interior open to the public.
There will be a welcome party on May 23 to celebrate the USS Kidd’s return, just as there was when it first arrived in the Red Stick in 1982. Jay Dardenne, the celebration’s chairman, says the event, presented by sponsor Turner Industries, will include static displays, speeches, military vehicles, food stations and more. There will also be music by the Alexandria High School band and a U.S. Marine Corps band, along with other performers. The celebration’s committee has also worked with Live After Five managing director J. Hover to coordinate a post-event performance from The V-Tones using the outdoor concert series’ setup.
“We’re going to have 30-some odd members of the Kidd family present in Baton Rouge for this event, which is really exciting,” Dardenne says of the descendants of the ship’s namesake, Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd Sr. “They’re coming from all over the country to be a part of this. And it is going to be a celebration on the river that will recognize the fact that [the ship] is coming home.”
Attend the USS Kidd Welcome Home Celebration
Saturday, May 23, Rhorer Plaza
Music from the Alexandria High School band will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the ceremony starts at 2 p.m.
This article was originally published in the May 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
