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A group of teens and kids pose in front of a large gray battleship with big gun turrets on a sunny day in May 2023. Some are standing, some crouching, and everyone looks cheerful.

How Close Is Battleship IOWA to Disneyland? Plan Your Visit.

Battleship IOWA is approximately 30 miles from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, making it an easy addition to a Southern California vacation. Depending on traffic, the drive typically takes about 40 to 60 minutes.

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Explore the Knowledge Center

Recent Posts

Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?

Finding a Lost Airliner | Explorer Russ Matthews

How Close Is Battleship IOWA to Disneyland? Plan Your Visit.

IOWA recommissioning ceremony August 25, 1951 / the Korean War

USS IOWA Education Programs Leverage Historic Battleship to Bring STEM Lessons to Life

Ethos of Preservation

News & Announcements

A large gray battleship numbered 61, now serving as a museum, is docked by a pier and decorated with colorful signal flags. The sky is clear and the water in the foreground is calm, inviting visitors to experience history aboard the impressive vessel.

Battleship IOWA Receives $500,000 Timken Foundation Gift to Launch Engineering Career Track

Gift Advances STEM Education and Inspires the Next Generation of Maritime Engineers SAN PEDRO, Calif. […] Read More…

News

Battleship IOWA Receives $500,000 Timken Foundation Gift to Launch Engineering Career Track
Kamin Samuel, PhD to Receive National Museum of the Surface Navy’s 2026 VADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Leadership Award
Pacific Battleship Center & America250 Announce Partnership to Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary in Los Angeles
Pacific Battleship Center Announces New Board Leadership, Honors Retiring Chairman
National Museum of the Surface Navy Announces 2025 Freedom of the Seas Award Recipients

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Announcements

Family Overnight
FIFA World Cup Games on Battleship IOWA
Battleship IOWA Named IAAPA Member for 2026
Battleship IOWA STEM Adventure Summer Camp Scholarship Application/Waitlist 2026
Presidents Day Special

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Podcasts

Four people pose in a room, holding a flag. Large text reads FOUND! after 74 years. An inset shows a shipwreck underwater—evidence from the search for a Lost Airliner. The image promotes Scuttlebutt Podcast featuring Explorer Russ Matthews, with photo credits listed at the bottom. The picture is for recovering the Pan Am flight.

Finding a Lost Airliner | Explorer Russ Matthews

In 2019, while researching lost aircraft and ships in the South Pacific, explorer, filmmaker, and National Museum of the Surface Navy advisory board member RUSS MATTHEWS stumbled across an article that would change his life.

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Finding a Lost Airliner | Explorer Russ Matthews
What Is This “Escape The Mothball Fleet” Thing?
Charlie Noble, the fo’c’s’le zoo, and more fun nautical terms
Dave Badgett & Kent Coble: Fire Chiefs Remember 9/11 Twenty-One Years Later
VJ Alcomindras: From Tour Guide in Oahu to Guest Services Manager in LA

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History

Black-and-white photo of a crowd seated on the deck of USS Iowa during a naval ceremony, with uniformed sailors standing in formation and ship structures visible. Text at bottom notes recommissioning on 25 August 1951.

IOWA recommissioning ceremony August 25, 1951 / the Korean War

New Collection Added to Battleship IOWA’s Archives: Photographs and Written Memories from the Korean War […] Read More…

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IOWA recommissioning ceremony August 25, 1951 / the Korean War
Today’s Historical Encounter
Happy 83rd Birthday, IOWA!
“Oh Those Float Planes…”
Headlines from the End of World War II

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Behind the Scenes

Yellow sign with bold black text reading Authorized Personnel Only. A small circular emblem with stars and stripes is in the corner.

Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?

Where’s Battleship IOWA’s intrepid team off to this time? We’re taking you into a space rarely seen by ANYONE.

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Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?

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Development

A large gray battleship numbered 61, now serving as a museum, is docked by a pier and decorated with colorful signal flags. The sky is clear and the water in the foreground is calm, inviting visitors to experience history aboard the impressive vessel.

Battleship IOWA Receives $500,000 Timken Foundation Gift to Launch Engineering Career Track

Gift Advances STEM Education and Inspires the Next Generation of Maritime Engineers SAN PEDRO, Calif. […] Read More…

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Battleship IOWA Receives $500,000 Timken Foundation Gift to Launch Engineering Career Track
Quarterdeck of Honor
Supporters
Surface Navy Life of a Sailor
Freedom of the Seas Park & Pavilion

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Education

A group of children poses on a ship’s deck in front of a large white dog statue, with big gray cannons and city buildings visible in the background under a sunny blue sky—captured during the Museum Update on July 1, 2023.

