The Battleship USS Iowa Museum, close to Long Beach within the Port of Los Angeles, is a prime museum within the space, attracting many guests.
As the one battleship on the West Coast open to the general public, it has a wealthy historical past, internet hosting three U.S. presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.
Explore the ship’s decks and compartments via interactive reveals and guided excursions, studying about its spectacular previous.
Notable areas embrace the 16-inch weapons, missile deck, bridge, and residing areas. The captain’s cabin even has a particular characteristic: the one battleship bathtub put in for a president.
The museum’s latest attraction, “Battleship Flight – A Naval Aviation Experience,” enables you to see a Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever helicopter from the Korean War up shut and expertise a simulated flight in a movement flight theater.
Here is an summary:
Visiting the Battleship USS Iowa Museum
USS IOWA has a protracted and interesting historical past. She was constructed because the flagship of probably the most superior class of battleships designed within the Thirties because the world quickly ready for battle. Commissioned in 1943, IOWA fought in each the Atlantic and Pacific theaters throughout World War II.
One of probably the most important occasions of her lively service was the key voyage with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and prime army advisors to North Africa to satisfy with allies Great Britain and Soviet Russia. At the tip of the voyage, the President gave an inspiring farewell deal with to the crew to encourage them for his or her future essential missions within the Pacific.
However, with the arrival of plane, the significance of battleships shortly diminished. As a consequence, no new battleships have been constructed after the tip of World War II, making the IOWA class the final of its sort.
After a few years of trustworthy service, the IOWA was decommissioned for the final time in 1990. Since 2012, she has been a U.S. Navy museum ship, making her the one naval museum on the West Coast to show a big World War II ship.
Fun reality: There have been a complete of 4 completely different ships named IOWA in Navy historical past – together with a brand new Virginia-class submarine.
How Do You Get Tickets to the Battleship USS Iowa Museum
You can discover the ship by yourself or take a guided tour. You received’t remorse it should you solely have 1-2 hours or should you go for a half-day expertise. Your keep on the Battleship IOWA will likely be one to recollect.
Here, we’ll offer you all the data on the completely different choices, targeted on its size.
First of all, you’ll have to buy the General Access Pass. You’ll want this one to entry the ship. Then, you’ve the chance to get an add-on tour.
Add-on excursions can be found AFTER the acquisition of the General Access Pass. Add-ons should be bought upfront.
Buy The General Access Pass
Duration: 2 hours
Price: from $26
Explore the one warship open to the general public on the West Coast. During your go to, you’ll hear fascinating tales of veteran service and stroll the decks of this legendary ship.
You’ll additionally get an opportunity to see the bustling Port of Los Angeles – one of the lively ports within the nation. As a bonus, you’ll get the award-winning cellular app with video, audio and visible content material on your personal gadget, completely free!
Add-On Tours for the Battleship USS Iowa Museum
Add one one or two of the beneath excursions for bonus exploration of the Battleship USS Iowa.
Presidents Tour
Duration: 45 minutes
Price: from $15
Step into the world-famous captain’s cabin of the USS Iowa and hearken to the story of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s historic journey throughout the Atlantic aboard the ship in 1943.
On a top-secret mission, Roosevelt was to cross the ocean to satisfy with Churchill and Stalin on the Tehran Conference.
During this 45-minute tour, you’ll study Roosevelt’s mission and the tales of his closest advisors and army officers who accompanied him. You’ll uncover that one other convoy had the potential to alter the course of World War II.
You will be taught concerning the modifications which have been made to the IOWA to make sure FDR’s consolation and mobility throughout his keep.
You will even have a look at the tub constructed particularly for the President and stays in the present day as a visible reminder of his time aboard the battleship IOWA.
Engineering Tour
Duration: 2 hours
Price: from $50
Explore the depths of the legendary warship and take a behind-the-scenes have a look at the below-deck areas that hold the ship working!
The Battleship USS Iowa Engineering Guided Tour gives you and your visitors an unique look inside probably the most progressive warship of World War II.
During the tour, you’ll hear and see tales concerning the engine room, boiler room, and stations such because the hospital and submit workplace. You’ll stroll via the corridors that 1000’s of sailors handed via in each peacetime and wartime. You’ll even have entry to areas which were closed to the general public because the ship was commissioned in 1943.
Due to house limitations, this tour is restricted in each group dimension and every day availability.
