USS Bowfin docked in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu. Photo: Hawaii.com member Mary P.

Walk through the USS Bowfin Submarine, docked in Pearl Harbor.

Not a lot of people know what it’s like to live underwater in a “steel pipe,” particularly with a heavily armed enemy on your tail. To get at least a glimpse of combat submarine life, visit the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park,

The USS Bowfin is one of about a dozen WW II subs that have avoided being scrapped or used for target practice. Launched a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the “Pearl Harbor Avenger” served with great distinction.

The museum and park is dedicated to the sacrifice of more than 3,500 submarine personnel lost in World War II. This gallant band of brothers, comprising less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, sank more than 5.5 million tons of enemy ships, while sustaining losses of 52 submarines that remain on Eternal Patrol.

On the Bowfin, visitors are given a self-guided, narrated tour using a Walkman-style cassette recorder keyed to stops throughout the submarine. Get a glimpse of where the crew (known as “sewer pipers”) worked, ate and slept through nine rigorous patrols during the war.

The park is located adjacent to the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center in Pearl Harbor. It’s open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted on the submarine. Military, kama’aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available.

See also: USS Bowfin Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Its Launch (2017)