Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Pearl Harbor

The Pearl Harbor National Monument is the most visited site on the island Oahu. So, if you are traveling to Hawaii and plan to see this historic site, plan ahead to know what there is to do, how long to budget for your trip and how to make reservations, so you don’t have to wait on standby or forgo an experience.

Our guide to Pearl Harbor will explain its historical experience, everything there is to see and do, and how to make reservations for experiences like the tour of the USS Arizona Memorial and the Ford Island Bus Tour. I’ll also go over which memorials and experiences are free and which have a cost. Plus, I’ll talk about the best ways to see Pearl Harbor — traveling on your own or booking a guided bus tour.

On December 7, 1941, just before 8 a.m. on a Sunday, Japanese pilots flew over the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawai’i, attacking U.S. aircraft and naval ships. They fired guns, shot torpedoes and dropped bombs. Several ships and airplanes were destroyed, and even more were damaged. The worst damage was to the USS Arizona. The ship was hit by a bomb, causing the onboard artillery to explode. The Arizona sank quickly, leaving no time for crewmen to escape. The attack lasted nearly two hours and resulted in more than 1,000 wounded and the deaths of 2,400 Americans.

It was such a shocking and tragic event that President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress the next day saying, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Following the speech, Congress declared war against Japan, and the United States formally entered World War II.

In 1964, Pearl Harbor was declared a National Historic Landmark and is still the active joint military base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Parts of the base are open to visitors, so the public may visit the memorials and museums to learn more about the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II. About 1.4 million people visit Pearl Harbor annually, and it is one of the top three most visited points of interest in all of Hawai’i.

Keep scrolling to learn about what there is to see and do at Pearl Harbor, how to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, how to get there and how to plan the best visit for you.

There are memorials and museums at Pearl Harbor that cover the historical significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II. Some are best to make reservations ahead of time, and while the Pearl Harbor National Memorial is free to visit, the museums have a ticket cost. Itineraries to Pearl Harbor can range from a half day to a full day. It takes about 2-3 hours total to view the documentary as well as the memorials and galleries at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. It takes approximately 7 to 8 hours to visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum and the USS Bowfin, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

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The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is the first part of Pearl Harbor that you'll enter from the parking lot. This is the only section run by the National Park Service (NPS). The memorial includes the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater, two exhibit galleries and a gift shop. This is also where you'll check in and board the shuttle boat to see the USS Arizona Memorial (keep reading to learn about this program and how to make reservations) and the bus tour to view the USS Oklahoma and USS Utah memorials.

The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum and the USS Bowfin, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are on the military base but are not part of the National Park Service-operated national memorial. The Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are on Ford Island and are only accessible by shuttle bus unless you have a valid military ID. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and the last shuttle bus departs for the visitor center at 5 p.m. While they are not run by the NPS the same security guidelines apply. Visiting the memorial is free, but the museums and ship tours beyond the memorial have entrance fees.

Accessibility: The Pearl Harbor National Memorial, including the visitor center, theater and galleries are wheelchair accessible. Signage is offered in Braille, and tactile models are available for people with blindness or low vision. Visitors who are deaf and hard of hearing can contact the NPS to request an ASL interpreter. Visit NPS.gov/perl to access guidelines and the request form.

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

The National Park Service offers two audio tours for a fee that have narration for the galleries, grounds and USS Arizona Memorial. The base audio tour typically takes visitors 30 to 60 minutes to complete, and the deluxe tour also includes video about the Pearl Harbor attack. Audio tours can be purchased ahead of time or on-site.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater

There's a 23-minute documentary about the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor showing in the theater, which plays every 15 and 45 minutes after the hour. No food or drinks except water in clear bottles are permitted in the theater.

Accessibility: The documentary is captioned and there is an induction loop for people who use hearing aids.

Exhibit Galleries

There are two galleries at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, The Road to War and Attack. The exhibits utilize oral histories from military personnel present during the attack and artifacts from the time.

Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center

The Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center allows visitors to take a virtual tour of Pearl Harbor before and during the attack using virtual reality headsets. Virtual experiences include, "Walking the Deck of the USS Arizona Before the Attack," "Witness the Attack on Battleship Row" and "Experience the USS Arizona Memorial." Tickets can be purchased on-site or ahead of time from the National Park Service.

