Battleship USS Iowa Museum

The USS Iowa clocked up over fifty years of distinguished active service for the US Navy before heading for well-deserved retirement in its current mooring on the San Pedro waterfront. It continues to play an active role for the military as the floating home of a fascinating collection of maritime memorabilia.The battleship saw action in World War II and Korea, earning eleven battle stars across the two campaigns. Among its famous passengers was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who crossed the Atlantic for a wartime summit with the British and Russian heads of state, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin. One of the prize exhibits in the museum is the bath that was specially installed to make FDR’s journey more comfortable – a unique feature which is one of the highlights of the guided tour.This vast vessel is 270 metres long, almost the length of three football pitches, and carried the biggest guns ever sent to sea on a US ship, which required a team of around 77 men to fire them from their massive turrets. Seven of its 19 decks are open to the public and the heavy artillery can be viewed in real life as well as in film footage. Visitors can also stand on a facsimile of the bridge to experience a recreation of the American landings at Okinawa, Japan, in 1945, one of the pivotal campaigns of WWII in which the USS Iowa played a part.The tour continues through the missile decks, the officers’ cabins where dignitaries and guests were entertained, and the mess deck which was home to the crew. Finally, climb up to the bridge itself and soak up the atmosphere of this historic battleship which saw action in some of the most decisive battles in American naval history.The USS Iowa is located on the San Pedro waterfront, around 40 kilometres south of central Los Angeles. The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas. Pay parking is available on First Street and Harbor Boulevard.