The Battleship USS Iowa sits at Berth 87 in the Port of Los Angeles, her gray hull rising against the San Pedro waterfront like something that shouldn't still be floating but is. Home to the National Museum of the Surface Navy, Battleship IOWA is one of the few places in Southern California where you can walk the deck of a vessel that carried a sitting president across the Atlantic and later fired on targets during the first Gulf War. This is not a static monument behind glass. You climb actual ladders, duck through actual hatches, and stand in spaces that still smell faintly of steel and oil.

Why Battleship IOWA Matters

USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of the Iowa-class battleships, the last and largest class the US Navy ever built. She's often called the "Battleship of Presidents" because Franklin D. Roosevelt sailed aboard her in November 1943 on the way to the Tehran Conference, the only time a sitting president crossed the Atlantic on a warship. The crew installed a bathtub in FDR's quarters since he couldn't use a standard shower, and that tub is still there, one of the more quietly strange artifacts on the tour.

Decades later Iowa was reactivated in the 1980s as part of the Reagan-era 600-ship Navy plan, refitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles and armored box launchers bolted onto a hull designed in the 1930s. In April 1989 an explosion in the ship's No. 2 gun turret killed 47 sailors, a tragedy that still shapes how the ship is interpreted for visitors today. Iowa was decommissioned in 1990 and eventually towed to San Pedro, opening as a museum ship in 2012.

Quick Facts

• Ship class: Iowa-class battleship, commissioned in 1943
• Length: roughly 887 feet, among the longest battleships ever built
• Main armament: nine 16-inch guns in three turrets, capable of firing shells weighing over a ton
• Location: Berth 87, San Pedro, within the Port of Los Angeles
• Museum status: opened to the public in 2012, now also houses the National Museum of the Surface Navy
• Address: 250 S Harbor Blvd, San Pedro, CA 90731

Getting There

San Pedro sits about 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and most visitors drive down via the 110 freeway, which dead-ends almost directly into the harbor area. Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the ship, and the fee is usually separate from admission. If you're coming from the South Bay or Long Beach, the drive along Gaffey Street or Harbor Boulevard gives you a decent look at the working port before you arrive, with cranes and container ships that make for an interesting contrast to the museum ship ahead. Public transit options exist through Metro buses that serve San Pedro, though the frequency makes a car the more practical choice for most day trips. The ship is also a reasonable add-on if you're already visiting the Port of Los Angeles cruise terminal or the Cabrillo Marina area, both a short drive away.

The Layout and Experience

Self-guided tours follow a marked route that takes you from the main deck down through several levels of the ship, including the galley, the officers' quarters, and sections of the engineering spaces. Audio guide devices, included with admission at most visits, narrate the route and point out details you'd otherwise walk right past, like scorch marks or small crew modifications made over decades of service. Expect narrow passageways, steep ladders rather than stairs, and hatches you'll need to step high over. This is a real warship layout, not a retrofitted museum building, so comfortable shoes matter more here than at almost any other attraction in the city.

Guided tours run on a separate schedule and typically go deeper into areas not open to the general self-guided route, sometimes including turret interiors or engineering spaces that require a docent for safety reasons. These tend to run longer, often close to two hours, and are worth booking ahead if you want the fuller picture of how the ship actually operated.

Main Highlights

The 16-inch gun turrets are the obvious draw. Standing beneath barrels that could hurl a shell more than 20 miles puts the ship's Cold War and WWII role into perspective fast. The bridge, where officers directed the ship during combat operations, gives you a sense of how exposed command decisions were, even on a vessel built for maximum firepower.

Below decks, the galley and mess areas show how a crew of nearly 2,000 sailors was fed and housed in a space that feels tight even when empty. FDR's bathtub, tucked into a modest cabin, remains one of the most photographed single items on board, mostly because it's such an unexpected domestic detail inside a machine built for war.

