Help Us Meet Our Goal And Beat Last Year’s Total

Thanks to all the fantastic supporters who donated last year, we raised a remarkable sum: nearly $100,000 for hull preservation in about two months! 

These dollars are hard at work, and over the next month we’ll show you the impact they have, but let’s start with the why.

COO Mike Getscher explains what we’re doing with an impressed current cathodic protection system to safeguard the portions of the hull below the waterline and shows the wear happening at the wind and waterline in this video.

Once again, we’re about two months from Memorial Day. Let’s beat last year’s total and put another significant sum in the coffers to keep this hull sound so future generations can marvel at and connect with this wonder of engineering.

Click the button below to donate. You can also help by sharing it with your friends!

Hull Preservation Update

We’ve got a cofferdam in the water and are hard at work. COO and Chief Engineer Mike Getscher took a few minutes to climb into the cofferdam to describe the work happening in it.

Click the photo below for video.

Want to work with the team preserving Battleship IOWA? You don’t have to crawl into a cofferdam to do it. Click the sign up button below for more info and to sign up to volunteer with us!

2022 Gravely Experience Luncheon Wrap Up

We were thrilled that year’s Gravely Experience was once again an in-person event. On a glorious but blustery day aboard Battleship IOWA, over 130 high school students from across Los Angeles gathered on our fantail for a luncheon presented by our dedicated partner Marathon Petroleum.

The conversation raised points about the winds of change in our armed forces – specifically the hurdles that were overcome to bring about advancements in equality and opportunities for all servicemen and women.

We are grateful to Joshua and Robert for joining us on behalf of the Marathon Veterans Employee Network and sharing a few words about education, motivation, and perseverance, to this year’s Gravely honorees Rear Admiral (Ret) Sandy Adams and Commander Warren Wright for their inspirational and encouraging messages during the panel session, and to our ever-dynamic host, IOWA board member and TV judge Tanya Acker for moderating the discussion. 

We look forward to reading the submissions to the Gravely Experience Student Essay Contest presented by Collier Walsh Nakazawa. The deadline to submit an essay is April 30, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. and winners will be announced at Pacific Battleship Center’s Freedom of the Seas Gala Awards on October 22, 2022.

If you know eligible eleventh grade students, encourage them to enter. Click below for the form and contest rules:

Surface Navy Museum Gallery Highlight: Sentinels of the Sea

Continuing our preview of what you’ll experience when you vist the National Museum of the Surface Navy…

It’s 1797. The United States has won its independence from Great Britain. In doing so, it also has lost the protection of the Royal Navy. Congress reluctantly agrees to the formation of a navy for the U.S. The decision isn’t entirely popular, and even as revolutionary new frigates – the legendary USS Constitution and her sisters – are under construction, Congress nearly cancels the program. 

And then a threat enters the picture: the Barbary Pirates. Suddenly, our citizens and goods are vulnerable at sea.

What happened?

You’ll find the answer in our Sentinels of the Sea gallery, which will explore how the US Navy has developed since those early days in Tripoli into a global force that ensures safe waterways and protects trade and travel in ports worldwide.

Become A Plank Owner Today

Be a part of all the incredible things happening at Battleship IOWA and get in on our transition to become the National Museum of the Surface Navy from the beginning. Register to become a Plank Owner, and at the same time, memorialize your service or a loved one’s.

As a Plank Owner, you receive special benefits – including perks in our points system (details coming soon), and recognition on our Plank Owner listing.

Sign up today. It’s free!