The Battleship USS Iowa Museum is a must-visit site in Los Angeles, located at 250 Harbor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90731, United States. It is a military maritime museum, one of the three remaining battleships on the East Coast. It offers an opportunity to explore relics of the United States Navy. The experience it provides visitors is unforgettable, which is why it is regarded as one of the best outdoor museums in Los Angeles. If you are someone who’s into history, then you will surely enjoy your Battleship USS Iowa Museum experience.
The USS Iowa is a navy battleship of the United States. It served during World War II, the Cold War, and the Korean War. It is indeed a historic ship that earned a total of 11 battle stars. It is the largest naval ship in its class and frequently hosts US Presidents. Throughout its 19 years in service, it was given many nicknames, like "The Grey Ghost", "Big Stick", and "Battleship of Presidents. It was decommissioned in 1990.
Museum Tour Highlights
Virtual reality experience – One of the highlights of the Battleship USS Iowa Museum tour is the virtual reality exhibit experience. It features an artefact gallery, and you will hear the museum speakers. Another thing to look forward to is the flight simulator that flies a naval helicopter. For a fully immersive experience, there’s a twin-rotor Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever. • Museum tour/Guided tour – Volunteers are there to guide you through the converted ship. They will tell you stories about the ship’s history and the heroes who served on board. You will experience walking through the ship’s chambers, showing the exact condition of the rooms when the ship was still in active service. A significant part of the exhibit is a tour of the missile decks, armoured bridges, officers’ wardrobes, and berths. President Roosevelt is the US president who spent ample time on the USS Iowa, and if you visit the museum, you get to see the cabin used by him. It has been preserved for viewing. The guided tour will take three hours. The guided tour is better than the self-guided tour because it takes you into the parts of the exhibits that are not available on the self-guided tour. • Self-guided tour – A self-guided tour is also available with the use of an interactive smartphone app. It would take you over an hour to complete the tour because you’ll be allowed to explore only the external parts of the exhibit. • Witness Vicky or Victory: Iowa Museum mascot – The official Iowa Museum mascot is a dog that served the ship during World War II. When President Roosevelt was on board, Vicky would sleep at the end of the bed. You will experience more of Vicky during the self-guided tour as a part of the scavenger hunt.
Tips: To make sure you will not miss any part of the exhibit, it is best to experience both the guided and self-guided tours. However, you have to experience the guided tour before the self-guided tour, and it would take over an hour for the entire USS Iowa experience.
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