Family: This email begins with some good news after a little over a year of pandemic effects. We will be opening interior spaces beginning this week in a phased approach as LA County enters the red tier! The team is looking at opening the wardroom, captain’s cabin, bridge, and main deck berthing aft during the weekdays  On the weekends, the aft museum will be added to the tour. Eventually we'll include the comprehensive retail store. The reason for this variation is the need for power: we will...

Surface Navy Museum at the Battleship IOWA Family: Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day. I can say without a doubt that our organization and ship wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible contributions of our women crewmembers. We have come a long way in nine short years, with women playing a critical role, and they'll continue to do so as we move into the future of the National Museum of the Surface Navy at the Battleship IOWA.  I couldn’t be prouder of the...

Surface Navy Museum at the Battleship IOWA Family: We are coming off one of our most exciting weekends since the beginning of the pandemic. The increase in traffic onboard and on the roads was noticeable and resulted in one of our best weekends since March 2020. Our attendance was still less than our non-Covid numbers, but the positive direction has definitely raised the crew’s spirits. In addition to visitors, there were two military ceremonies, several virtual guided tours for groups across...

Surface Navy Museum and Battleship IOWA Family: Yesterday was the 78th anniversary of the original commissioning of Battleship USS Iowa! The ship continues to serve today, due in part to your support! Thank you. Although weather and Covid-19 spread continue to improve in Southern California, indoor museums remain closed. We have seen a slow increase in our attendance over the past couple of weekends to approximately 50% of normal traffic, but continue to experience an enormous reduction in...

Only nine days left to bid in our SILENT AUCTION! Our silent auction ends Feb. 28th, but there's still time to get in your bids in.  And remember, you can bid higher than the retail price because every dollar goes to support the ship we all love.  She's counting on your bid! To add to the bidding fun, we've added more unique items! Item #130:  Ultimate Work-From-Home Solution Item #128:  Battleship IOWA Teak Deck Picture Frame with photo of ship Item #131:  Comms Tour - get an in-depth look at...

Surface Navy Museum and Battleship IOWA Family: Greetings from the decks of the IOWA! This past weekend showed a positive step in the right direction towards recovery. Valentine’s Day was our best attendance since the beginning of the pandemic at about 50% of normal. The weekdays are still very weak in traffic with some days dipping into the single digit of visitors and it shows its direct impact in our financial reports. I am proud of the small but mighty crew that continues to persevere with...

Share Your Ideas On The Freedom Of The Seas Park Pavilion Last week we debuted plans for the transformation of an area on the pier near the bow of the ship. We invited your feedback, and we're providing a few ways for you to share it. First, you can email us anytime with your questions and ideas at: parkproject@labattleship.com. Second, you can attend one of the virtual meetings we're holding to inform the community about the project, answer questions, and get your ideas. Times and dates for...

The National Museum of the Surface Navy at the Battleship IOWA is developing a park! Ever hear us refer to "Lot 61?" That's our nickname for the area on the pier near the bow of the ship. We want to transform it by turning it into a public park! The proposed park next to Battleship IOWA consists of a 2/3 acre site which will be renovated into a public park with an integral community center. Located on Port of Los Angeles property, the site at Berth 87 is uniquely situated to provide shore side...

Surface Navy Museum and IOWA Family: I am happy to say that L.A. is beginning to recover slowly from the most recent shutdown. Local restaurants have reopened outdoor dining and our weekend attendance was better than expected, but still a long way from normal. We haven’t seen the final numbers from January yet, but suspect that it may have been one of our most challenging months financially since the beginning of the pandemic. As mentioned earlier in January, it was important to lighten up on...