Arizona Memorial. Photo: Hawaii.com member Susan E.

Located within Pearl Harbor, just west of Oahu’s southern metropolis of Honolulu, is the official headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Found bobbing within these waters, alongside its modern-day models is the USS Arizona—one of seven battleships tied up along “Battleship Row”—which was onsite at the southeast shore of Ford Island when the first wave of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor began. Suffering a devastating hit and exploding at approximately 8:10 a.m., the battleship sank, along with some 1,177 of her crew, all within a mere nine minutes.

Hawaii’s Most Popular Attraction

Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Photo: Hawaii.com member Eugene.

Aptly-named USS Arizona Memorial, and widely recognized as the state’s most popular tourist attraction (yet serving as a favorite spot for locals to visit as well), the Memorial welcomes more than 1.5 million people per year—which averages out to a staggering 4,500 plus persons per day—inviting all to come and learn about the rich and storied history of Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor attack.

USS Arizona Memorial

Oil still seeps from the USS Arizona, submerged in the waters of Pearl Harbor. Photo: Hawaii.com member Bobbi E.

The Memorial, which is a unit of the National Park Service, was officially dedicated appropriately on Memorial Day in 1962. An educational center in its own rite, the popular destination is located on the Pearl Harbor Navy Base, about 45 minutes west of Waikiki.

Walk through History

Seven year old boy is captivated by the names on the walls at the Arizona Memorial. Photo: Hawaii.com Facebook friend Lucy S.

While visiting, guests will have the unique and special opportunity to learn about one of the most important and pivotal moments in American history, prompting the US’s entry into World War II. Serving to preserve and honor the individuals—and the personal stories—of this Pacific War, the site comprehensively documents, via rare memorabilia, photographs, documents, and other visuals and mixed media, the time period spanning this integral era of US history.

Recently expanded and renovated, the accompanying onsite Pearl Harbor Visitor Center complex features two exhibit galleries, outdoor exhibits, an audio tour, a theater, and a bookstore, as well as nearby access to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.

We Still Remember

Aerial view of the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu taken via helicopter. Photo: Hawaii.com member Jeff P.

While here, visitors may specifically look forward to learning about those in service, and even civilians, who perished on that fateful day, December 7, 1941. Also represented are fascinating and illuminating personal accounts of those blessed individuals who survived the actual attack, living to tell their survivor tales, and to pass on the truth firsthand of exactly what happened that day.

For more information, call (808) 422-3399.

Visit the special Pearl Harbor section at www.hawaii.com/pearl-harbor.