Pearl Harbor and The USS Arizona Memorial: Essential Visitor Information

More than 75 years after Japan’s attack pulled the United States into World War II, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial remain among the most popular tourist attractions in Hawaii, attracting over 1.8 million visitors annually. The addition of the Battleship Missouri Memorial in 1999, the opening of the Pacific Aviation Museum in 2006, and the inauguration of the new Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in 2010 further enhance the experience at this historic site.

The Memorial’s Significance

Hawaii’s largest natural harbor, Pearl Harbor serves as both an active military base and a National Historic Landmark that commemorates the courage and sacrifices of those who fought in the Pacific during the war. Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial provides a solemn and sobering experience, even for those not born on December 7, 1941, when the attack occurred. You literally stand over a grave site where 1,177 men lost their lives; the wreckage of the sunken ship is visible beneath you.

Explore the exhibit galleries “Road to War” and “Attack,” where displays of personal memorabilia, historic photographs, artifacts of the battle, and various interactive exhibits narrate the story of that fateful day. The visitor center includes numerous interpretive wayside exhibits and a lovely waterfront promenade. Be sure to pause at Remembrance Circle, which honors the men, women, and children, both military and civilian, killed as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Visiting the Memorial

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center opens daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours to the USS Arizona Memorial depart every 15 minutes beginning at 7:30 a.m., with the last tour of the day at 3 p.m. The experience includes a 23-minute documentary film about the attack; consequently, with the boat trip, tours typically take about 75 minutes. Therefore, planning for approximately three hours will allow you to complete the tour and explore the visitor center fully.

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center operates as a collaboration between the National Park Service and the non-profit Pacific Historic Parks. While admission to both the center and the memorial is free, a ticket is required. Visitors can secure tickets online in advance or claim one of the 1,300 free walk-in tickets available daily on a first-come, first-served basis. All members of your group must be present to obtain same-day walk-in tickets, and picking up tickets for others is not allowed. Additionally, at 7 a.m. each day, any remaining online ticket inventory for the following day is released. A convenience fee of $1.50 per ticket applies when ordering advance tickets.

A self-guided audio tour for the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, narrated by actor and author Jamie Lee Curtis, is available for $7.50. Offered by Pacific Historic Parks, the tour lasts about two hours and covers 29 points of interest, with options available in nine languages.

Practical Tips for Tourists

Visitors enjoy free parking at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

Tickets for admission to other Pearl Harbor attractions, including the USS Bowfin Submarine, the USS Missouri Battleship, and the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, can be purchased at the Pearl Harbor historic site ticket booth located in the visitor center courtyard.

For security reasons, purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, or luggage of any kind are not permitted in the visitor center or on the memorial tour. However, personal cameras are allowed. The visitor center provides storage for $5 per bag.

Note that the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.