Skip to content
TrueNorthBriefQuick, clear answers for curious Canadians
Things

Uss Wisconsin

What is uss wisconsin?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Hull number BB-64[2]
Class Iowa-class battleship[2]
Commissioned April 1944[3]
Current status Museum ship at Norfolk, Virginia[5]
Decommissioned 1991[6]

USS Wisconsin is the name of more than one U.S. Navy battleship, but it usually refers to USS Wisconsin (BB-64), an Iowa-class battleship commissioned in April 1944 and now a museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia.

Context

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned in April 1944 [3]. It served in combat in the Pacific during World War II, was reactivated for the Korean War, and later participated in the Persian Gulf War [6]. The ship is now berthed at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia, as a museum battleship [5]. The name also refers to an earlier battleship, USS Wisconsin (BB-9) [4]. The ship is sometimes confused with the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Green Bay, Wisconsin, but it is not named after either city.

Documented claims

  • USS Wisconsin served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf War. [6]
  • USS Wisconsin was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the state of Wisconsin. [1]

Questions and answers

Where is the battleship USS Wisconsin today?

USS Wisconsin is berthed at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia, as a museum battleship [5].

Is the USS Wisconsin still seaworthy?

The ship is a museum ship and is not in active service, but it remains afloat and is open to visitors [5].

Could the USS Wisconsin be reactivated?

The ship was decommissioned in 1991 and is now a museum ship, so it is not available for reactivation [6].

Sources

  1. “Big Wisky” – 12 Amazing Facts About the Battleship USS ... — militaryhistorynow.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. USS Wisconsin (BB-64) - Naval History and Heritage Command — history.navy.mil (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. The Battleship Wisconsin — nauticus.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. USS Wisconsin (BB-64): The American Battleship That 'Lost Her ... — warhistoryonline.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. Wisconsin in the Korean War — navalhistoria.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  6. Fire! U.S. Navy Iowa-Class Battleship USS Wisconsin ... - 19FortyFive — 19fortyfive.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things