USS Texas, Military museum ship in La Porte, United States
The USS Texas is a New York-class battleship converted into a naval museum along the Houston Ship Channel, extending 174.7 meters (573 feet). The main battery turrets with 14-inch guns remain visible on deck, along with multiple deck levels containing crew quarters, engine rooms, and command bridges.
The battleship entered service in 1914 and participated in both World Wars, including operations during the Normandy landings and Pacific Theater campaigns. After the war, it was decommissioned in 1948 and opened to the public as a floating museum, reflecting the shift from active military duty to educational use.
The vessel serves as the State Ship of Texas and shows the maritime past through exhibits with military objects and ship equipment from different periods. Visitors can walk through narrow passageways and experience how crews once lived and worked on board.
The Battleship Texas Foundation operates guided tours from Friday to Sunday, with restoration work ongoing to maintain the structure's condition. Visitors should expect to climb steep stairs and move through tight spaces, so comfortable footwear is important.
This vessel remains the last surviving Dreadnought battleship and features original equipment and machinery that demonstrated naval technological advancement in the early 1900s. It was also the first American battleship fitted with antiaircraft guns, marking a new era of naval warfare.
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