Battleship USS Iowa Museum San Pedro, CA

I returned to the Iowa after my last visit about ten years ago. Surprisingly, not much has changed. There are a few more little exhibits to see and there's running water now. But really it's the same as back then. I've lowered my last review (3 starts) to 2 stars. There's a lot of work being done on the decks. Replacing old plywood with a poured decking that actually looks outstanding. This is the only real upgrade over the years. My biggest problem is with the staff/volunteers. Like last trip, there was no one to talk to on the ship except the guys at the entrance and at the exit. I went to Midway about a year ago and talked to about twenty guys & gals (Docents) that answered lots of questions and really added to my tour. Not so much on Iowa. The audio tour was OK but lots of extra questions came up with no answers. I would rate the personal touch as one star. Another issue: The overall appearance of the volunteers is dismal. I'm told they are called "Tour Guides". Other than an ID badge hanging around their neck, you can't tell who is a volunteer. Some of the them are wearing jeans and an Iowa shirt under their tattered hoodie. A few are wearing obviously brand new navy dungarees that look like they came right off the store mannequin. Some have more pins attached to their shirts and jackets than waitresses at Chili's. Overall not a very professional looking organization. Again, it's a great place to visit if you like to look at the big guns (I do) and if you're into the history of battleships (I am) but I can see how most of the visitors will walk away thinking "It could have been so much more." It might be ten years before I return. Maybe there's more to come.