Mothballed by the US Navy after serving the United States with distinction for more than five decades, this mighty battleship is now permanently moored in LA on the San PedroOpens in a new window waterfront, a floating tribute to a proud military past.
Dubbed the “BigStick,” this 887-foot (270-meter) long vessel is almost the length of threefootball fields and is characterized by its massive guns, the biggest ever sentto sea on a US ship. It took at least 77 men to fire the three 16-inch (41-centimeter)diameter weapons housed in each turret.
The USS Iowa is animportant part of the naval history of the United States. It saw action inWorld War II and the Korean War, earning nine battle stars for the former, andtwo for the latter. It also once ferried President Franklin Delano Rooseveltacross the Atlantic to a wartime summit with British Prime Minister WinstonChurchill and Russian Premier Josef Stalin. Indeed, the bathtub that FDR hadspecially installed for the journey remains, and offers one of the highlightsof a ship tour. To date the Iowa is the only US Navy warship with a bathtubbuilt for a president.
Seven of the vessel’s19 decks are open to the general public. Heavy artillery is on display andvisitors can get a feel for the ship’s colossal firepower in the digitaltheater. Here, you can stand on a facsimile of the bridge and be immersed in arecreation of the American landings at Okinawa, Japan in 1945, where the Iowaplayed a supporting role.
A tour of thiswarship museum also passes along the ship’s missile decks, inside the FDR andCaptain’s cabins where foreign dignitaries were entertained and through themess deck area where sailors took their meals. After ascending a maze ofladders, you’ll find yourself inside the armored bridge area, the scene of manypivotal combat decisions.
USS Iowa is located in San Pedro, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of downtown LAOpens in a new window. There is paid parking nearby at First Street and Harbor Boulevard. The Iowa is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas days.
For more details on interesting local attractions and activities, check out our things to do in Los Angeles page.
