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Things to Do Before or After a Los Angeles Cruise

Cruise passengers often arrive in San Pedro with several hours available before boarding or after returning to port.

Instead of spending that time waiting, visitors can explore one of the Los Angeles Waterfront’s most distinctive attractions.

The National Museum of the Surface Navy, located aboard Battleship IOWA, sits near the Los Angeles World Cruise Center and offers an immersive experience for travelers of all ages.

Step Aboard a Different Kind of Ship

Cruise ships focus on travel, dining, entertainment, and relaxation.

Battleship IOWA introduces visitors to a very different kind of life at sea.

Guests explore seven decks of an authentic Navy battleship and discover how sailors live, work, train, and complete missions together.

The contrast makes the experience especially meaningful for cruise travelers.

After seeing today’s passenger ships, visitors gain a new appreciation for the design, purpose, and operation of a Navy vessel.

Experience Life of a Sailor

Life of a Sailor is the National Museum of the Surface Navy’s signature visitor experience.

It introduces the people behind the ships.

Visitors discover:

  • How sailors receive their roles
  • How they develop technical skills
  • How a ship operates as a city at sea
  • How crews communicate
  • How sailors respond to challenges
  • Why every role matters

The experience combines history, engineering, leadership, and human stories within the ship itself.

A battleship and a cruise ship docked side by side at the bustling Los Angeles Cruise Port, with parking lots, the LA Cruise Terminal building, and several cars visible nearby. A gangway connects the dock to each ship.

Convenient for Cruise Passengers

Battleship IOWA is located on the San Pedro waterfront near the cruise terminal.

The location makes it a practical addition to a travel day, especially for passengers with time before check-in, after disembarkation, or during an overnight stay in the area.

Visitors should allow enough time to explore the ship comfortably and return for transportation or boarding.

Current hours, ticket information, luggage considerations, and transportation options should be reviewed before arriving.

More to Explore on the Waterfront

A visit to Battleship IOWA can also be combined with:

  • San Pedro waterfront dining
  • Harbor views
  • Local shops
  • Public art
  • Nearby maritime attractions
  • Long Beach destinations
  • The Port of Los Angeles

Together, these experiences turn a cruise transfer day into part of the vacation.

A Memorable Beginning or Ending

A cruise may take passengers to destinations around the world.

The National Museum of the Surface Navy gives travelers a chance to understand the sailors and ships that help protect freedom of the seas.

Before or after your cruise, step aboard Battleship IOWA and experience Life of a Sailor.

VISIT & EXPLORE

Experience the Life of a Sailor.

A smiling family of four poses on a battleship deck, capturing the spirit of sailor life. Three give a thumbs-up. An emblem at the bottom left says Self-Guided with map and play icons. The battleship and a partly cloudy sky are in the background.

Life of a Sailor

Our general admission experience shows how sailors live, work, and serve.

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A white bathtub with bubbles holds a toy ship, rubber duck, and a book. Towels hang on metal bars by the tub. Blue tile is visible on the floor. An illustrated Guided badge appears in the lower left corner, hinting at an imaginative President’s Tour through bathtime adventures.

President’s Tour

It’s November 1943, and Battleship IOWA is on a covert mission. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his entire staff are aboard, headed for top-secret meetings with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

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A museum guide offers an engaging overview to visitors near a large shell and diagrams on a wall, enhancing their experience. The blue guided tour icon is visible in the foreground.

Overview Experience

The overview experience is a 90-minute crew-led tour that brings the ship’s legacy to life through the stories of those who served, and those who preserve her today.

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A tour guide in a blue cap speaks to visitors, holding a clear folder with papers. A wall with diagrams and text is behind him. A Guided tour icon appears in the foreground.

Gun Tour

This exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey puts you inside the systems that made Battleship IOWA one of the most powerful warships ever built.

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A tour guide points to a map on a wall while three visitors listen inside an industrial-looking room with exposed pipes, capturing the essence of an immersive Engineering Tour Experience. A blue Guided tour icon appears in the foreground.