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The USS Arizona Memorial commemorates and honors the 1,177 crewmen aboard the ship who died as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The sunken ship became the final resting place for more than 900 sailors.

Today, you may visit the memorial built over the sunken ship through an NPS-run program. The program is about 45 minutes in length. Once you depart from the dock on the Navy-operated ship, it is about a 15-minute ride to the memorial. You will have 15 minutes at the memorial before having to reboard and return to land. At the memorial are the engraved names of the crewmen who died aboard the ship, and you can see the Arizona beneath the water.

Before visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, book a reservation for the USS Arizona Memorial program. Tickets are released by Recreation.gov 8 weeks in advance and again 24 hours in advance at 3 p.m. Hawai’i Standard Time. The program is free, but Recreation.gov charges a small fee for reservations. Sometimes it is possible to get a standby ticket the day of, but availability is not guaranteed, wait times are unpredictable, and you have to be present in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

The National Park Service recommends arriving at least one hour before your reservation time, so you can make it through the security checkpoint and check in at least 10 minutes prior to your program start time; spots are not held for late visitors. Also, many visitors find that seeing the documentary and visiting the galleries first provides context that makes visiting the memorial a more somber and meaningful experience.

Visitation at Pearl Harbor peaks during spring, summer, winter and Thanksgiving breaks. For the best chance at reservations and for the smallest crowds, plan your vacation outside of these times.

Accessibility: The shuttle boats and the memorial are said to be wheelchair accessible.

Time needed: 2 hours

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Ford Island Bus Tour is the only way for the general public to visit the USS Utah Memorial and the USS Oklahoma Memorial. It's a 90-minute park-ranger-led tour. Reservations are required and can be made through the National Park Service. While the tour is free, there is a small fee for the reservation.

The Ford Island Bus Tour departs at 3:15 and ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The bus tour conflicts with the USS Arizona Memorial program times of 2:30, 3 and 3:30 p.m.

USS Utah's construction was completed in 1911, and the ship was utilized for the entirety of World War I. It was hit during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. It capsized and sank, resulting in the deaths of 58 people.

USS Oklahoma was commissioned in 1916 and was nicknamed "The Okie" by its crew. During the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the ship was hit by a torpedo and capsized in 12 minutes. Unable to escape, 429 sailors and marines went down with the ship.

Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours

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The USS Bowfin submarine launched on December 7, 1942, exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the crewmen aboard fought in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Visitors may board the submarine and tour the narrow corridors to see the inner workings of the vessel.

The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum has three indoor galleries about the United States submarine force during World War II, the Cold War and the present day. Among the displays on the museum grounds are a missile, a torpedo as well as other submarine-related devices. You may also visit the Waterfront Memorial which commemorates the 52 U.S. submarines that were sunk during World War II and the 3,600 crewmen and officers who died.

Admission to the museum includes an audio guide.

Accessibility: The USS Bowfin submarine is not wheelchair accessible and requires visitors to use stairs and step through narrow doorways. The museum, however, is said to be wheelchair accessible.

Age restrictions: Children under age 4 are not permitted on the USS Bowfin.

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Construction of the USS Missouri began in January 1941 before the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. Construction was completed in 1944. Crewmen stationed on the USS Missouri fought in the Pacific theater during the last part of World War II, and the deck of the ship was the site of Japan's formal surrender.

Afterward, the USS Missouri was used in the Korean War in the 1950s and again in the Gulf War in the 1990s. Today, the ship has been preserved and now serves as a memorial and museum.

As a visitor, you have a few options to tour the Battleship Missouri Memorial. General admission comes with a 35-minute guided tour, or you can tour on your own. For an additional fee, you can add on the Captain's Tour, which gives you access to the captain's quarters, command operations and the officers' dining room. The Engineer's Tour also is available for an additional fee, and you can see and learn more about the boilers, the engine room and the ship's artillery.

Because the Battleship Missouri Memorial is on Ford Island, it can only be access via a shuttle that departs from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center.

Accessibility: People with mobility limitations and wheelchair users can board the USS Missouri and take an elevator to the surrender deck, though most parts of the ship are not accessible. The Captain's Tour and the Engineer's Tour both require visitors to climb up and down ladders.

