NEW YORK CITY The quality of a tour is often only as good as the quality of the tour guide.

Senior Tour Guide Fontaine Piper, who led a group of journalists on a tour of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, is good. He's very good.Piper, as with other Intrepid tour guides, is a military veteran who knows not only the terminology of the military but the lore, as well as the science behind the displays and an overview of the geopolitical spectrum. Piper doesn't just rattle off facts (although he does that impressively) but conveys humorous anecdotes and continually involves the tour guest with questions.The tour of the Intrepid was part of an April 16-17 CityPASS field trip that included The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Plaza, Empire State Building and Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott-New York Manhattan-World Trade Center.On a brilliant blue sky weekday afternoon, the Intrepid displayed military and maritime history like a proud soldier. The aircraft carrier, launched in 1943, saw action in World War II, during the Cold War and in the Vietnam War. After fulfilling its mission during the 1960s as a NASA recovery ship during the Mercury and Gemini space missions, the Intrepid was decommissioned in 1974.The Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark that opened in 1982, is docked along the Hudson River at Pier 86 (located at 46th Street), just off the West Side Highway.The ship has four levels to explore.The outdoor Flight Deck has more than two dozen restored aircraft. The Restoration Tent has aircraft under restoration.The Gallery Deck is where the Combat Information Center, Squadron Ready Room and Marine Berthing is located.The Hanger Deck displays hardware and stories of the 50,000 who served (270 died while serving) on the Intrepid during its service. "The Exploreum," an exhibit space for families and children, includes a Bell 47 helicopter, an interactive submarine and steering the wings of an airplane.The Third Deck has a gallery about shipboard life, the Enlisted Mess Hall and Crew Berthing.The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Complex, which is a nonprofit, is aptly named. In addition to self-guided, or, for a fee, guided group tours, there's:Space Shuttle Pavilion, which includes the exhibit "Hubble At 25," through Sept. 13, noting the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. There's gear, Hubble interstellar space photos and Hubble history. The big attraction, with the emphasis on big, is the Space Shuttle Enterprise, transported to the Intrepid in 2012. There are artifacts, photographs, audio and films. You can also see a former Soviet Union space capsule, the Soyuz TMA-6.Several flight simulators are offered, for extra fees. G Force Encounter gives the sense of the power, thrust and exhilaration of flying a supersonic jet plane. Transporter FX is described as "six minutes of sensory overload." The XD Theater includes 3D graphics, high-definition sound and vibration stimulation.Growler, which was added in 1989, is the only United States guided missile submarine open to the public. There's a separate admission.British Airways Concorde, in service from 1976-2003, offers a look inside the world's only operational supersonic passenger transport.Audio Tours are offered to augment self-guided tours. Intrepid souvenir photos and other items are available. Au Bon Pain restaurant on the Mess Deck offers reasonably priced food with nutritious choices.Admission includes "Objects in Conversation: A Collections Exhibition," extended through Nov. 2. "On the Line: Intrepid & the Vietnam War" opens Oct. 16.In 2013, the Intrepid began an oral history project to record the stories of those who served on or were associated with the aircraft carrier, the Growler, Enterprise and Concorde.The Intrepid offers programs for schools and teachers, professionals, campers (group programs July 14, Aug. 12) and "Operation Slumber" (overnight visits for families and youth groups).And if you book a tour, ask for Fontaine Piper.For information and to donate items and funds to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: intrepidmuseum.org.Next week: New York City, Part 3: Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Plaza, Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Residence Inn by Marriott-New York Manhattan-World Trade Center, and CityPASS