The Battleship Missouri Memorial now unveils its newly restored superstructure, culminating a year-long restoration process. Among the most significant projects ever performed on this historic vessel, included the 04 Navigation Bridge and the 05 Open Bridge area, including the Chart House, Captain’s At-Sea Cabin, Pilot House, and Conning Tower. Restorative work like this goes a long way in retaining the historic legacy of the iconic vessel.
The superstructure is the highest part of the USS Missouri, standing tall at about 110 feet above the main deck, with the mast extending over 50 feet higher. The restoration process was meticulous: three years of planning and a year of repair work in the evenings only to not interrupt daily tours.
Speaking about this project, Michael A. Carr, president and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, said, “The work that was done to the ship’s Superstructure was essential preservation work to ensure the USS Missouri is being properly maintained for future generations.” Exhibit text panels in four languages are currently housed in newly restored areas, making it one of the first museums in Hawaii to display multilingual exhibits.
An immersive audio experience, recorded with the help of active-duty sailors, lets visitors get an aural look into the ship’s atmosphere on December 7, 1991, when Missouri entered Pearl Harbor for the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the attack on the Hawaiian Islands.
The $3.5 million restoration project—the largest, most expensive undertaken by the Association since the battleship’s dry-docking more than seven years ago—was completely financed by ticket sales. The Association also installed replicas of two SLQ-32 electronic warfare antennas and a radome, once again restoring the ship’s appearance to that date of December 7, 1991.
The USS Missouri belongs to the class of Iowa battleships. The colorful history of the ship includes its commissioning date on June 11, 1944, right after launching on January 29, 1944, and she performed a very significant role in World War II, the Korean War, and Operation Desert Storm. She is perhaps best remembered as the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces on September 2, 1945, marking the effective end of World War II.
Following its decommissioning in 1955 and recommissioning in 1986 after heavy modernization, the Missouri was retired again in 1992. In 1998, the Navy transferred the ship to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, which now operates the vessel as a historic attraction.
This Battleship Missouri Memorial does not spare any kind of historical experience from its visitors and is located near the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Since the opening of this memorial in January 1999, more than seven million visitors have visited it. Open daily, the Memorial offers one the chance to explore the rich history of the Mighty Mo and its major role in 20th-century conflicts.