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Close-up view of an Iowa-Class Battleship’s main guns, with blue sky and industrial background. Large white text at top reads, What’s It Really Like To Walk On An Iowa-Class Battleship? Navy-themed logo in bottom-left corner—perfect for anyone interested in a battleship tour or an up-close walk through this historic vessel.

What Is It Really Like To Walk Through An Iowa-Class Battleship?

Step aboard Battleship IOWA and discover what it really feels like to explore an Iowa-class battleship—from steep ladders and tight passageways to massive guns, engineering spaces, and the everyday world of the sailors who lived and worked aboard.

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Explore the Knowledge Center

Recent Posts

Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?

What Would It Take to Move Battleship IOWA to the State of Iowa?

Vicky’s Doghouse Café: Gourmet Hot Dogs, Friday Happy Hour, and Waterfront Views Aboard Battleship IOWA

Why volunteers are essential to Battleship IOWA

How Battleship IOWA serves veterans beyond remembrance

How has innovation shaped Battleship IOWA?

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

A navy ship sails on blue water. Large white text reads, What Does Our Navy Donation Contract Allow? An overlay shows a highlighted legal document excerpt.

Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?

Did we need permission from the Navy to turn a turret? What’s in our donation contract?

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Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?
What Would It Take to Move Battleship IOWA to the State of Iowa?
Why is Battleship IOWA one of the most significant battleships in American history?
What Can A Museum Collection Tell Us That A Battleship Alone Cannot?
IOWA recommissioning ceremony August 25, 1951 / the Korean War

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Behind the Scenes

A navy ship sails on blue water. Large white text reads, What Does Our Navy Donation Contract Allow? An overlay shows a highlighted legal document excerpt.

Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?

Did we need permission from the Navy to turn a turret? What’s in our donation contract?

Read More...

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Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?
What Is It Really Like To Walk Through An Iowa-Class Battleship?
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 students listens attentively to a tour guide near a large battleship, with cranes and palm trees visible in the background, as part of an engaging museum update.

What Can Students Learn From a Battleship?

Discover how Battleship IOWA brings STEM, history, engineering, leadership, and maritime careers to life through hands-on, real-world learning.

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What Can Students Learn From a Battleship?
Camp Battleship Overnight
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

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Preservation

A navy ship sails on blue water. Large white text reads, What Does Our Navy Donation Contract Allow? An overlay shows a highlighted legal document excerpt.

Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?

Did we need permission from the Navy to turn a turret? What’s in our donation contract?

Read More...

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Did We Need Permission From The Navy To Turn A Turret?
What Can A Museum Collection Tell Us That A Battleship Alone Cannot?
Would You Climb Down 30 Feet Into This Steel Cave?
Ethos of Preservation
Hull Preservation

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Innovation

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.

How has innovation shaped Battleship IOWA?

Innovation has shaped Battleship IOWA throughout its history and continues to drive how its story is shared today.

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How has innovation shaped Battleship IOWA?
Our sound effects are back! Thanks to our amazing IT team, the ship is once again alive with all the bells and whistles, as well…

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LADRRC

A group of officials and military personnel stand at a podium near the waterfront, with fire trucks, military vehicles, and a naval ship in the background. Photographers capture the scene from the foreground.

2027 Leadership Summit

The 2027 Leadership Summit will be during LA Fleet Week. The event is invitation only. Summit details and invitation information will be announced as planning continues.

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2027 Leadership Summit
Public Safety Training
LA Disaster Recovery and Resilience Collective (LADRRC)
Donate to City of LA EMD Disaster Relief Fund
A Message About The Wildfires from CEO Jonathan Williams

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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

An outdoor event setup with cocktail tables, string lights, and vendor booths on the deck of a battleship at sunset. The ships large guns and harbor are visible in the background.

Vicky’s Doghouse Café: Gourmet Hot Dogs, Friday Happy Hour, and Waterfront Views Aboard Battleship IOWA

Discover Vicky’s Doghouse Café aboard Battleship IOWA, where gourmet hot dogs, cold drinks, deck games, music, and a big-screen LED display meet panoramic views of the LA Waterfront. Visit for a casual meal or Friday Happy Hour—no museum ticket required.

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Vicky’s Doghouse Café: Gourmet Hot Dogs, Friday Happy Hour, and Waterfront Views Aboard Battleship IOWA
What Is It Really Like To Walk Through An Iowa-Class Battleship?
LA Fleet Week
How Close Is Battleship IOWA to Disneyland? Plan Your Visit.
A Wedding Venue Unlike Any Other: Celebrate Aboard Battleship IOWA

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Veterans

Four elderly men wearing military caps sit in front of framed photos on a red carpet at an outdoor event near a battleship, under a tent with sunlight streaming in, as part of a Veterans Day commemoration.

How Battleship IOWA serves veterans beyond remembrance

Battleship IOWA supports veterans through connection, purpose, opportunity, and a community built around continued service.

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How Battleship IOWA serves veterans beyond remembrance
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

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Volunteers

Three people in navy blue uniforms kneel and work on a red fire hose system on the deck of a ship, surrounded by pipes and safety equipment under a clear sky, as part of the Hull Preservation 2021 initiative.

Why volunteers are essential to Battleship IOWA

Volunteers are the crew that keeps Battleship IOWA preserved, operating, and connected to the community.

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Why volunteers are essential to Battleship IOWA
Volunteering: Find Your Place Aboard Battleship IOWA
Celebrating Our Volunteers

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Year in Review

View of a battleship’s deck with metal vents, safety netting along the edge, and a canopy overhead; the industrial port of Los Angeles and a container ship are visible in the background near the water.

2025: From Vision to Visible Transformation

In 2025, Pacific Battleship Center turned several long-planned ideas into operating programs and visible experiences. A new disaster-recovery network launched as Los Angeles faced devastating fires, major deck and hull work protected Battleship IOWA, the Great Ships experience opened for preview, and LA Fleet Week connected 1,000 service members with communities across the region.

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2025: From Vision to Visible Transformation
2024: Building the Foundation for Battleship IOWA’s Next Chapter
2023: From Strategy to Action Aboard Battleship IOWA
2022: Ten Years in Los Angeles — and the Future Became Buildable
2021: Reopening Battleship IOWA Without Returning to the Old Normal

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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 Experience

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.

Join Now