Take a tour round an iconic US battleship, once one of the most powerful ships in the world and now floating museum packed with maritime treasures.
This magnificent US Navy craft was mothballed for more than five decades before being permanently moored on the waterfront in San Pedro and opened as a museum in July 2012.It’s known as “Big Stick”, for a very good reason. This impressive vessel is almost as long as three football pitches and is characterised by its huge guns, which required at least 77 men to fire the three 41-centimetre-diameter weapons housed in each turret.The USS Iowa played a significant part in US naval history. It earned nine battle stars in World War II and two in the Korean War. It also once ferried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to a wartime summit with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian Premier Josef Stalin. During your tour of this warship, you’ll get to see the only bath tub ever installed especially for a President’s journey across the ocean.Seven decks out of nineteen are open to the general public. See the impressive heavy artillery on display and get a feel for the ship’s colossal fire power in the on-board digital theatre. Stand on a replica of the bridge and immerse yourself in the recreation of the American landings at Okinawa, Japan in 1945.You’ll also pass along the missile decks, inside the former President’s and Captain’s cabins that once witnessed the entertainment of foreign dignitaries. In contrast, pass through the mess deck to see where sailors ate their meals. There’s a maze of ladders to climb that will lead you to the armoured bridge area, the scene of many vital combat decisions.USS Iowa is located in San Pedro, 40 kilometres south of downtown LA. There is paid parking nearby at First Street and Harbor Boulevard. The Iowa is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas days.
