Where's Vicky?
New: Experience Life of a Sailor
Open Daily ⭐ Family Friendly ⭐ Minutes from Long Beach
Open Daily
10am - 4pm
PLAY YOUR VISIT
Allow 2 to 3 Hours
Location
LA Waterfront
Parking
Next Door
Highly Rated
Google 4.8/5
Experience the Life of a Sailor & Find Vicky
Aboard Battleship IOWA — the Battleship of Presidents
Step aboard L.A.'s hidden gem, Battleship IOWA, and experience Life of a Sailor, the new immersive experience from the National Museum of the Surface Navy. Saved by civilians in 2012, Battleship IOWA continues to be maintained and preserved by a nonprofit organization so visitors can experience and enjoy the ship today.
A Navy ship is a city at sea. It needs power, food, water, systems, purpose, and a crew connected by the mission.
On Battleship IOWA, you step into that world. Explore where sailors lived, worked, trained, and served while discovering the skills, teamwork, and responsibility it takes to keep a ship moving and a crew ready at sea.
New immersive exhibits, including Great Ships, Blueprint, Bootcamp, What’s My Rate?, and Cutaway, bring the experience to life for guests of all ages through hands-on moments, real ship spaces, and sailor stories that stay with you.
For younger explorers, Vicky the Dog, Battleship IOWA’s beloved mascot, adds another layer of adventure as kids follow her through the ship.
This is more than a museum. It is a real Navy ship, a hands-on experience, and a powerful way to connect with America’s sea services.
Now open: Life of a Sailor
VISIT & EXPLORE
Experience the Life of a Sailor.
Life of a Sailor
Our general admission experience shows how sailors live, work, and serve.
President’s Tour
It’s November 1943, and Battleship IOWA is on a covert mission. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his entire staff are aboard, headed for top-secret meetings with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
Overview Experience
The overview experience is a 90-minute crew-led tour that brings the ship’s legacy to life through the stories of those who served, and those who preserve her today.
Gun Tour
This exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey puts you inside the systems that made Battleship IOWA one of the most powerful warships ever built.
Engineering Tour Experience
The Engineering Tour takes you below into the hidden heart of Battleship IOWA, where eight boilers and four steam turbines once generated 212,000 shaft horsepower, enough to power 650 Ford F-150 trucks, and drove IOWA to a blistering 35 knots, the fastest of any battleship ever built.
Escape the Fleet Adventure
In 2011, a small team raced against time to pull Battleship IOWA out of the Navy’s reserve “ghost fleet” — or watch her be scrapped forever. Now it’s your turn to live that mission.
Included with Admission
Life of a Sailor
Our general admission experience shows how sailors live, work, and serve.
Great Ships
Explore the ships of America’s Surface Navy.
Ship Cutaway
See inside a Navy ship from bow to stern.
Vicky’s Scavenger Hunt
Find Vicky throughout your shipboard adventure.
Living Blueprint
Immerse yourself in a blueprint of a Navy ship.
Stewards of the Sea
Explore how the Navy protects the seas.
What’s My Rate?
Find the Navy career that fits you.
Every Sailor has a Story
Meet the people who serve.
HUP-2 Retriever Helicopter
Korean War era Hup-2 Helicopter
Sticks Art Gallery
Discover IOWA’s story through art.
Gunnery Incidents
Navy ships operate around the world in service of our nation, often using powerful and complex weapons under demanding conditions.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Learn more about our day and overnight youth programs that follow Maritime Pathways.
Group & Private Events
Host your group for a memorable experience from car clubs to weddings.
Support Our Mission
Your support helps more people discover their place in America’s maritime story.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Hours, directions, parking, accessibility, and helpful tips before you come aboard.
Families & Kids
Life of a Sailor includes hands-on exhibits, real ship spaces, and interactive moments designed for guests of all ages.
Kids can explore how a Navy ship works, discover the skills sailors use at sea, and follow and take a picture with Vicky the Dog, Battleship IOWA’s beloved mascot, on a scavenger hunt included with general admission.
Getting Here, Parking, & Luggage Storage
Battleship IOWA is located on the LA Waterfront in San Pedro, CA, at the south end of the 110 Freeway.
