Camp Battleship Overnight
Spend the night aboard Battleship IOWA and immerse yourself in life as a sailor.
Camp Battleship Overnight
Spend the Night Aboard an Actual Battleship
Ever wonder what it would be like to spend the night aboard a U.S. Navy battleship?
Camp Battleship allows Scouts, schools, JROTC units, clubs, church groups, sports teams, homeschool groups, and other youth organizations to spend the night aboard the historic Battleship IOWA on the LA Waterfront.
Explore the ship after hours. Learn the skills of sailors. Eat on the mess decks. Sleep in authentic Navy-style berthing. Wake up aboard one of America’s most iconic battleships.
Your group doesn’t just visit the ship. You become part of the crew.
New in 2026: We have introduced maritime oriented activities and upgraded our food menu.
An Overnight Adventure Unlike Any Other
From the moment your group comes aboard, Battleship IOWA becomes your home for the night.
Participants explore the spaces where sailors lived and worked while experiencing the teamwork, traditions, skills, and routines of life aboard a Navy ship.
Your Camp Battleship experience includes:
- Late-afternoon arrival, muster, and shipboard orientation
- Guided activities aboard historic Battleship IOWA
- Opportunities to learn and practice sailor skills
- Dinner on the ship’s mess decks
- Evening educational and team-building activities
- After-hours exploration of the battleship
- Nighttime views of the Port of Los Angeles
- Sleeping in authentic Navy-style berthing racks
- Breakfast aboard the ship
- A firsthand look at how sailors lived and worked at sea
You’ll climb ladders, navigate passageways, eat where sailors ate, sleep where sailors slept, and experience Battleship IOWA in a way most visitors never will.
SLEEP WHERE SAILORS SLEPT
Spend the night in Navy-style berthing aboard Battleship IOWA and experience a side of the ship most visitors never see.
EAT ON THE MESS DECKS
Have dinner and breakfast aboard the ship and experience one of the daily routines that brought sailors together.
Experience the Port After Dark
See the lights, ships, cranes, and activity of the Port of Los Angeles after the museum closes.
More Than a Night on a Battleship
Build teamwork, learn sailor skills, and discover the people and careers it takes to keep a ship moving.
Bring your sleeping bag. We’ll provide the battleship.
Learn the Skills of Sailors
Life aboard a Navy ship depends on teamwork.
Throughout the overnight experience, participants discover how sailors work together to operate a ship while building skills that extend well beyond the Navy.
Depending on your program, activities may introduce participants to areas such as:
- Navigation and seamanship
- Communication
- Engineering
- Damage control
- Shipboard traditions
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Maritime careers
Camp Battleship connects the history of Battleship IOWA with the people, technology, careers, and skills that keep ships operating today.
Who Can Participate?
Camp Battleship is for organized youth groups seeking an educational overnight experience in Southern California.
Groups include:
Scouts
Bring your troop or pack aboard for a one-of-a-kind Scout overnight adventure combining teamwork, maritime skills, history, and sleeping aboard a real Navy ship.
Schools and Student Groups
Extend learning beyond the classroom with an immersive overnight field trip connecting students with history, STEM, teamwork, and maritime careers.
JROTC and Military Youth Organizations
Experience shipboard life, Navy traditions, teamwork, leadership, and the environment in which generations of American sailors served.
Church and Community Youth Groups
Give your youth group a shared experience built around exploration, teamwork, personal growth, and adventure.
Homeschool Groups
Turn Battleship IOWA into your classroom—and your home for the night—with an immersive experience combining history, STEM, and maritime learning.
Clubs, Sports Teams, and Other Youth Organizations
Camp Battleship offers groups a unique environment to build teamwork, confidence, and lasting memories.
Participants must be at least 6 years old. Adult chaperones are required at a minimum ratio of one adult for every 10 minors.
Camp Battleship can accommodate groups of up to 180 participants per night, subject to availability.
What Does a Battleship Overnight Look Like?
Individual schedules may vary, but a typical Camp Battleship overnight includes:
Arrival: Come aboard, meet your crew, receive orientation, and learn how to safely navigate a Navy ship.
Explore: Move through Battleship IOWA and discover the spaces, equipment, and systems sailors used to operate the ship.
Learn: Participate in sailor skills, educational activities, and team challenges.
Chow: Gather on the mess decks for dinner.
After Hours: Experience the battleship and Port of Los Angeles after most visitors have gone home.