Engineering Tour Experience

The Engineering Tour takes you below into the hidden heart of Battleship IOWA, where eight boilers and four steam turbines once generated 212,000 shaft horsepower, enough to power 650 Ford F-150 trucks, and drove IOWA to a blistering 35 knots, the fastest of any battleship ever built.

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A battleship deck painted with a large American flag and cannons aimed forward under a cloudy sky, setting the stage for a thrilling Fleet Adventure. An adventure game-inspired Guided tour icon appears in the lower left corner.

Escape the Fleet Adventure

In 2011, a small team raced against time to pull Battleship IOWA out of the Navy’s reserve “ghost fleet” — or watch her be scrapped forever. Now it’s your turn to live that mission.

Learn More
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Included with Admission

A smiling family of four poses on a battleship deck, capturing the spirit of sailor life. Three give a thumbs-up. An emblem at the bottom left says Self-Guided with map and play icons. The battleship and a partly cloudy sky are in the background.

Life of a Sailor

Our general admission experience shows how sailors live, work, and serve.

A boy in glasses stands in front of an illuminated wall display of ships at a museum exhibit commemorating America 250. Signs, ropes, and informational posters are visible, with a woman in the background.

Great Ships

Explore the ships of America’s Surface Navy.

A man and woman observe a large, detailed cutaway model of an aircraft carrier—an impressive symbol of Surface Navy strength—displayed in a modern, spacious exhibit room with panoramic lighting and a blue sky background.

Ship Cutaway

See inside a Navy ship from bow to stern.

Three girls, including Vicky, look at a display on a ship wall featuring a photo of a dog in a vest labeled with a red number 1. One girl in front has a large red bow in her blonde hair.

Vicky’s Scavenger Hunt

Find Vicky throughout your shipboard adventure.

A futuristic, neon-lit room with blue and purple lights, metallic pipes, railings, and labeled panels, resembling a sci-fi spaceship interior aboard The Broadside. A workstation emits an orange glow in the background.

Living Blueprint

Immerse yourself in a blueprint of a Navy ship.

Immerse yourself in this interactive Navy museum exhibit featuring blue-lit displays, touch screens, and educational panels about ocean stewardship. The space offers industrial ceilings and a central digital kiosk labeled Navy Look for a truly engaging Experience.

Stewards of the Sea

Explore how the Navy protects the seas.

A room with navy-themed displays; a mannequin dressed as a sailor stands near large informational posters and a digital screen showing a sailors image. The lighting is dim with blue accents.

What’s My Rate?

Find the Navy career that fits you.

Exhibit with dim blue lighting, crates, rope barriers, life-size cutouts of people in uniforms, and a background resembling a ships interior and a library area.

Every Sailor has a Story

Meet the people who serve.

A large battleship with three massive gun turrets and a blue helicopter displayed on its deck at night, with visitors walking nearby and bright lights illuminating the scene.

HUP-2 Retriever Helicopter

Korean War era Hup-2 Helicopter

Dimly lit museum exhibit with large panels displaying historic photos and illustrations of battleships, Navy personnel, and World War II scenes, surrounded by pipes and industrial decor.

Sticks Art Gallery

Discover IOWA’s story through art.

Exhibit Description: Museum exhibit featuring panels on the USS Mississippi, the first Iowa battleship, and naval history. A large artillery shell stands in the foreground, with photos, artifacts, and an American flag displayed throughout the exhibit.

Gunnery Incidents

Navy ships operate around the world in service of our nation, often using powerful and complex weapons under demanding conditions.

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National Museum of the Surface Navy Plank Owner certificate

LIMITED TIME ONLY! Receive a digital commemorative Plank Owner certificate.

Join Free. Earn Points.

Become a Surface Navy Museum and Battleship IOWA Patron and, for a limited time, receive a free digital commemorative Plank Owner certificate.

Stay connected with special updates and invitations, earn points for your support, and redeem them for experiences, apparel, and more.

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