Originally posted by blues_hawk Was that to avoid wear? I remember how polished handles and stuff were on the old sub top I played on as a kid. You could even move azimuth a little on the big deck gun. I'm not actually sure we were supposed to be up there but nobody ever stopped us. :P
I do not know for certain why, but I suspect the layout of the room presented opportunities for unwary visitors to injure themselves. Many areas of the Missouri, in fact the majority of the ship was off limits because of cleanliness issues. and some areas could only be seen during a guided tour. A battleship is not the most child-friendly environment.