World War II Battleships You Can Visit: Museum Ships Around the Globe

Only a handful of WWII-era battleships survive as museum ships. Here's the complete global roster:

United States (6 – Iowa & South Dakota classes)

• USS North Carolina (BB-55) – Wilmington, NC
• USS Alabama (BB-60) – Mobile, AL
• USS Massachusetts (BB-59) – Fall River, MA
• USS Iowa (BB-61) – Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
• USS Missouri (BB-63) – Pearl Harbor, HI (surrender deck)
• USS Wisconsin (BB-64) – Norfolk, VA

United Kingdom (2)

• HMS Belfast (C35) – London (Thames) – Town-class light cruiser, not battleship
• HMS Victory – Portsmouth – 1765 ship of the line (Nelson's flagship), not WWII

Correction: UK has no preserved WWII battleships. Vanguard (last RN battleship) scrapped 1960. Belfast & Victory are often miscategorized.

Japan (1)

• Mikasa – Yokosuka – Pre-dreadnought (1902), Russo-Japanese War flagship. Not WWII.

No IJN WWII battleships survive (Yamato, Musashi, Nagato all sunk).

Others

• Australia: HMAS Sydney II – Light cruiser (sunk 1941; wreck found 2008). Not a battleship.
• France: Jean Bart – Richelieu-class, completed post-WWII, scrapped 1970.
• Italy: Andrea Doria – Andrea Doria-class caisson ship (1915), scrapped 1956. Not WWII.
• Russia: Aurora – 1900 protected cruiser (fired blank shot signaling 1917 Revolution). Not WWII battleship.

The Real List: 6 U.S. Ships Only

All six are Iowa- or South Dakota-class fast battleships. If you want to touch WWII battleship steel, visit the U.S. fleet.