Visiting Pearl Harbor: Complete Guide to All Four Attractions

Pearl Harbor is the most visited historic site in Hawaii and one of the most significant in the United States. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack that killed 2,403 Americans, sank or damaged much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and brought the country into World War II. The USS Arizona Memorial, which floats directly above the sunken battleship and the 1,177 crew members still entombed within it, is the emotional and geographic center of the site. Around it, four major attractions tell the story of the attack and the war it started. This guide covers all four so you can decide what to see and how much time to give it.

Overview: what Pearl Harbor is

Pearl Harbor is an active U.S. naval base. The historic memorial sites sit on the edge of the harbor and are managed by a combination of the National Park Service and private nonprofits. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is the entry point for everything, managed by the National Park Service, and it is free. The four main paying attractions surround it. For the full history of the attack, see our page on the Pearl Harbor attack.

The visitor center itself has two excellent free museums: Road to War and Attack, both with artifacts, photographs, and context for what happened and why. Even if you cannot get a ticket to the Arizona Memorial program, the visitor center alone is worth several hours.

The four main attractions

USS Arizona Memorial

The centerpiece of Pearl Harbor. A short boat ride takes you to a white concrete structure built over the sunken hull of the USS Arizona. The ship is still there, visible below the water, with oil still slowly rising to the surface more than 80 years later. The wall of names at the far end of the memorial lists all 1,177 crew members who died on the ship. It is a grave site. The boat ride includes a 23-minute film on the attack shown in the theater at the visitor center before boarding. The experience is quiet, powerful, and appropriate for anyone old enough to understand what they are seeing.

Admission: Free. A small reservation fee applies through recreation.gov. Tickets must be booked in advance; same-day availability is limited and unreliable. No bags of any kind are permitted, including small purses, camera bags, or backpacks. A paid storage facility is on site.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

The USS Missouri (Mighty Mo) is where World War II ended. Japan's formal surrender was signed on the deck of this ship in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. The battleship is now permanently moored at Pearl Harbor and open for tours. You can stand on the exact spot where the signing took place, walk the massive gun turrets, and explore multiple decks of the ship. The tour is self-guided with audio available. It takes 2 to 3 hours to do properly.

Admission: approximately $32 for adults, $16 for children age 4-12. Guided tours and special access tours are available at additional cost. No reservation required; buy at the gate or online. Located across the harbor from the visitor center; a free shuttle runs between the two.

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Housed in the original Hangars 37 and 79 that were attacked on December 7, 1941, the Aviation Museum displays restored WWII aircraft including a Zero fighter, a B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-40 Warhawk, and many others. Bullet holes from the attack are still visible in Hangar 37. The museum spans the full Pacific air war and is particularly engaging for aviation enthusiasts and children interested in aircraft. The hangars retain their period character and the scale of the aircraft on the original tarmac is genuinely impressive.

Admission: approximately $25 for adults, $13 for children age 4-12. No reservation required. Self-guided; audio tours available. On Ford Island, accessible by shuttle from the visitor center.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum

The USS Bowfin is a WWII-era attack submarine that sank 44 enemy ships and earned the nickname "Pearl Harbor Avenger." Visitors can board and tour the cramped interior of the sub, which is one of the most viscerally interesting parts of any Pearl Harbor visit: the sleeping quarters, the torpedo tubes, the control room, and the tiny galley show exactly how submariners lived for months at a time. The adjacent museum covers the history of submarine warfare. The interior access requires ducking through low hatches; it is not suitable for people with mobility limitations or claustrophobia.

Admission: approximately $17 for adults, $10 for children age 4-12. Children under 4 are not permitted inside the submarine. Located adjacent to the visitor center. No reservation required.

Attraction comparison

Prices are approximate and subject to change. Verify current admission fees at the official Pearl Harbor website before visiting.

Tickets and reservations

Book the Arizona Memorial first, then build your day around that reservation time. Most visitors do the visitor center first (arrive early), then their Arizona Memorial time slot, then choose one or two paid attractions. The Arizona Memorial tends to book in late morning slots; pairing it with an early Bowfin visit (no reservation needed) works well.

Combined Passport packages are available at the attractions and bundle multiple sites at a discount. If you are visiting three or more attractions, compare the Passport cost against individual admissions.

Half-day vs full-day planning

Half-day (4-5 hours): Visitor Center plus USS Arizona Memorial, then either the Bowfin (adjacent, no shuttle) or the Missouri (shuttle required). This is the right choice for visitors with limited time, children under 8, or those combining Pearl Harbor with another Oahu activity the same day.

Full-day (7-8 hours): All four attractions, in the recommended order: Visitor Center, Bowfin (open first, no shuttle), Arizona Memorial (timed ticket), Missouri (shuttle), Aviation Museum (shuttle from Missouri). The Missouri and Aviation Museum share Ford Island and can be visited back to back. A full day requires sustained attention and physical energy; take breaks and eat lunch.

Combining Pearl Harbor with another major Oahu attraction the same day (Diamond Head, North Shore) is ambitious and usually rushed. It works better as a standalone day. See the Oahu 3-day itinerary for how to sequence it with everything else.

Practical tips

No bags at all. This is the single rule that catches visitors off guard. No purses, camera bags, fanny packs, or backpacks are permitted at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Plan to carry only what fits in your pockets: phone, wallet, keys. The paid storage facility on site is straightforward but adds time. Leave bags in your car if possible.

Arrive early. Traffic along H-1 toward Pearl Harbor backs up from about 8:00 am on busy days. The parking lot fills. Arriving at 7:30-8:00 am gives you first access to the visitor center museums and positions you ahead of the tour bus crowds that arrive from Waikiki hotels around 9:30-10:00 am.

Tone. The USS Arizona Memorial is a grave site. Keep voices low, avoid photographs that frame your own expression rather than the memorial, and follow all guidance from park rangers. Children who are briefed on this before arriving behave better and take more away from the experience.

For the full historical context, read our guide to the Pearl Harbor attack before you go. Understanding the sequence of events on December 7, 1941 makes the visit significantly more meaningful.