The National Museum of the Surface Navy, housed in exhibit spaces integrated into the ship, expands the story beyond Iowa herself, covering the broader history of US surface combatants from early steel navy ships through modern destroyers. It's a useful complement if you want context for how Iowa fits into a longer naval timeline rather than standing alone as a single artifact.

Tickets and Entry

General admission covers the self-guided tour and includes the audio guide in most ticket packages. Guided tours, including specialty options that go into restricted areas, are priced as an upgrade and often require advance reservation since group sizes are limited. Discounted tiers typically exist for children, seniors, students, and active military, and the ship occasionally runs themed events or overnight programs for youth groups, which book out well ahead of the date. Because this is an outdoor, uncovered site for much of the route, check the forecast before you go, since rain can affect which areas remain open.

Best Time to Visit

Mornings tend to be quieter, especially on weekdays, before school groups and tour buses arrive later in the day. Summer afternoons on the exposed steel deck can get genuinely hot, since there's little shade once you're topside near the guns, so an early start is worth it between June and September. Winter visits bring cooler, more comfortable conditions for walking the open deck, though occasional rain can shorten the self-guided route if certain ladders or hatches are closed for safety.

Facilities and Preparation

• Wear closed-toe shoes with good grip, the ladders and metal decking are unforgiving in sandals
• Expect to climb steep, narrow stairways, this isn't a fully accessible tour in every section, though accommodations exist for some areas
• Bring water, especially in summer, since shaded rest spots are limited on deck
• A gift shop and small café-style concession are typically available near the entrance
• Allow at least two hours for the self-guided route, longer if you add a guided add-on

Combining with Nearby Attractions

San Pedro's downtown corridor along 6th Street and Pacific Avenue is a short drive from the ship and has a handful of casual restaurants and coffee shops worth a stop before or after your visit. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum sits nearby along the waterfront and pairs naturally with Iowa if you're interested in the broader shipping and naval history of the harbor. Cabrillo Marina and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium are both within a few minutes' drive and make for a good half-day combination if you want to balance the heavier military history with something more low-key. The San Pedro Public Market, closer to the water, is a reasonable lunch stop if you want to wrap up the visit with food and a view of the harbor.

Sample Visit Plan

Arrive at opening, grab your audio guide, and start at the main deck before the sun gets high. Spend the first hour working through the forward gun turrets and bridge area, then head below decks for the galley, crew quarters, and FDR's cabin. Save the National Museum of the Surface Navy exhibits for the end when you're ready to slow down and read rather than climb. If you've booked a guided add-on, plan for that to extend your visit by 45 minutes to an hour beyond the self-guided route. Afterward, walk or drive into downtown San Pedro for lunch before continuing on to the maritime museum or the aquarium if you have the afternoon free.

Practical Tips

• Book guided or specialty tours in advance, especially around weekends and school holiday periods
• Check the weather since much of the deck experience is outdoors and uncovered
• Photographers should bring a wide lens for the gun turrets and a fast one for the dim interior spaces below deck
• Parking fills up during special events, so arrive early if you're visiting on a weekend with a scheduled program
• Strollers are difficult to manage on the ladders, consider a carrier for small children instead

FAQ

How long does a visit to Battleship IOWA take?
Most visitors spend around two hours on the self-guided route, longer if you add a guided tour or linger in the surface navy museum exhibits.

Is Battleship IOWA wheelchair accessible?
Parts of the main deck are accessible, but many below-deck areas require climbing steep ladders and stepping over high hatches, so full accessibility is limited.

Can you go inside the gun turrets?
Some turret areas are viewable on the self-guided route, while deeper turret interiors are typically reserved for specialty guided tours.

Is there parking at the ship?
Yes, a parking lot sits adjacent to the ship at Berth 87, usually with a separate fee from admission.

Why is USS Iowa called the Battleship of Presidents?
She carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic in 1943 for the Tehran Conference, a journey preserved in the ship's history and in the small bathtub still installed in her presidential quarters today.