Eight US Navy battleships from World War II now serve as floating museums, preserving naval history after the rise of aircraft carriers and precision-guided missiles made them obsolete. The USS Texas, the world's last surviving dreadnought, is undergoing extensive renovations in Galveston after serving in both World Wars.

These museum ships offer visitors a chance to walk the decks where thousands of sailors once served. The USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor draws visitors worldwide as the site of Japan's formal surrender ending World War II. The USS New Jersey holds the distinction of being the most decorated battleship in US Navy history, serving in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East.

The USS Massachusetts fires the US Navy's first and last 16-inch shells of World War II and now anchors Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. These vessels preserve not just the hardware but the lived experience of their crews, allowing visitors to marvel at crowded living quarters and imagine being called to battle stations through narrow corridors and up ladders.