USS Iowa opens as floating museum in San Pedro

SAN PEDRO, Calif. (KABC) -- The retired battleship USS Iowa opened to the public as a floating museum in San Pedro on Saturday.

It is the only battleship museum on the West Coast. On July 4, sailors who served on the Iowa gathered at the Port of Los Angeles to celebrate a new chapter for the ship.

The Iowa served in the Pacific Fleet during World War II. It was among the first U.S. ships to enter Tokyo Bay after Japan's surrender. It was decommissioned in 1990 and sat in mothballs until its arrival in San Pedro last month.

The museum will highlight the contributions of the 45,000-ton battleship and its crew. William Casady, 94, was among the first to serve on the ship.

"I was a transfer to the USS Iowa in February 1943. I was in charge of the IC room, interior communications," said Casady. "It's nice to be back. It sure is."

The museum will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with last admission sold an hour before closing time. A general admission ticket is $18. Retired members of the military and seniors will get in for $15, and youths ages 6-17 will get in for $10.

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