Key Points and Summary: America’s eight preserved battleship museums offer visitors a chance to connect with naval history. From the USS Texas, a World War I and II veteran, to the USS Missouri, where Japan’s surrender ended WWII, these ships showcase their strategic roles in global conflicts.
-Each vessel has unique features: USS North Carolina boasts nine levels for exploration, while USS Iowa houses a café. Currently, some battleships, like USS New Jersey, are undergoing significant refurbishments.
-Spread across locations like Pearl Harbor, Norfolk, and Los Angeles, these battleships are living monuments to the bravery and innovation of U.S. naval forces.
Step Aboard History: A Guide to America’s Battleship Museums
World War Two veterans are less available to share tales about their combat experiences.
Many have passed on after living honorable lives after military service. Some of these heroes are still kicking and are over 100 years old.
We are rapidly losing their oral histories, but many writers and non-profits try to keep their memories alive.
One way to honor U.S. military heritage is to visit a museum ship that can give you an idea of how sailors were able to operate warships from decades ago.
Battleship museums are big hits with the public. Over 59 battleships were built over the years, and only a handful survived, which allows tourists to see how sailors slept, where they ate, and how they operated those vast guns. Eight battleships are currently museums. They are the USS Texas, USS North Carolina, USS Massachusetts, USS Alabama, USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin.
The idea is to enshrine history and allow people to see how powerful and strategic these ships were in a bygone era when dreadnoughts dominated the sea.
The USS Texas
The USS Texas is one of the oldest battleships in the world, and it is preserved in Galveston, Texas. The USS Texas served in World War One and World War Two.

Battleship USS Texas from 2011. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
While there is still a question of where the ship will find its final home in Galveston, workers have been busy replacing its decks with steel and giving it a fresh coat of paint.
The USS North Carolina
The USS North Carolina is one of the Tar Heel State’s biggest tourist attractions, with 250,000 visitors in 2022. Workers are always trying to improve North Carolina’s appearance and improve the overall experience for tourists.
The North Carolina, which earned 15 battle stars, has been a museum ship since 1961. The North Carolina had 2,000 sailors on board during its heyday. It is in Cape Fear, close to Wilmington. People love perusing the nine 16-inch guns in triple turrets.

USS North Carolina battleship.
There are nine levels to explore.
The USS Massachusetts
The USS Massachusetts was one of the South Dakota-class battleships in World War Two. It shelled the shores of North Africa during Operation Torch.
The “Big Mamie” played a significant role against the Japanese, helping the island-hopping strategy in the Pacific by escorting carriers and bombing shorelines to prepare for amphibious landings. Massachusetts is currently a museum ship in Battleship Cove in the Bay State.
The USS Alabama
The USS Alabama was instrumental in escorting aircraft carriers in the Atlantic and Pacific during World War Two.
In 1964, Alabama became a museum ship with the proviso that it could be called back to active duty if needed. There was once a movement for it to become a guided-missile warship, but it has remained a tourist destination in Mobile, Alabama over the decades.

South Dakota-Class USS Alabama Battleship.
You can even stay overnight, hold a birthday party, or attend other festivities on board.
The USS Iowa
USS Iowa is known for carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the hugely consequential Tehran Conference in 1943. Iowa had a splendid history after World War II, serving in the Korean War and in the 1980s under Commander-in-Chief Ronald Reagan.
The Iowa, or “The Big Stick,” is in Los Angeles for tourists. There is even a unique “hot dog café,” which no other battleship museum has.

USS Iowa battleship. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The USS New Jersey
USS New Jersey served in World War Two but also bombed the coast of Vietnam, the only battleship to do so during that conflict. The New Jersey earned more battle stars than the other Iowa-class battleships.
The New Jersey is being worked on in Philadelphia at a dry dock, and workers are improving many berths before they return to Camden, New Jersey. It needs significant repairs on the hull and a new paint job. This is a $10 million refurbishment program.

USS New Jersey (BB 62) fires her 16” guns during a training exercise at San Clemente Island during fleet training exercises conducted off the coast of California. Photographed, July 15, 1968. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
The USS Missouri
The USS Missouri is known for having a surrender ceremony with the Japanese to end World War Two. It served in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, saving countless American lives by shelling important military targets to help win those fights.
The Missouri also served in the Korean War and was called back to action during the 1980s under President Reagan. The Missouri was in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state, but it now gets 250,000 tourists a year at its current location in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Enjoy authentic Hawaiian food at the dock.
The USS Wisconsin
USS Wisconsin had a similar experience in World War II, participating in Iowa Jima and Okinawa and shelling Japan.
Then, it served in the Korean War, supporting U.S. forces against the North Koreans and Chinese. Wisconsin was also known for its duty during Operation Desert Storm. It is a museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia.

Iowa-Class USS Wisconsin Battleship. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
You may not have known that these eight battleships are preserved for the world to see. Some are undergoing maintenance and repairs, but they all showcase an essential period of military history. So, use this article as a guidebook and take a road trip to see these gargantuan vessels. You won’t be disappointed when you see the big guns up close.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

Dale Gauding
January 26, 2025 at 1:30 pm
Minor point: Wisconsin is now Battleship Wisconsin because it was decommissioned. It and the Naval Museum are in, and tied up next to, Norfolk’s Nauticus maritime museum. The Half Moone cruise terminal is also right there. Neat to see a cruise ship tied up right behind Wisconsin. Great waterfront attractions.
Mac mccourt
January 28, 2025 at 11:30 am
The New Jersey also bombed Lebanon in 1983.
I watched it from another ship.