How Many U.S. Battleships Can You Still Visit?

When you think about museums, you may picture something like the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris or the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Museums are more than just Monet and the Mona Lisa, though. In the U.S., you can visit what many have dubbed floating museums — retired Navy battleships.

Battleships are large, armored warships that are heavily armed with large-caliber guns and torpedoes. The first were constructed in the late 19th century and used heavily through World War II. After the war ended, battleships were retired due to changes in modern warfare and advancements in weapons and technology. While you can't simply put a battleship into a museum, you certainly can transform such a ship into a floating exhibition.

Today, there are eight intact battleships around the country that you can visit, along with the sites of two sunken ones. They offer a glimpse back in time and help to remind us of all that went into the Allies' effort to turn the tide of World War II.

If you guessed that the sites of the two sunken battleships are in Hawaii, you'd be correct. The United States lost a total of four battleships during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The USS Arizona is perhaps the most widely known of those ships. The memorial stretches over the wreckage, giving visitors a glimpse into the massive vessel where more than 1,000 crewmen died.

The lesser-known USS Utah was also sunk during the attack at Pearl Harbor. There's a memorial that extends out from Ford Island toward the ship, parts of which are visible above the water line. Because Ford Island is an active military base, visitors are required to reserve seats on the Ford Island Bus Tour.

While these two ships are priceless reminders of the cost of war, there are also fully intact ships that the general public can visit, which may be closer to home than Hawaii. There are eight spread throughout the U.S. Since they're all the same class of ship, they offer a similar experience despite their varied histories. A visit to one may be enough for some, while others may want to see them all.

The USS Alabama is in Mobile, Alabama, its namesake, while the USS Iowa is in Los Angeles, California. Likely because the state of Iowa is a landlocked state. It's the only battleship on the West Coast but offers various experience tours, including a scavenger hunt with the ship's mascot –Vicky the Dog. You can tour the USS Massachusetts in Fall River, Massachusetts, where it's moored with several other historical vessels. The USS Missouri is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, but was commissioned after Pearl Harbor. You can choose a guided or unguided tour.

The USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in U.S. history, can be visited in Camden, New Jersey. The USS North Carolina is fittingly moored in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is one of the most affordable ships to tour, with adult tickets only coming in at $14. The USS Wisconsin, one of the largest battleships ever built, can be found in Norfolk, Virginia.

Visitors on the USS Wisconsin can choose from several different types of tours, including one of the engine room. Finally, the USS Texas is currently undergoing repair work, so it's not available for a visit, but will eventually be relocated to Galveston, Texas, and opened to the public. It is the last surviving battleship to serve in both World War I and World War II.