Militia Museum of New Jersey with
The Intelligent Whale Submarine

You can visit the Intelligent Whale Submarine at the Militia Museum of New Jersey in Sea Girt, NJ.

The centerpiece of the New Jersey Militia Museum is the Intelligent Whale, a primitive post Civil War submarine powered by human muscle. Ideally 4 of them cranking to keep the propeller turning while up to nine other crewmen labored to keep the submarine on course and off the bottom. At least one crew member was tasked with leaving the sub through the wooden door in the submarine's hull floor and transporting and attaching a mine to the hull of an enemy vessel. Very scary stuff!!! You can actually poke your head up inside from beneath the sub and get a feel for how much space there was for the compliment of 6-13 crewmen.

To my surprise they had much more to see. Along with the Intelligent Whale there are 2 WWII tanks, a number of early military jeep variants, a Bell Huey and a Bell Cobra helicopter, a Phantom and Thunderstreak jet fighter, artillery, light arms and other military artifacts. The Harley Davidson Scout Motorcycle was something I'd love to have in my garage. Many of the indoor exhibits were in running condition, and the Stuart light tank was driven in and could be driven right out.

The Museum volunteers have put a lot of work into setting up a Korean War MASH display, complete with Bell H13 helicopter, M38 Jeep, surgery tent, and military personnel in action. There are also several display cases with rifles, handguns, and automatic weapons from the 1800s to the present. A rare WII German PAK 40 anti tank gun guards the front entrance, along with a Swedish Bofors 37mm anti tank gun

The New Jersey Militia Museum is located just off Rt 35 north of Point Pleasant in Sea Girt. If you're down at the shore and it's raining, cold, or the beaches are closed due to heavy surf, jellyfish, sharks or U-Boat activity, it's a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. As long as it's a Tuesday or Thursday. Check with the Militia Museum to find out what the current hours of operation are. Pay these folks a visit. They were very friendly and quick to answer questions about their exhibits. You can see they are working hard to make the museum even better. The admission is free, but donations are accepted and more than welcome.