Gun Tour
Duration: 2 hours, half-hour
Price: from $50
It’s time to deliver out the BIG WUMS! The museum opens up considered one of its turrets for an unique tour …however that’s not all you’ll see.
They’ll take you on a improbable behind-the-scenes journey via beforehand inaccessible areas of the historic Navy ship. You’ll climb via hatches and up ladders to find what life was like for sailors aboard the battleship all through historical past.
And lastly, you’re going to get a wide ranging view of the spectacular mechanical masterpiece on the coronary heart of the ship: the 16-inch weapons.
Private Guided Tour
Duration: 2 hours
Price: from $75
If you desire to an much more personalised tour of the Battleship IOWA, Private Guides for as much as 10 individuals are out there.
Some details about the tour: No teams or people aside from your individual household group and your assigned tour information will likely be allowed on the tour to adjust to present spacing necessities.
The Private Guide is restricted to a most of 10 visitors out of your group per tour and lasts roughly 2 hours. During this time, the Private Guide will take you deeper into the historical past of the Battleship IOWA-from her first days of lively service in 1943 to her third decommissioning in October 1990-and you’ll hear tales of the braveness and dedication of those that served aboard this iconic ship.
You’ll additionally meet a member of in the present day’s crew who is devoted to preserving the ship for future generations.
Escape Room / Scavenger Hunt: Escape the Mothball Fleet
Duration: 2 hours
Price: from $200
Escape The Mothball Fleet is a brand-new journey in our lineup and stands other than all different excursions. On this particular tour, you’ll take the lead (underneath supervision) in exploring beforehand undiscovered inaccessible areas on different excursions.
Due to the restricted house on this tour, group dimension and availability are restricted. Escape The Mothball Fleet can accommodate a most of six (6) contributors twelve (12) years of age or older.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Any participant underneath the age of 18 should be accompanied by an grownup.
STEAM at Sea
Duration: 3 hours
Price: from $15
As an undergraduate, you’ll be taught the basics of STEM by actively collaborating in actions based mostly on historical past, maritime science, and worldwide commerce. The secondary program emphasises management, teamwork, camaraderie, and ability acquisition in a singular surroundings.
Primary STEM actions embrace easy equipment, depth measurement, water displacement/buoyancy, capturing straw projectiles, and a team-building occasion known as the Tarp Flip. Our STEM program at sea is designed to advertise math, pc science, science and know-how ideas and to develop vital and inventive pondering. It additionally promotes communication, problem-solving, team-building, risk-reward pondering, and innovation.
Exhibitions on the USS Iowa
At the USS Iowa Museum, you’ll be able to expertise quite a lot of thrilling reveals that spotlight completely different points of naval historical past and tradition.
Delve into the fascinating world of Marines and uncover their variety, management and bravado within the Surface Navy Heroes exhibit. Or participate in a enjoyable interactive scavenger hunt to seek out the museum’s mascot, Victory “Vicky” the Dog.
In the Battleship of Presidents space, discover the historical past of the battleship USS Iowa and the notable individuals who have served aboard since 1943.
In the Surface Ships exhibit, journey again in time via a long time of floor ships and study their evolution within the Navy.
Cafe Vicky’s Doghouse
Vicky’s Doghouse Cafe is an unique and beautiful scorching canine restaurant positioned on the stern of the well-known battleship IOWA. It serves conventional American specialties akin to scorching canines, burgers, sandwiches and sides. Visitors have the choice of eating inside or on the ship’s deck overlooking the harbor.
Vicky’s Doghouse is open every day from 11:00 a.m. to three:00 p.m. Admission to the museum ship isn’t required.
The identify is devoted to the well-known Nineteen Forties mascot, a preferred puzzle on the ship.
Enjoy quite a lot of scrumptious scorching canines, sides, salads, and refreshing beers and wines.
Battleship Iowa App
The Battleship IOWA Interactive Mobile Tour offers you a first-hand expertise of life and repair aboard this historic ship. Using genuine photographs, archival video and extra, you’ll be able to discover the oceans whereas aboard or obtain content material upfront to study missions and excursions earlier than you set sail.
Explore the completely different areas of the ship that curiosity you most by diving deep into the content material.
Using your individual gadget, you’ll be able to uncover tales from crew members, be taught enjoyable details, and look at ship service data and movies of the IOWA in motion. Enjoy unique archival content material not out there wherever else within the museum.
