I toured the only nuclear missile submarine in the US open to the public. Take a look inside.

• The USS Growler is the only nuclear missile submarine in the US that’s open to the public.
• Commissioned in 1958, the USS Growler patrolled seas off the coast of Russia during the Cold War.
• The submarine is now an attraction at the Intrepid Museum in New York City.

The USS Growler was once a top-secret US Navy submarine that patrolled the ocean’s depths during the Cold War. Armed with nuclear missiles and operated by a crew of 90 men, Growler’s firepower acted as a deterrent to keep other nations from using their nuclear weapons in a strategy known as mutually assured destruction.

Today, the USS Growler is on display at the Intrepid Museum in New York City housed on the USS Intrepid, a 900-foot-long World War II-era aircraft carrier. The USS Growler floats alongside it in the Hudson River.

Visitors don’t just get to look at the USS Growler; they can actually climb inside and walk through its narrow confines on a self-guided tour.

Submarines remain a crucial component of the US Navy’s deterrent strategy. In September, the USS Georgia, a guided-missile submarine, was sent to the Middle East in a show of support for Israel and a show of force to Iran.

It’s a costly endeavor. The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarine program is projected to run $17 billion over budget through 2030 amid delays, House Rep. Ken Calvert, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said last month. The Navy has said delays are due to supply-chain issues and “lingering COVID-19 impacts.”

I visited the Intrepid Museum in May to tour the only nuclear missile submarine in the US open to the public. Take a look inside.