Spotlight's Oahu Gold Magazine
Oahu Sightseeing Guide » Pearl Harbor
The date: December 7, 1941. The place: Pearl Harbor. The two will remain linked forever in our collective memory as a symbol of tragedy, international aggression, and how not to run the world. Thousands of lives were lost, America's Pacific fleet was shredded, and we were at war in the Pacific.
You can learn more about this compelling wartime saga by visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial (call (808) 422-2771 or 422-00561). Tickets are FREE but each person must collect his/her own ticket from the park ranger. While waiting, you can browse through the visitor center that displays materials on World War II naval history and wartime Hawai‘i. Often a Pearl Harbor Survivor or volunteer is on hand to answer questions.
The visitor center is FREE and open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Shuttle operates between the visitor center and the memorial from 7:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily, and allow passengers about 15 minutes on the Arizona Memorial–enough time to visit the chapel where the names are engraved, read the plaques and take some photos.
UPDATE ON SECURITY MEASURESSecurity measures prohibit purses, handbags, camera bags, or other items that offer concealment at all destinations within the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center. A bag storage area is located in the facility and a fee is charged. Tickets for all attractions are available in the Visitor Center. |
Hawai‘i is honored to be the new home of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. The "Mighty Mo," which served America in three wars, is berthed on Battleship Row and opened to fanfare on Jan. 29, 1999–60 years, to the day, after it was launched. The USS Arizona, which marks the beginning of World War II, is just 300 yards from the "Mighty Mo," the ship on which the Japanese signed documents to end the war. The Battleship Missouri Memorial ticketing facility and bus pick-up area is located next to the USS Bowfin Memorial. Take H-1 Freeway west to the Arizona Memorial off-ramp to Kamehameha Highway and proceed one mile to the entry. Operating hours are now 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. For information, call (808) 973-2494 or visit www.USSMissouri.org.
At the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park next to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center, go below the deck of the USS Bowfin, an actual World War II submarine nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Avenger." Wind your way through the narrow compartments where the Bowfin's crew worked, ate and slept while on WWII and Korean War patrols. Open 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. (808) 423-1341.
Pacific Aviation Museum
One of Pearl Harbor's Historic Sites, Pacific Aviation Museum occupies World War II-era hangars 37 and 79 which still bear the scars of our nation's first aviation battlefield. Dedicated to showing the patriotism, valor and sacrifices made by our American aviators in the Pacific, the museum presents rare American and Japanese airplanes such as a 1942 Japanese Zero. New Self-Guided and Aviator's Tours are available. Purchase tickets at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. For more information, call (808) 441-1000.Pacific Historic Parks
There is a reason why the USS Arizona Memorial is the leading attraction on O‘ahu. Every year over 1.5 million visitors come to this majestic setting to see where World War II began for the United States on Dec. 7, 1941. After years of construction and $56 million in renovations on 17 acres, the stunning new Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is finally completed. While visiting the complex, take the optional, highly recommend 90-minute self-guided audio tour. Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of actor and War in the Pacific veteran Tony Curtis, with the voices of dozens of Pearl Harbor survivors, the tour guides you through 28 locations including museums, shore-side exhibits, outdoor displays, the boat ride and on the USS Arizona Memorial. The new audio tour will leave you emotional and proud to be an American, while greatly enhancing the Pearl Harbor experience. PacificHistoricParks.org, (808) 954-8777.
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