This WWII to Cold War–era battleship is now permanently moored in San Pedro Bay and open to visitors as a museum. It's massive – 887ft long (that's 5ft longer than Titanic) and about as tall as an 18-story building. Step onto the gangway and download the free app to take a self-guided audio tour of everything from the stateroom, where FDR stayed, to missile turrets and the enlisted men's galley, which churned out 8000 hot meals a day during WWII.

The app-based tour is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Chinese. An 'extended experience' ($10 extra) includes a newly opened deck with additional facilities and the Lost at Sea exhibit, dedicated to shipwreck explorer Robert Ballard, most famous for discovering Titanic.

Parking is free for the first hour and $2 per hour thereafter.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Fort MacArthur Military Museum

0.07 MILES

Just north of Point Fermin and west of the Korean Friendship Bell, this rambling, 20-acre facility was an LA harbor defensive post until 1945, as well as…

2. Los Angeles Maritime Museum

0.26 MILES

Galleries in LA's historic ferry building (on the National Register of Historic Places) tell the story of the city's relationship with the sea and display…

3. Ports O’Call Village

0.66 MILES

Shrieking gulls and excited children animate this aging shopping district filled with trinket stores (which you can safely skip) en route to copious meals…

4. SS Lane Victory

1.72 MILES

If you enjoy clambering around old ships, visit this museum vessel that sailed the seven seas from 1945 to 1971. Self-guided tours take in the engine room…

5. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

2.17 MILES

This city-owned aquarium is the smaller, older, low-tech cousin of Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific. It’s also a lot lighter on your wallet and less…

6. Korean Friendship Bell

2.44 MILES

A gift from South Korea for the US bicentennial in 1976, this nearly 12ft-tall, 18.75 ton bronze chime dominates the hillside and makes for a fantastic…

7. Point Fermin Park & Around

2.68 MILES

Locals come to this grassy community park on the bluffs to jog, picnic, watch wind- and kitesurfers, cool off in the shade of spreading magnolias, gaze at…

8. Point Fermin Lighthouse

2.69 MILES

Ostensibly the main visitor attraction in Point Fermin Park is this restored 1874 lighthouse, which looks like a Victorian home and is one of the oldest…