USS IOWA Education Programs Leverage Historic Battleship to Bring STEM Lessons to Life

SAN PEDRO, Calif., July 26, 2023 – Battleship USS IOWA Museum, a top five museum and […] Read More…

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USS IOWA Education Programs Leverage Historic Battleship to Bring STEM Lessons to Life
STEM Lesson: Sound, Sonar, and Underwater Detection
STEM Lesson: Battleship IOWA Oil and Water Lab Tour
STEM Lesson: Knots, Bends, and Hitches
STEM Challenge: Buoyancy

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Preservation

Yellow sign with bold black text reading Authorized Personnel Only. A small circular emblem with stars and stripes is in the corner.

Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?

Where’s Battleship IOWA’s intrepid team off to this time? We’re taking you into a space rarely seen by ANYONE.

Read More…

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Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?
Ethos of Preservation
Hull Preservation
HNSA 2022 Wrap-Up: In Which We Make Rust, Corrosion, And Coatings Interesting
USS THE SULLIVANS And Hull Maintenance

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Innovation

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LADRRC

Badge with LOS ANGELES above a city skyline, palm trees, birds, and waves, highlighting a vibrant community. A gold banner reads DISASTER RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE COLLECTIVE and three stars sit at the bottom, representing impactful programs dedicated to education and support.

Donate to City of LA EMD Disaster Relief Fund

DONATE TO EMD FUND The City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department (EMD) has designated […] Read More…

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Donate to City of LA EMD Disaster Relief Fund
A Message About The Wildfires from CEO Jonathan Williams
Southern California Wild Fires
Battleship IOWA Museum Webcast: Defense Support of Civil Authorities

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SITREP

Life of a Sailor. Two U.S. Navy officers, one in camouflage uniform and one in white dress uniform, stand indoors near a digital wall displaying ship silhouettes—a visual reminder of where it began and why it still matters to honor naval traditions. Two more officers in khaki uniforms are visible in the background.

Where It Began – and Why It Still Matters

Two hundred fifty years ago, our nation was not yet a nation at all.

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Where It Began – and Why It Still Matters
“Damn The Torpedoes! Full Speed Ahead!”
Preserving the Watch: Purpose, Connection, and the Future of the Surface Navy Legacy
Building the National Museum of the Surface Navy: Honoring Surface Warriors in Phase 1
Surface Navy Museum Update

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Visitor Information

A group of teens and kids pose in front of a large gray battleship with big gun turrets on a sunny day in May 2023. Some are standing, some crouching, and everyone looks cheerful.

How Close Is Battleship IOWA to Disneyland? Plan Your Visit.

Battleship IOWA is approximately 30 miles from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, making it an easy addition to a Southern California vacation. Depending on traffic, the drive typically takes about 40 to 60 minutes.

Read More…

Explore More

How Close Is Battleship IOWA to Disneyland? Plan Your Visit.
A Wedding Venue Unlike Any Other: Celebrate Aboard Battleship IOWA
A Waterfront Event Venue at the Center of San Pedro’s Next Chapter
A Meaningful Place to Mark a Military Milestone
Which Battleship IOWA Event Space Is Right for Your Event?

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Veterans

A group of people stands on a battleship deck near a table and 250 anniversary decorations, with a speaker addressing the group and naval officers present.

A Meaningful Place to Mark a Military Milestone

Host a promotion, retirement, reenlistment, commissioning, memorial, or Chief pinning ceremony aboard historic Battleship IOWA in San Pedro.

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A Meaningful Place to Mark a Military Milestone
MVA Inquiry
Scuttlebutt Extra: Judge Eileen Moore on Vietnam Veterans
Jesse Mendoza and VPAN: Making a Difference for Veterans aboard Battleship IOWA
Ben Poucher & Warrior Sailing: Healing & Strengthening Veterans Through Sailing

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Volunteers

Collage of 13 volunteers on a ship holding Volunteer signs, with a heart shape in the center reading Volunteer Recognition 7/19/2025. Ship and harbor are visible in the background.

Celebrating Our Volunteers

Battleship IOWA recognizes volunteer accomplishments with special ceremony

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Celebrating Our Volunteers

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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.

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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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