250 S. Harbor Blvd.
San Pedro, CA 90731
We are a 5-minute walk from the LA World Cruise Terminal and minutes from Downtown Long Beach and the Long Beach Cruise Terminal.
Parking
Paid parking is available in the adjacent shared LA World Cruise Terminal public lot. The first hour is free, then $3 per hour, up to a maximum of $23 per day. Limited street parking may also be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public Transit
We are located across Harbor Blvd. from a Metro Silver Line/J Line stop. The Metro Silver Line/J Line connects Downtown LA and Union Station to San Pedro. The ride from Downtown LA is approximately 1 hour.
Luggage Storage
We have luggage storage lockers available for day use rental pierside by our aft brow, closest to the cruise terminal.
Food, Gifts, & Nearby Attractions
Ship’s Store
Visit the Ship’s Store on board for souvenirs, apparel, books, and Battleship IOWA items.
Food
Vicky’s Doghouse is a highly rated gourmet hot dog counter-service restaurant on the fantail of Battleship IOWA. It is open Friday through Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
You can eat at Vicky’s Doghouse without paying museum admission, and parking is free if your visit is under one hour. Ask for the special menu.
We are also within walking distance of the San Pedro Fish Market on the LA Waterfront and numerous restaurants in Downtown San Pedro.
Nearby Attractions
Spend a day on the LA Waterfront with nearby attractions including the LA Maritime Museum, SS Lane Victory, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Korean Bell, CRAFTED, and Downtown San Pedro restaurants.
Coming soon: the new West Harbor waterfront development.
Luggage Storage and LA World Cruise Terminal
Battleship IOWA is located at the L.A. World Cruise Center and shares the adjacent parking lot with the cruise terminal. We are within a 5-minute walk of Los Angeles–based cruise ships, including Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and many others.
For passengers sailing from Long Beach Cruise Terminal, Battleship IOWA is a short taxi or rideshare trip away.
Day-use luggage storage lockers are available pierside near our aft brow, closest to the cruise terminal.
Aboard & Accessibility
Battleship IOWA is a real Navy ship with indoor and outdoor spaces, historic decks, passageways, exhibits, and shipboard areas to explore.
Some areas include steep stairs, also known aboard ship as ladders, narrow passageways, uneven surfaces, and outdoor decks. Comfortable shoes are strongly recommended.
The main deck is wheelchair accessible, and chair lifts provide access to three decks when available.
Boarding ramps and gangways may be steep, especially during high tide. For safety, guests using wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, or other mobility devices are strongly encouraged to board under their own power when able and transfer to a wheelchair once on deck.
Because this is a historic ship, many spaces may not be accessible to all guests. Guests board and visit Battleship IOWA at their own risk and are responsible for determining whether they can safely board, move through the ship, and follow posted signs and crew instructions.
Hours & Tickets
Open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Beginning August Most guests spend 2–3 hours aboard. Life of a Sailor is included with all tours, and guided tours should be booked in advance.
Questions & Helpful Links
Need help planning your visit? Contact our team before you come aboard.
Use the links below to book tickets, get directions, view tours, or find answers to common questions.
General Information
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Turn Your Next Corporate Event Into an Experience Aboard Battleship IOWA
What Is Life Like Aboard a Navy Ship?
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Host Your Event Inside Living History Aboard Battleship IOWA
Things to Do Before or After a Los Angeles Cruise
Battleship IOWA: One of Southern California’s Most Distinctive Event Venues
Best Family Attraction in Los Angeles: Explore Battleship IOWA Together
Why Battleship IOWA Is More Than a Battleship Museum
A Waterfront Event Venue at the Center of San Pedro’s Next Chapter
UPCOMING EVENTS
Connect with Our Community
LIMITED TIME ONLY! Receive a digital commemorative Plank Owner certificate.
Join Free. Earn Points.
Become a Surface Navy Museum and Battleship IOWA Patron and, for a limited time, receive a free digital commemorative Plank Owner certificate.
Stay connected with special updates and invitations, earn points for your support, and redeem them for experiences, apparel, and more.