Pearl Harbor in Honolulu

What is there to do at Pearl Harbor?

The best place to start your visit to Pearl Harbor is at the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center. Parking and admission are both free, making it a breeze to get to and navigate. Here you can buy tickets to the top exhibits including the USS Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

Exhibits at the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center

One of the exhibits housed at the Visitors Center is the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park. Here you can hop on board a WWII-era submarine and go below deck to see the torpedo room, engine room, and sleeping quarters. If you’re visiting, make sure to check out the museum to learn more about how war works and check out some unique and interesting military submarine exhibits.

Another point of interest at Pearl Harbor is the USS Arizona. The USS Arizona was the scene of the most catastrophic explosion of the attack in 1941 with almost 1,200 casualties. Before going out to the memorial in the harbor, you’ll watch a documentary at the Visitors Center which talks about the history of the attack. After the movie, you can head out on a boat shuttle to the floating memorial which is built right over the top of the sunken ship.

The shuttle is free and is first-come-first-served, leaving every 15 minutes from the Visitors Center. If you like to plan ahead you can reserve a time slot online in advance and pick it up at the National Park Services’ ticket counter on the day of your visit.

What to see on Ford Island?

Across the harbor is Ford Island, an active military base where you’ll find the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. To get to the island you can hop on one of the free shuttles which leave every 15 minutes from the Visitors Center. The Battleship Missouri Memorial is a living museum that houses exhibits that span 3 wars and are dedicated to U.S. naval history. For a unique experience, make sure to join a tour that gives you special access to restricted neighborhoods.

Another popular stop on Ford Island is the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, home to two WWII-era hangars that survived the attack and tarmac that still shows evidence of the bombs. Highlights of the museum include vintage military aircraft, unique exhibits featuring the history and timeline of American aviation, and thrilling flight simulators that give you the opportunity to experience what it was like to fly these fighter planes.

How to get the most out of your day at Peral Harbor?

With so many exciting and historic exhibits at Pearl Harbor, there’s plenty you can do to fill your day. Grab tickets to the exhibits you want to see the most at the Visitors Center or you can purchase the Passport to Pearl Harbor which is a pass that allows you to see it all. Because Pearl Harbor is still an active military base, they don’t allow large bags. So, make sure to leave your bags in a secure spot or you can store them for a small fee before spending your day exploring this important site in American military history.