Once upon a time, these giant warships dominated the seas. Constructed as seagoing fortresses, they won wars and showcased American power globally. Now, their guns are silent, but their history is anything but mum. Preserved as museum ships, they encourage visitors to tread the same decks sailors once wore, gaze down into the huge gun barrels, and envision life at sea. These vessels are not just relics—they are classrooms, memorials, and community treasures bringing history alive. Following is a countdown of ten historic battleship museums in the United States that every history lover must visit.
10. USS Utah
The history of the USS Utah is one of service and sacrifice. This pre-World War I dreadnought fought in the Great War, but on December 7, 1941, she was moored in Pearl Harbor. Japanese torpedoes hit her, and she capsized and sank. She rests under the waves today as a somber memorial—a silent reminder of the way even the largest of ships can meet their end so suddenly.
9. USS Iowa
The USS Iowa, the final U.S. battleship, is now moored in Los Angeles. She is the only one of her sister ships that spent most of World War II in the Atlantic. Nowadays, she belongs to the Pacific Battleship Center, providing more than a basic tour. Its guests can enter into the huge turrets, listen to tales from sailors, and greet “Vicky the Dog,” her wartime mascot. As the caretakers often say, “We’re not just preserving history—we’re connecting people to it in meaningful ways.”
8. USS North Carolina
Commissioned on the eve of America’s entry into World War II, the USS North Carolina was a marvel of efficiency and design. She was missed at Pearl Harbor, but she became an essential component of Pacific carrier task forces. Now moored in Wilmington, North Carolina, she gives visitors an idea of the magnitude and complexity of a battleship, a glimpse of the high-stakes decisions rendered upon her decks.
7. USS New Jersey
The USS New Jersey, an Iowa-class battleship, is moored in Camden, New Jersey. Famous for her heavy weaponry, she wasn’t always on the high seas because of the cost of operations, but when needed, she provided devastating firepower in World War II and afterward. She is now a museum and a study in naval warfare, demonstrating how battleships were still icons of power even into the Cold War.
6. USS Arizona
Few memorials have the same emotional power as the USS Arizona. Sunk at Pearl Harbor with 1,177 sailors on board, she lies at the bottom of the waters off Hawaii. The memorial above is a site of contemplation and respect, a reminder to visitors of the cost of war in human terms and the abruptness of that fateful morning.
5. USS Massachusetts
Nicknamed “Big Mamie,” the USS Massachusetts did battle from North Africa to the Pacific. Today, a part of Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, she is among the most visited battleship museums. Ammunition storage compartments on the ship’s bridge are all open to exploration, stepping back into history as if the ship were still getting ready for war.
4. USS Alabama
The South Dakota–class USS Alabama served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, providing anti-aircraft defense and heavy bombardments. Today, she sits in Mobile, Alabama, where visitors can explore the scale of operations and teamwork needed to run a ship of her size. Walking her decks conveys the sheer magnitude of naval power in her era.
3. USS Missouri
The “Mighty Mo” is among the most legendary battleships ever. She received the formal Japanese surrender in 1945 on her decks, ending World War II. Now, she receives millions of visitors in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a tourist destination and memorial site—a living reminder of victory, peace, and reconciliation.
2. USS Wisconsin
A bit larger than her Iowa-class brethren owing to a bow replacement, the USS Wisconsin served during World War II and Korea. Moored in Norfolk, Virginia, alongside the world’s largest naval base, she displays massive 16-inch guns and huge decks—a final reminder of battleship power before aircraft carriers came to rule the seas.
1. USS Texas
The USS Texas is the oldest surviving battleship and the sole battleship to have fought in both World Wars. Now in dry dock undergoing restoration, she provides patrons with a unique chance to see history being preserved up close. That she survived at all is a testament to what it takes to keep history alive, a demonstration that preserving the past is also an investment in the future.
These battleships are more than rivets and steel. They are pages in the history of the American Navy, offering lessons in bravery, ingenuity, and sacrifice. It is possible to stand on their decks and imagine the sailors who had served on them, sense the burden of the decisions made during combat, and ask what the stories these ships have to tell us today.