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In the western part of Oahu is a national treasure that you can’t leave off your itinerary! The infamous Pearl Harbor memorial. What place could hold more impactful history than the grounds at Pearl Harbor? It’s a place where over 2,400+ people gave their lives for their country. It’s a place where the second world war started for the United States and where it ended for the world. It’s a place where you can explore the past, understand the world today and appreciate the sacrifice by so many. Saying that this is a must-do in Oahu would be an understatement!
We think you can get more out of a place when you know something about it. Pearl Harbor memorial is a popular place to visit, so some preparation is necessary! This article is our experience of Pearl Harbor and includes all the information you need to enjoy this visit. So get your coffee and get ready to maximize this experience.
Why is it called Pearl Harbor?
Hawaiians called the area Wai Momi, meaning Waters of Pearl. There once used to be oysters in the bay that produced pearls. The University of Hawaii is working the US government to reintroduce oysters to the bay and restore some of the harbors ecosystem.
What island is Pearl Harbor Memorial on?
Pearl Harbor is on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. If you are on a different island in Hawaii, you can take a short flight to Oahu to visit the island and memorial. Inter-island flights range anywhere from $70 to $180. Look for flights on Hawaiian or Southwest Airlines.
Things to do at Pearl Harbor Memorial
Free of charge
- Two exhibit galleries: “Road to War” and “Attack”. Perfect for understanding the timeline of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the events of World War II.
- Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater (closed during COVID-19 pandemic). This is part of the USS Arizona Memorial program, where you view a 23 minute documentary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
- Wayside exhibits. As you’re walking on the grounds of the Pearl Harbor Memorial, you will find small exhibits along a walking path that help connect you to the Pearl Harbor before the attack. It will help you understand what the area looked like before the Japanese attacks.
- Remembrance circle. A small circle with all the names of all people who died as a result of the attack.
- The USS Arizona Memorial Program. You will ride a shuttle boat to the memorial itself. The memorial floats on top of the USS Arizona ship. You need to have tickets to visit the memorial.
Entrance fee
- Battleship Missouri Memorial
- USS Bowfin Submarine
- Aviation Museum
This post is not going to cover these three historic sites as they were closed when we visited Pearl Harbor Memorial. The park took precautions because of COVID-19.
How to get tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial
There are two ways to get tickets.
- One day before your visit. You reserve your tickets at recreation.gov. Tickets are released at 3 PM Hawaii Standard Time for the following day. So if you’re visiting Pearl Harbor Memorial on June 10th, you can reserve your tickets on June 9th starting at 3PM. These tickets cost $1.
- Walk-in. There are limited walk-in tickets, which you can ask a ranger for availability.
How to get to USS Arizona Memorial
Arrive early on your visit, to allow yourself time to see the exhibits in the park. The ranger can point you to the direction where you enter the boat to see the memorial. A boat leaves every 30 minutes of the day, but your reserved ticket is timestamped.
Our experience of the Pearl Harbor Memorial
We were the only people in the park! There are normally 4,000 visitors per day, but we only saw about 40 people because of COVID-19.
The park ranger at the entrance was very helpful. He pointed us to all the attractions and gave us directions on where to go. There are rangers scattered around the park who are happy to discuss with you the history of each site. We talked to a ranger who also dived at the USS Arizona Memorial. He helped put to rest USS Arizona survivors who wished to be buried with their fellow sailors. His story was very touching and started our experience off on a positive note.
The exhibits and galleries
The exhibits and galleries are short in duration, but really add to the experience and feel of the park. They attempt to take you back in time to the day of the attack. They discuss what happened in the harbor on the day of attack, along with names and awards of many of the people who died that day.
One of the most interesting and frightening exhibits on the grounds honors the submarines that were lost at sea. It gave us both chills to walk around and read the names of the submarines and crew.
The final stop before visiting the USS Arizona Memorial was to walk through the “road to war” and attack galleries. We read up on all of the history we forgot from high school! Spending time in these two places will allow you to better experience the gallery.
The USS Arizona Memorial
After showing our tickets to the ranger, we had a short wait until they opened the doors to the dock.
It is a quick boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial, which lies impressively in the water. A sharp white color with beautiful open windows and ceilings gives you a heavenly impression.
The memorial is 184 feet / 56 m long and was built in 1962. It spans along the mid-portion of the USS Arizona battleship. The actual battleship lies beneath the memorial, but we could still see portions of the ship above water. We could see the oil on the water that continues to leak from the battleship.
You will find the shrine room at the end of the memorial. The names of the people who died on the Arizona are engraved on a marble wall. A woman and child were visiting who had a grandparent buried within the ship. It gave a somber touch to the visit.
We both stood in the memorial for a long time in silence. It was humbling to think about the sailors who lost their lives that day while trying fight off the surprise attack. We both walked away from this 30 minute session with a newfound respect of the event and the sacrifice that happened that day.
Recommendations for your trip:
- 1. Arrive early in the day! Add in some good sleep and a little caffeine to keep you engaged for the experience.
- 2. Plan on visiting only one major museum. We were completely burnt out after seeing the exhibits, galleries, and the USS Arizona. We couldn’t have learned anything more from the other museums. Plan to come back another day if you really want to see them.
- 3. Respect at the USS Arizona Memorial is a necessity. You will feel it when you walk on the memorial. This is a place of rememberance and contemplation.
- 4. Don’t miss out on the chance to visit the bookstore and get a book about Pearl Harbor!
Books are always a great way to prepare for a trip to a historical site. If you’re into it, here are my three favorites:
- To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Jeff Shaara
- Day of Infamy by Walter Loyd
- Sunday in Hell by Bill McWilliams
Enjoy your upcoming trip to the museum!
We want to hear from you!
Do you think you’ll ever visit Pearl Harbor? Does this historic site interest you?
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