Enjoy the Battleship IOWA from wherever with the interactive cellular tour. The cellular tour gives hours of thrilling content material with new discoveries on a regular basis.
Languages Available: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Chinese.
Good To Know When Visiting Battleship Iowa
The car parking zone is owned and operated by the Port of Los Angeles. Therefore, there’s a parking payment of $2.00 per hour with the primary hour free.
Due to the presence of ladders and gratings, guests should put on applicable footwear. Guests ought to be capable of climb the steps resulting in the distinctive areas of the ship.
It is advisable that kids underneath the age of 10 and people with bodily illnesses don’t go to the ship, as it might have an effect on their potential to climb stairs or stand for lengthy intervals of time.
Atmosphere Inside of the Battleship Iowa
The battleship IOWA was designed particularly for lively naval service, so the corridors and accesses from deck to deck and the doorways’ width have been restricted to probably the most important wants of the crew. As a consequence, there aren’t any elevators on board, solely ladders (a nautical time period for stairs).
You’ll additionally discover that the corridors are a lot narrower than in an bizarre constructing. To meet the calls for of a possible battle, lots of the doorways are both watertight or utterly sealable to make sure the ship’s structural integrity.
Throughout the ship, you can see what are known as “knee knockers” on the doorways and passageways. These “knee knockers” are 6-8 inches-high pedestals that permit you to seal the doorways hermetic. They bought their identify as a result of some folks tripped over them, often touchdown on their knees. Today, these knee tits and slender doorways pose a problem for visitors in wheelchairs or with walkers.
History of the Battleship IOWA
Commissioned in 1943, the USS Iowa (BB-61) has a storied previous that features World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War.
The ship is thought for its spectacular dimension, immense firepower, and technological advances akin to radar and the power to launch plane.
The ship was decommissioned in 1990 and later turned a museum open to the general public.
During World War II, the USS Iowa performed a pivotal function in a number of battles within the Pacific, together with the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Okinawa.
Although decommissioned in 1949, the ship returned to motion in 1951 throughout the Korean War. There she supported floor forces together with her weapons and patrolled off the Korean coast.
The ship was modernized within the Nineteen Eighties and noticed lively service within the Persian Gulf throughout the Iran-Iraq battle.
Fun Facts and Stats
- During WWII and the Korean War, it had the nickname the “Mighty I”, and for the 1980 Cold War, it was known as the “Big Stick”, which referred to President Teddy Roosevelt’s recommendation: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
- This spectacular warship is among the many largest battleships ever constructed by the United States. It is about so long as three soccer fields.
- At one level, the ship’s crew consisted of a complete of two,800 males, together with 87 officers and an unbelievable 2,713 crew members.
- Weighing 45,000 tons, the ship can attain a prime pace of 33 knots, which is about 38 mph = 61 km/h.
- To defend itself in opposition to assault, the USS Iowa was geared up with a formidable armament: 9 cannons with a powerful 16-inch diameter, along with twenty-five-inch weapons, in addition to eighty forty-millimetre caliber anti-aircraft weapons and forty-nine different twenty-millimeter caliber anti-aircraft weapons.
- The battleship’s highly effective 16-inch weapons might hearth shells as heavy as a small automotive and had a powerful vary of 24 miles.
- The first ship of its class, the USS Iowa was later joined by three extra battleships: the USS New Jersey, the USS Missouri, and the USS Wisconsin.
- Thanks to its excellent service throughout World War II, this ship acquired at least 9 Battle Stars awards; two extra have been awarded to it for its service throughout the Korean War.
- Vicky the canine – The first time Navy Captain John L. McCrea introduced house a brand new pet canine, his spouse mentioned, “Get that thing out of here.”
Years later, his daughter Annie Sullivan recalled, “My sister named the dog Victory, but we all called him Vicky. He was just a mutt.” That “mutt” would go on to sleep on the foot of President Franklin Roosevelt’s mattress, share the Captain’s Wardroom with the good army leaders of World War II, log over 205,000 miles on the battleship USS Iowa, and obtain full army honors when he lastly left the ship.
Vicky’s job was to assist hold the crew’s morale up. Vicky turned the Apprentice mascot, was outfitted in a particular sailor’s go well with, and all the required sailor’s paperwork was quickly accomplished.