Age Restrictions: Children under age 4 are not permitted on the Battleship Missouri, and children under age 10 are not permitted on the Captain's Tour or the Engineer's Tour.

Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours

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The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is located on Ford Island. The museum is organized into four main areas. Hangar 37 is a World War II-era facility that houses planes and exhibits that describe the United States' involvement in World War II, including the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the Battle of Midway in 1942. Hangar 79 houses aircraft and exhibits related to the Korean War, Vietnam War and the Gulf wars. A popular part of Hanger 79 is The Shealy Restoration Shop, where vintage aircraft are repaired and restored. The outdoor area between the hangars features helicopters and is where traveling exhibits are displayed, and lastly, the Operations Building with the control tower. The tower, which was under construction during the 1941 attack, can be accessed on the museum's Top of the Tower Tour.

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is on Ford Island and is only accessible by the shuttle that departs from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center.

Accessibility: Exhibits at the museum are marked as wheelchair accessible, but the Top of the Tower Tour requires visitors to climb two flights of stairs.

Age restrictions: Children must be at least 42 inches tall to take the Top of the Tower Tour.

Whether you should tour Pearl Harbor on your own or book a guided bus tour depends on the experience that you'd like to have.

If you only want to join the USS Arizona Memorial program and tour the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, it's best to go on your own because bus tours typically last all day and visit all the museums. It's also best to travel on your own if you prefer to move at your own pace, wish to visit some of the memorials and museums but not all, or hope to save money.

If you want to spend the day at Pearl Harbor and have ticket purchasing and transportation handled for you, a bus tour may be the way to go. Your bus driver may pick you up at your Waikiki hotel or they may pick you up at a designated location. While on the drive to and from Pearl Harbor, many bus tours provide narration about the historic site and the surrounding area. Once there, you’ll be given your museum tickets and have the allotted time to tour the site and all the museums included in the itinerary.

Read the itinerary carefully when booking a Pearl Harbor bus tour — especially if you want to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. Tours that include the USS Arizona audio tour do not always include reservations for the shuttle boat to visit the memorial.

Suggested tours:

All visitors must go through security before entering the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Clutches and wallets that are 1.5 inches by 2.25 inches by 5.5 inches or smaller are permitted. Bags larger than that must be clear and all contents visible. The only exception is bags containing medical equipment that cannot be carried in a clear plastic bag. Storage is available for a fee at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial if you bring any bags or luggage that does not comply with security guidelines.

For a complete list of restricted items and security guidelines, visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial webpage.

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There are a few options to get to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, which is the only visitor entrance for Pearl Harbor. Remember that Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam is an active military base, so security measures are in place and parts of the base are not open to visitors or only accessible by shuttle bus or guided tours.

Arriving by car: To get to the visitor entrance of Pearl Harbor, go to 1 Arizona Memorial Place in Honolulu. There is a daily fee to park, which can be paid through a website on your mobile phone or at the on-site kiosk. If you choose to drive, plan to arrive early; the visitor lot fills quickly.

Arriving by city bus: Buses 20 and 42 from Waikīkī have a stop just outside the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. For the most up-to-date information about the city bus routes, fares and what attractions you can get to by bus, check Honolulu's public transit website.

Arriving by shuttle: Some hotels offer shuttle service to Pearl Harbor — service can be complimentary or cost a fee. Check with your hotel front desk clerk or concierge to arrange this service. If your hotel does not offer shuttle service, there are private companies with which you can arrange transportation. You can book these on your own or arrange them with the help of your hotel concierge.

Bus tours: If you opt to visit Pearl Harbor on a guided bus tour, then your tour operator will arrange transportation to and from Pearl Harbor. Check the description of the tour closely before booking, and contact the tour operator if you have any questions.

There is a small sundry shop in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial that sells snacks, bottled water and sodas.

Outside of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum at a covered lanai the is a Jake's Food Truck with a small selection of items for lunch.

At the USS Missouri Memorial, there is a food truck named Sliders Grill that serves lunch options and the Wai Momi Shaved Ice stand. The gift shop at this memorial also sells an assortment of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

You can dine in air conditioning at the Hangar Café, part of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. The museum café offers American fare. Hours for the food trucks and café at Pearl Harbor may vary, but they are typically open for lunch and close by 2 or 3 p.m.

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