USS Missouri (BB-63) - Battleship Museum
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HistoryMilitaryWarshipEducationalInteractive
Overview
USS Missouri (BB-63) is an Iowa-class battleship built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1940s and is now a museum ship. Completed in 1944, she is the last battleship commissioned by the United States. The ship was assigned to the Pacific Theater during World War II, where she participated in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and shelled the Japanese home islands.
Practical Info
Every day8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeAn outstanding historical landmark year-round. Scheduling your ship boarding between 8:30 AM and 11:30 AM is highly advised; exploring the towering 16-inch guns and standing on the historic Surrender Deck where WWII officially ended is most comfortable under milder morning rays before the metal deck plates heat up.
Getting ThereSet within an active military base on Ford Island, all personal rental cars, taxis, and rideshares are strictly prohibited from driving across the bridge. Visitors must park at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial lots, walk to the dedicated shuttle pavilion, and board the official complimentary military base transit bus.
Travel Tips
- The battleship is moored on Ford Island within an active Pearl Harbor military restriction perimeter; private rental vehicles are explicitly barred from crossing the Ford Island bridge, making the official visitor shuttle bus mandatory.
- Navigating below-deck sailor berths and tactical battery compartments involves clearing near-vertical steel ladders and low-clearance watertight bulkheads; visitors must keep hands free on rails to prevent serious head trauma.
- The main battleship teak decking absorbs immense tropical sun energy, reaching skin-scorching temperatures, and steel gun-turret steps are slick with maritime moisture; enclosed high-traction athletic footwear is required for deck access.
Reviews
Positive
- Stepping on the actual deck where WWII surrender documents were signed near the massive main guns offers unmatched historic awe.
- Admission includes highly professional guided tours (in multiple languages); their insights into naval warfare add immense educational fun.
- The internal tour routes are flat and well-paved, restrooms are clean, AC is strong, and accessible lifts aid wheelchair users.
- As a major historical heavyweight in Pearl Harbor, its immense size and rich historical archives make tickets fully worth the money.
Heads up
- Located inside a military base on Ford Island, rental cars are banned; you must queue for a dedicated shuttle to access it.
- Some interior cabins are extremely cramped with steep ladders, making them completely unfit for elderly, toddlers, or wheelchairs.
- Due to high fame, key photo spots and narrow passageways are often crowded with tour groups, disrupting a quiet museum experience.
- The open deck gets intensely hot under brutal sun as the steel hull absorbs heat; there are too few shaded rest canopies.