Get On Board | Sign Up As A Plank Owner For The National Museum of the Surface Navy

Add your name as a supporter by becoming a Plank Owner of the National Museum of the Surface Navy. Not only will you receive a commemorative certificate, you will also be recognized for your level of support and earn Haze Gray points that can be redeemed for merchandise, experiences, special events, and more.

Click below to sign up  – it’s free!

Operations Update

Maintaining 887 feet and nineteen stories of Battleship IOWA keeps our ops team quite busy. They’re tackling a couple of big projects currently:

• They’re cleaning and rearranging the north yard in preparation for another storage container that will help  keep our gear organized and protected.
• They’ve got a cofferdam in the water on the starboard side and are beginning work on the wind and water line.

We’ll get into more detail on cofferdams, how they work, and the work that goes on inside them in the coming months.

For now, what are you doing with your free time? We’ve got opportunities for everyone. Join us today!

Art For Veterans

Join VET ART at Battleship IOWA for a FREE, interactive, and hands on day of art in support of mental health!

We invite you to join us for a one day event featuring curated California artists who have served in the United States Armed Forces alongside presentations from art and music therapists who work within the community.
February 19, 2022, 10 AM – 4 PM, aboard Battleship IOWA, 250 S. Harbor Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90731.

An Invocation and Land Acknowledgement will be offered and a moderated Listening Session will take place during the event. 

Event attendees will hear directly from artists about their process of art-making and the ways arts have directly improved their health, strengthened their senses of community, improved feelings of hope and purpose, and created a means of creative and emotional expression. The art presented will include ceramics, traditional beadwork, spoken word, music, painting, and glass.

This event is brought to you through a statewide joint initiative between the Veterans Art Project, a non-profit seeking to provide free art classes to veterans and their families, in support of and in collaboration with the Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission of California (MHSOAC). Additional regional sponsorship provided through our partners, the Military & Veterans Affairs department, Veterans West at Battleship IOWA. 

2022 Gravely Experience Student Luncheon

We’re excited to be hosting this year’s Gravely Experience Student Luncheon live and in-person once again. We have over one hundred thirty students signed up to participate and some impressive speakers lined up to inspire them.

Curious what we mean by inspiring? Take a few moments to get to know Admiral Gravely, then take a look at the live panel we hosted for last year’s event:

We’d like to thank the generous sponsors who make this event possible:

Western Naval History Association Symposium

Are you a naval history afficionado? The Western Naval History Association’s annual symposium might be right up your alley. This year’s Keynote Speaker will be The Honorable John F. Lehman, former-Secretary of the Navy.

In addition, the following speakers will present on a variety of topics:

• Trent Hone – Nimitz’s leadership as CINCPAC/CINCPOA
• Jon Parshall – Nimitz’s planning for the Battle of Midway and ‘Point Luck’”
• Mark Fiorey – Advanced Base Construction in WWII: The Covert Reconnaissance of CAPT Wilfred L. Painter, Civil Engineering Corps, USNR
• Brian Walter – WW II Allied Invasions in Mediterranean – Recapture of Greece & Southern France
• CAPT Jim Bryant, USN (Ret.) – Declassifying the Fate of USS Thresher
• Dr. David Winkler – Deadliest Ship Afloat Arrives Here! USS Langley (CV1) as San Diego’s Aircraft Carrier”
• John Burtt – German and Italian Plans to Invade Malta, 1942

The 2022 symposium will be held February 19-20 aboard the USS Midway Museum as well as virtually.

Become A Plank Owner

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 will receive special benefits – including perks in our points system, Haze Gray* (launching soon), and recognition on our Plank Owner listing.

* Registering as a Plank Owner entitles you to a free digital certificate. Printed certificates are reserved for Plank Owners who donate $25 or more.  As a Plank Owner, you will receive updates, invitations, and recognition as a museum Plank Owner. It may take up to 10 days for donations to reflect in your listing and upgrade your status.

The Haze Gray points system is in development to be released in 2022. All donations, volunteer hours, and numerated support will be applied to your Haze Gray account retroactively.  If you choose to donate without logging in, we will strive to match your donation up to an existing record.  If we are unable to locate a record, we will create one for your contribution.