Lights Out: Settle into authentic Navy-style berthing and sleep aboard the ship.
Reveille: Wake up aboard Battleship IOWA and prepare for another day.
Breakfast: Start the morning with breakfast aboard before completing your overnight experience.
Ready to Come Aboard?
Spend the Night Aboard an Actual Battleship
Give your group an overnight adventure they won’t find at a hotel, campground, or ordinary museum.
Explore Battleship IOWA after hours. Learn the skills of sailors. Eat on the mess decks. Sleep aboard the ship.
Come aboard and become part of the crew.
Camp Battleship Reservations
877-446-9261 ext. 706
overnights@labattleship.com
Battleship IOWA
250 S. Harbor Blvd.
Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA 90731
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Camp Battleship?
Camp Battleship is Battleship IOWA’s youth group overnight program in Los Angeles. Organized youth groups spend the night aboard the historic battleship while participating in shipboard activities, eating on the mess decks, and sleeping in Navy-style berthing.
Who can spend the night aboard Battleship IOWA?
Camp Battleship welcomes organized youth groups including Scouts, schools, JROTC units, homeschool groups, church and community youth groups, YMCA programs, sports teams, clubs, and other youth organizations.
What is the minimum age?
Participants must be at least 6 years old.
Do adults stay overnight too?
Yes. Adult chaperones accompany youth participants and are required at a minimum ratio of one adult for every 10 minors.
Where do we sleep?
Participants sleep aboard Battleship IOWA in authentic Navy-style crew berthing areas.
Sleeping accommodations are shipboard racks rather than conventional hotel beds.
Do we need sleeping bags?
Groups receive detailed packing instructions before their scheduled overnight.
Are meals included?
Camp Battleship includes dinner aboard the ship and breakfast the following morning.
Groups should provide dietary requirements and food allergy information before their overnight.
What activities are included?
Activities vary but may include guided exploration, sailor skills, maritime and Navy history, teamwork exercises, STEM concepts, leadership activities, and introductions to maritime careers.
Is Camp Battleship educational?
Yes.
Camp Battleship combines an overnight adventure with experiential learning in history, STEM, teamwork, leadership, maritime careers, and life aboard a Navy ship.
Is this a Scout overnight program?
Yes.
Scout groups are welcome at Camp Battleship. The shipboard environment provides an unusual setting for teamwork, skill-building, history, maritime learning, and group experiences.
Can schools participate?
Yes.
Schools and student organizations can participate in Camp Battleship as an overnight educational experience connecting history, STEM, maritime careers, and life aboard a Navy ship.
How many people can attend?
Camp Battleship can accommodate groups of up to 180 participants per night, depending on availability and program requirements.
Can small groups participate?
Yes. Inquire about your specific group size and the dates you're interested in.
What time does the overnight begin and end?
Specific arrival and departure times are provided when your reservation is confirmed.
Is parking available?
Battleship IOWA is located on the LA Waterfront in San Pedro adjacent to public parking.
Detailed arrival and parking instructions are provided before your overnight.
Are showers available?
No, we don't have showers available for overnight program guests.
What should participants wear?
Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for navigating a historic Navy ship, including ladders and narrow passageways.
A detailed packing list is provided before the overnight.
Can you accommodate food allergies or special diets?
Yes. Groups must provide dietary needs and food allergy information for each participant in their roster before the overnight.
Is Battleship IOWA accessible during the overnight?
Battleship IOWA is a historic Navy ship with steep ladders, narrow passageways, raised thresholds, and other physical characteristics of an operating warship.
Guests with accessibility needs should contact the Camp Battleship team before booking so that available accommodations and program requirements can be discussed.
Can families spend the night aboard Battleship IOWA?
Camp Battleship is primarily designed for organized youth groups.
Battleship IOWA also periodically offers special Family Overnight events that allow individual families to experience a night aboard the ship.
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How much does a Battleship IOWA overnight cost?
Camp Battleship is $110 per person, per night.
How do I reserve a Camp Battleship overnight?
Camp Battleship is available by reservation and dates are subject to availability.
Submit a request with your group information and preferred dates. Once we confirm availability, our team will guide you through the reservation and planning process.
Limited time only!
Kids Board Free
In the all-new Life of a Sailor experience, kids become sailor recruits, building their skills, following the story of a famous sailor, and joining Vicky the Dog on a scavenger hunt through Battleship IOWA.
Kids board free with a paid adult.