Pearl Harbor National Memorial & Visitors Center

Staggeringly sobering the impact that that fateful day had on the island, the territory, and the USA.The Arizona memorial is a must.Booking ahead for tickets to the memorial is not negotiable.A trip to Ford Island was rewarding, the aviation museum, the USS Missouri and especially for lunch at the Blue Box.Informative and courteous citizen staff, park rangers, and the US Navy & Marine sailors & soldiers staffing the site get a big thank you.

I came here today with my husband while on vacation from California. This has been on his bucket list and he wanted to visit on his 50th birthday. The staff is very helpful with instructions and directions. We were thinking we had to get a package and pay $100 just to come visit and experience this special place. We decided to wake up early and just try to get in. We arrived around 9am on a Sunday not too crowded. We were told we can be on stand by to ride the boat to the Arizona memorial. This was very emotional for both my husband and I. We watched a film. Tour the museum and we did not have to pay for any of this. We did pay $7.00 for parking which wasn't bad. We spent half the day there. We also bought a couple souvenirs to take back home. The stand by did not take long we waited maybe less than 15 min to get on. I want to say one more important thing about Hawaii and their visitors. While touring I noticed I lost my iPhone after a some time later. I wasn't taking much photos because I wanted to be present in the moment. I told myself great their goes my phone and all my vacation photos. I was more heart broken because I have photos of my son before he left for deployment a few days prior. I started calling my sister and daughter on my husbands phone to track it. They said it was in the area still and it's moving. I asked so many people before getting to the very front where someone was gracious enough to turn my phone in. The people here are wonderful, honest, and I just want you to know there are still many people with honest hearts out here and in the world. To the person who turned it in. Thank you is not enough. God bless you!

Basically it's an important part of U.S. history that should be visited by anyone curious about war and battles. It actually includes a few memorials and museums. Pearl Harbor National Memorial includes the site of the USS Arizona and other important things in World War II. Also it's free. The museums have admission prices but it won't cost anything to look around the Visitors Center and places. A part of the National Park System, so that's why it's free. It's got an interesting history. This was a part of the World War II Valor In The Pacific National Monument. It commemorates the infamous attack. This was later made into a separate national monument in 2019. In addition to the USS Arizona, a few others were sunk in the attack. The Visitors Center has a film you can watch. Also there's a few buildings with artifacts. These include the draft of Franklin Roosevelt's Infamy speech, along with ship parts collected and a few models. For sure it's an important thing to visit while in Hawaii so go here if you haven't. It's on a few bus lines. There's also tour buses that go here so there's several options for public transportation.

The website does make it seem like you need to spend money on a tour, but I do appreciate that you can just show up and decide what you would like to do if you're unsure. Obviously do your research and make sure you know what sections close and when but there is so much to learn just by walking around the grounds. Very emotional place as well.

A must do. We bought tickets a month or so ahead of time online then waitlisted for earlier in the day day-of. Turned out great. It's an emotional tour to appreciate and respect those who lost their lives. It's also a regimented tour so there are rules and you follow them. You stand in line for a bit, go in to an area for how tos and a lovely introduction by a ranger, then take a quick and efficient boat ride to the memorial. You have maybe 20 mins to 30 mins at the memorial then you get back on the boat with the same group to head back. There is a white structure above a very visible sunken ship and a listing of those who died as well as those who survived the attack. Parking is $7 and that may take some patience. Our concierge had recommended we arrive 2 hours ahead of time just in case and that worked out well.

This is the second time I have gone and I experience strong personal emotions here.These are short scheduled tours.As I observed the wall with the names of the sailors who died that day I really paid close attention to the Rates aka job classifications. I was an RM in the Navy. There were alot of RMs who are entombed on the USS Arizona.The USS Missouri which is docked few hundred yards away is there to symbolically protect the USS Arizona. This emphasizes the beginning of the war with Japan when it attacked Pearl Harbor and sunk many Navy ships to the end of the war when Japan surrenderd on the deck of the USS Missouri. These are very large battleships with large 16 inch guns.In the store a saw a few books I am interested to purchase.

Update to post more photos of our Christmas holiday visiting this historic siteChristmas holiday with hubby and two sons, arrived by your excursion van. The place is well run, clean and staff/volunteers are polite and informative. We took a ferry boat to the memorial after watching a 15 minute movie of events leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack.Pictures are allowed and everyone was respectful. Gift shop is pricey, so l bought one souvenir magnet and T-shirt.

We all studied Pearl Harbor in grade school, but not for a "fun" reason. I'm glad we got a chance to finally visit the memorial in person after all these years. The boat ride over to the memorial is a solemn one. It's surreal seeing where something so traumatic be so quiet and calm. The memorial was hard to look at. You can see the sunken ships from the surface. Definitely recommend visiting whether or not you are an American. Never forget what we have gone through as a nation - we can get through it together.

Somber and moving [Honolulu HI]We came to Pearl Harbor National Memorial to see the USS Missouri. I had the opportunity to visit the USS Arizona Memorial twice, first time was in 1/4/1993 and again on 1/5/2016, 23 years later. I just re-watched the movie Midway (I love that movie)... Pearl Harbor is the site of the 1941 attack that brought the U.S. into World War II.After we purchased the tickets we were instructed to head to the tour bus that took us to Battleship Missouri. My visits to Pearl Harbor has been a moving experience both times. Oil slick is still visible on the water's surface above the sunken battleship... the "tears of the Arizona."If you haven't yet, it begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of the USS Arizona and ends with the signing of the Instrument of Surrender on the USS Missouri.Review #3586

Pearl Harbor is a must when visiting Oahu. There is so much to see here. When you walk in, you are quickly reminded about what took place. We purchased tickets for the memorial. You watch a video before you board the boat that takes you to the memorial. The mood is somber as you learn more about what took place and the lives that were lost. Emotions change as you exit the boat and approach the wall that lists the names in memory of those who passed. I can't imagine what they went thru. Oil is still leaking from the ship. Seeing it in person makes it very real. Parts of the ship can still be seen from the surface. It's very quiet and somber. To think about all of the families that lost loved ones and the innocent lives that were taken brings tears to the eyes. There are other exhibits to visit wheen though return. There is a list of names of civilians of all ages who also lost their lives. We didn't get to see the other exhibits due to the weather but I am going to make it a point to visit when I return. The view is stunning and there is so much to learn about Pearl Harbor. The is also a gift shop that has some souvenirs and books for purchase. The experience will tug at your heart strings.