Visiting Pearl Harbor: Everything You Need To Know

This article was originally published on June 1, 2023, and was updated May 15, 2026.

In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor Naval Base near Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Nearly 20 American naval vessels and at least 300 airplanes were damaged or destroyed, 2,400 American lives were lost — including civilians — and another 1,000 were wounded. The following day, acting President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan, catapulting the U.S. into World War II, changing the balance of power in the world and cementing the United States’ status as a global superpower.

Now, visitors from all over the world journey to Pearl Harbor to commemorate that fateful day and remember fallen comrades. Because Pearl Harbor has four distinct sites spread across two separate areas, planning your visit ahead of time ensures you won't feel rushed and can give the experience the attention it deserves.

Know Before You Go

• The USS Arizona Memorial requires a separate reservation from recreation.gov. It is NOT included in the Passport to Pearl Harbor and cannot be obtained at the gate.

• The USS Battleship Missouri and Aviation Museum are on Ford Island (an active military base) and require a free shuttle. Give yourself time to park and check in at the visitor center before boarding the shuttle.

• Bags are prohibited throughout Pearl Harbor, not just at the Memorial. This means no backpacks, purses or camera bags anywhere. Bag storage is available for a fee near the entrance.

• Arrive by 7 a.m. during peak season. Parking fills fast and the USS Arizona Memorial standby queue grows quickly after 9 a.m.

Pearl Harbor Visitors Center. Photo by Tor Johnson, courtesy of Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

What can you see at Pearl Harbor?

USS Arizona Memorial

The white structure that sits above the sunken hull of the USS Arizona is the USS Arizona Memorial. The actual ship remains on the harbor floor with 900 crew members still entombed inside. You’ll take a Navy shuttle boat to get to the memorial. The entire experience is about 45 minutes including the boat ride.

Watch the 23-minute documentary playing in the memorial theatre before you board the Navy shuttle. It provides context to make your experience more meaningful. The shrine room contains a marble wall with the names of every sailor and Marine killed in the attack. Remain quiet throughout the tour and just take it all in.

Reserve tickets at recreation.gov up to 56 days in advance. Set a calendar reminder and be ready at exactly 7:00 a.m. HST on the release date, as tickets sell out within minutes. A smaller batch releases daily at 3:00 p.m. HST for the following day. You will be charged $1 non-refundable convenience fee per vehicle. There are no restrooms on the boat or at the memorial, so use the facilities at the Visitor Center before boarding. Standby tickets are sometimes available at the gate from 7:00 a.m. but are not guaranteed. We have included detailed instructions on how to obtain free tickets here.

Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park

The USS Bowfin Submarine is a WWII-era submarine nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Avenger." It launched exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Visitors can explore the interior including the control room, torpedo room and crew quarters. The cramped quarters will give you a visceral sense of what submarine life was actually like.

Tickets are $25.99 for adults and $14.99 for children (4–12). Children under 4 are not permitted inside the submarine. The interior is very tight. The passageways are narrow, ceilings are low, and the ladders between decks are steep. It is not suitable for visitors with severe claustrophobia or significant mobility limitations. There is a Japanese manned torpedo on display outside the submarine that most visitors walk past without stopping, but you should take a few minutes to check it out. This experience takes a minimum of 90 minutes to enjoy.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

The deck of the USS Missouri Battleship was where Japan signed its unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945. This was the moment that ended World War II. Visitors can walk most of the ship including the surrender deck, which is marked with a bronze plaque.

Tickets cost $39.99 for adults and $19.99 for children (4–12). The Missouri is on Ford Island, which is an active military base. Therefore, civilians cannot walk or drive there and must take the free shuttle. The shuttle departs the Visitor Center every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Missouri closes at 4:00 p.m, which is earlier than the other sites, so plan your visit accordingly and do not leave this for last. The surrender deck is on the starboard side near the stern. It is marked with a bronze plaque and a painted outline of where the Japanese delegation stood. This is worth finding before anything else. This experience takes about 1.5-2 hours to enjoy.

USS Oklahoma Memorial

The USS Oklahoma Memorial is dedicated to the 415 sailors and 14 Marines who lost their lives when the USS Oklahoma sank during the 1941 strike on Pearl Harbor. The names of those sailors and Marines are engraved in black granite on 429 individual white marble columns, each of which is 7 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds.

Pacific Aviation Museum

These two WWII-era hangars on Ford Island still bear bullet holes from the December 7 attack. Look closely, they are easy to miss if you are not looking for them. The hangars house aircraft from biplanes to modern jets with the Ford Island Control Tower as the centerpiece — visible from across the water.

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is located on Ford Island. You’ll take the same free shuttle as the USS Missouri to get there. It’s open until 5:00 p.m. — the same time as the last shuttle back. If you’re tight on time, you could skip this site without too much regret. The USS Arizona Memorial and Missouri are more directly connected to the Pearl Harbor story and are the highlights of the experience. Still, anyone interested in aviation history will find the extensive aircraft collection and hangar setting more fascinating than a conventional museum. This experience takes about 1.5-2 hours to enjoy.

Passport to Pearl Harbor — Is it Worth it?

The Passport covers the USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Missouri Battleship and the Aviation Museum with an audio tour device. It does NOT cover the USS Arizona Memorial, which is free but requires a separate reservation.

If you plan to visit all three paid sites in one or two days, purchasing the passport is the way to go, since the combined individual ticket prices exceed the Passport cost. The Passport is valid over two consecutive days, which gives you more time if you want to visit the three Passport sites plus the USS Arizona Memorial.

If you only have half a day, are already planning on skipping the Aviation Museum or are on a tight budget, you should skip the Passport. The USS Arizona Memorial is free and the Bowfin, which is $25, will cover the most essential experiences.

Passport Price: $99.99 for adults and $49.99 for children (ages 4–12)

USS Missouri Battleship at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Tor Johnson, courtesy of Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Practical Tips

• Plan to arrive at 7 a.m., so you can find parking before the lots fill up.

• See the USS Arizona Memorial first, or secure your standby number first thing if you do not have a reservation, then use the rest of the day for the paid sites.

• The shuttle to Ford Island runs every 15 minutes. There is no need to rush the USS Missouri Battleship site just to catch an earlier shuttle.

• Bag storage is available near the entrance.

• Dress modestly and comfortably. Wear sunscreen, you’ll be walking a lot outside and it gets hot at Pearl Harbor.

• No food or drink in the theater, on the boats or at the Memorial. There is a snack shop at the Visitor Center and food options near the paid sites.

Fun Fact

The Hawaiian name for Pearl Harbor is Puʻuloa, or long hill. It is the largest natural harbor in Hawaiʻi and was renamed Pearl Harbor because you could once harvest pearl oysters from its surrounding waters.

Location & Hours

• 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96818

• Open daily, except New Year’s Day (January 1), Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (December 25).

• 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.