The Battleship USS ''Iowa'' Museum is a maritime museum located at the

Port of Los Angeles The Port of Los Angeles is a seaport managed by the Los Angeles Harbor Department, a unit of the City of Los Angeles. It occupies of land and water with of waterfront and adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach. Promoted as "America's Port", t ...

in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, United States. The museum's main artifact is the USS ''Iowa'' (BB-61), lead ship of the ''Iowa'' class of battleships.

History

USS ''Iowa'' (BB-61) was the lead ship of the last class of U.S. Navy

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

s to be built by the United States. The battleship was originally commissioned in 1943, and served during World War II, the Korean War, and through the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. ''Iowa'' earned 11 battle stars during her career and hosted three U.S. Presidents, ultimately earning the nicknames Battleship of Presidents and Big Stick. ''Iowa'' was awarded to the Pacific Battleship Center on September 6, 2011 for display at the

in San Pedro, California – home to the

United States Battle Fleet The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This f ...

from 1919 to 1940. On October 27, 2011, the battleship was relocated from Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet to the Port of Richmond, California for painting and refurbishment. On May 27, 2012, ''Iowa'' was towed underneath the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

on her 75th anniversary for final placement at the Los Angeles Waterfront. ''Iowa'' opened in Los Angeles on July 4, 2012 to a crowd of over 1,500 supporters and veterans at Port of Los Angeles Berth 87. The USS ''Iowa'' Museum offers daily tours, group programs, education visits, special events, filming, military ceremonies, and is in the process of starting an overnight program. Daily tours include visits to see the largest guns ( 16"/50 caliber) on a U.S. Navy ship, officers ward room, President Roosevelt's cabin, armored bridge, missile decks, enlisted berthing, mess decks, helicopter deck, and other areas. The ship is located at the Los Angeles World Cruise Center and has over 2,100 parking spaces available. ''Iowa'' has played various roles in films and television series including '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''

American Warships ''American Warships'' is a 2012 science fiction action film directed by Thunder Levin and distributed by The Asylum. It premiered on the Syfy Channel on May 15, 2012. In the tradition of The Asylum's film catalog, the film is an extremely low-budg ...

'', ''

Bermuda Tentacles ''Bermuda Tentacles'' is an American made-for-television science fiction horror film directed by Nick Lyon. It stars Linda Hamilton and features an ensemble cast of Trevor Donovan, Mýa, John Savage and Jamie Kennedy. The movie premiered April ...

'', and ''

Dark Rising ''Dark Rising'' is a sword and sorcery adult-oriented franchise of two made-for-television films, a twelve-episode television miniseries and another five-episode television miniseries, from the husband and wife team of Andrew Cymek and Brigitte Kin ...

''. ''Iowa'' is home to annual American-focused events including the City of Los Angeles Veterans Appreciation, a Memorial Day Celebration, and September 11 remembrance.

References

External links

Pacific Battleship Center / USS ''Iowa'', official museum site
{{authority control Maritime museums Maritime museums in California San Pedro, Los Angeles Iowa Museums in Los Angeles

History

See also

References

External links