USS Missouri (BB-63)

Moored in Pearl Harbor’s historic naval complex, USS Missouri (BB-63) presents the full arc of the big-gun battleship era in a single hull. As the last battleship commissioned by the United States and an Iowa-class fast battleship, Missouri embodies the peak of World War II capital ship design: nearly 900 feet in length, driven by powerful General Electric geared steam turbines and oil-fired boilers that pushed her past 30 knots. On her teak decks the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed in 1945, giving the ship a singular place in global diplomatic and military history. Her record spans from bombardments in the Pacific War, through early Cold War presence and Korean War gunfire support, to late–20th century reactivation with cruise missiles and advanced electronics during the 600-ship Navy buildup, culminating in service during Operation Desert Storm. Preserved as a museum ship since 1998, Missouri functions as a three-dimensional reference work on naval architecture, gunnery, and evolving combat systems, anchored within sight of other Pearl Harbor memorials that mark the beginning and the end of America’s World War II at sea.