Key Points and Summary – We offer a ‘tour’ of the eight U.S. battleships preserved as floating museums, many of which are being rebuilt and repaired.
-The list is dominated by the four iconic Iowa-class ships: Iowa, the most decorated New Jersey, the historic Missouri at Pearl Harbor, and the Wisconsin.
USS Iowa Harpoon Canister. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
Missile Box on USS Iowa. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
-Other preserved battlewagons include two South Dakota-class ships (Alabama and Massachusetts) and the fast battleship North Carolina.
-The oldest, the World War I veteran USS Texas, is currently undergoing a major restoration before moving to a new home in 2026.
-Each of these historic warships provides visitors with a unique glimpse into American naval history.
-BONUS – We visited two Iowa-class battleships this year. You can find some of the pictures we took here in this post.
There Are 8 U.S. Battleships You Can Still Visit. Here’s Where to Find Them
The heyday of the battleship as the capital ship of naval forces ended when aircraft carriers superseded battleships as the primary instrument of naval power projection. History’s last battleship vs. battleship engagement took place during the Battle of Surigao Strait way back on Oct. 25, 1944, and the last time the battlewagons fired their guns in anger was during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Thankfully, eight of the U.S.Navy’s battleships have either been converted and preserved for posterity as floating museums or are currently in the process of being restored for that purpose.
USS Iowa (BB-61)
Iowa-class battleships are 50 percent of that floating museum tally. Accordingly, we begin our list with the eponymous lead ship of the class. Though none of the Iowas ever fought an enemy battleship, BB-61 does stand out as the only ship of her class to sink an enemy warship of any kind. The victim was the IJN light cruiser Katori, sent to Davy Jones’ locker by the Iowa’s 16-inch guns off Truk Atoll on Feb. 19, 1944.
Iowa-Class 5-Inch Guns. Image by Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
Those Iowa-Class Guns. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
Out of all the battleships converted into floating museums, the Iowa tour is the only one that this reporter can personally vouch for, having done it multiple times. Located in San Pedro’s Downtown Harbor within the Port of Los Angeles, the tour is fun-filled and never gets boring.
USS New Jersey (BB-62)
If we’re going to go by sheer number of official accolades, then “The Big J,” also known as “The Black Dragon,” would have to be considered the greatest battleship of all time. BB-62 is America’s most decorated battleship, having won:
–Nine battle stars for service in World War II
–Four battle stars for the Korean War
USS New Jersey Big Guns National Security Journal Photo Taken on 8/2/2025.
–Three more battle stars for the Vietnam War
–Yet another three battle stars
Big J is docked at Penn’s Landing in Camden, New Jersey.
The Best of All the Battleships? USS Missouri (BB-63)
BB-63 has two distinct claims to fame in military history:
–Hosting Imperial Japan’s surrender ceremony on Sept. 2, 1945, which officially ended World War II; and…
-Along with the next ship on this list, being one of the two vessels that sang the battlewagons’ combat swan song during Operation Desert Storm.
The crew of the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) render honors to the Battleship Missouri Memorial following a homeport change from Groton, Connecticut. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lee/ Released)
Since World War II ended aboard Mighty Mo, it is fitting that she is now docked in the same place where America’s entry into World War II was assured: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
As already indicated, “Big Whiskey” is the other half of history’s last pair of battleships to engage enemy forces in combat.
She also made history by participating in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and shelling the Japanese home islands shortly before the end of the war.
She is berthed at the Nauticus maritime-themed science center and museum, located on the downtown waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia.
USS Alabama (BB-60)
We now move on to the first of the two South Dakota-class battlewagons on this list.
This vessel is the centerpiece of the appropriately named USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, in the city of Mobile. Among the noteworthy facts listed on the info page:
-“Home to a crew of 2,500 courageous Americans, this 45,000 ton war machine’s WWII adventure culminated with BB-60 leading the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945. Nine Battle Stars for meritorious service were awarded the ‘Mighty A’ during her brief three year tenure as the ‘Heroine of the Pacific.’”
-“The ship was used in the film USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage starring Nicolas Cage.”
USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
Big Mamie is the other South Dakota-class warship to be preserved as a floating museum. Berthed at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, she was built in Quincy, Massachusetts and holds the record as the heaviest ship ever launched in that city.
Big Mamie’s biggest claim to fame is that she fired both the first and last 16-inch American shells in anger of World War II. According to Battleship Cove’s info page:
-During Operation Torch—the invasion of North Africa—on Nov. 8, 1942, BB-59 engaged in a gun duel with the Vichy French-controlled battleship Jean Bart off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco.
-Fast-forward to July 1945, and BB-59’s last shells were unleashed upon the Japanese Home Islands: “The Battleship bombarded the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Kamaishi, and then sailed south to bombard a factory at Hamamatsu. Returning to Kamaishi, Battleship Massachusetts fired the last 16-inch projectile of the war.”
USS North Carolina (BB-55)
The only ship of her class of battleships to be converted to a floating museum, the USS North Carolina was the first fast battleship built for the U.S. Navy, and, as noted by her official info page, she “participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II, earning 15 battle stars.”
BB-55 is berthed in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The Oldest of the Battleships: USS Texas (BB-35)
Saving the oldest and most venerable for last. Laid down in April 1911 and commissioned in March 1914, BB-35 is the only vessel on this list that served during the First World War.
The Lone Star State’s naval namesake had languished in a sad state of disrepair for several years, casting depressing doubt upon the proud warship’s long-term survival prospects.
Fortunately, the USS Texas has been given a new lease on life. As noted by the Battleship Texas Foundation, “We’re proud to have finalized an agreement with the Galveston Wharves Board securing Pier 15 as the new home of the Battleship Texas. As restoration work continues across the channel, we look forward to relocating her next year and continuing our mission to create a world-class historic destination.”
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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