The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Star-Advertiser.
This article was originally published on June 1, 2023, and was updated Sept. 21, 2025.
In the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, the world was forever changed when the Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor Naval Base near Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
Following the assault from hundreds of Japanese fighter planes, nearly 20 American naval vessels and at least 300 airplanes were damaged or destroyed. Far more devastating is the 2,400 American lives lost, including civilians, and another 1,000 wounded, making it one of the most defining moments in U.S. history.
The following day, acting President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan, catapulting the U.S. into World War II, changing the balance of power in the world and cementing the United States’ status as a global superpower.
Now, visitors from all over the world journey to Pearl Harbor to commemorate that fateful day and remember fallen comrades.
What should I know before visiting Pearl Harbor?
Even though many decades have passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (as it is now formally called) remains the most visited site on the island of Oʻahu, offering guests an opportunity to explore memorials, exhibits and other historic venues. As there are several things to see and do, it is helpful to get a lay of the land before you go. Here’s how to visit Pearl Harbor.
Is Pearl Harbor Free to visit?
The USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center are free to visit. The rest of the exhibits are not.
Do you need tickets to visit Pearl Harbor?
When organizing your Pearl Harbor tours, make sure you plan ahead, and early, as tours sell out fast.
The Pearl Harbor Complete Experience Passport will provide transportation to and from your hotel in Waikīkī and admission to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine, USS Missouri and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
If you are only visiting the free Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and USS Arizona you can learn how to get free tickets here.
What can you see at Pearl Harbor?
Inside the USS Arizona Memorial. Photo by Star-Advertiser.
USS Arizona Memorial
Still found bobbing within the waters of Pearl Harbor, alongside its modern-day models, is the USS Arizona — one of seven battleships tied up along what is known as “Battleship Row.”
Visitors to the accompanying USS Arizona Memorial will get a unique glimpse into one of the most important and pivotal moments in American history via rare memorabilia, photographs, documents and other mixed media covering the time period spanning this integral era of US history.
Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
Visitors may also walk through the USS Bowfin Submarine, docked in Pearl Harbor, to get an intriguing glimpse into what combat submarine life was really like.
Visitors will board the submarine and are invited on a self-guided, narrated tour using a Walkman-style cassette recorder keyed to stops throughout the submarine.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
The USS Battleship Missouri secured its place in history as the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the United States, thus bringing an end to World War II, when the formal papers were signed on the deck of the battleship on Sept. 2, 1945. The ship remains intact and visitors can come on board for self-guided or guided tours.
USS Oklahoma Memorial
The USS Oklahoma Memorial is dedicated to the 415 sailors and 14 Marines who lost their lives when the USS Oklahoma sank during the 1941 strike on Pearl Harbor.
The names of those sailors and Marines are engraved in black granite on 429 individual white marble columns, each of which is 7 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds.
Visitors view large planes inside the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. (Photo: Star-Advertiser)
Pacific Aviation Museum
Known as “America’s Aviation Battlefield,” the Pacific Aviation Museum provides visitors with a stunning visual narrative of aviation’s role in the history of the Pacific.
The Museum is home to two WWII era hangars, which survived the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the Ford Island Control Tower.
When is Pearl Harbor open?
Pearl Harbor is open every day of the year except New Year’s Day (January 1), Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (December 25).
Pearl Harbor Hours
Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Can you visit Pearl Harbor without a tour?
Yes, you can visit Pearl Harbor without a tour, but a pre-paid tour will grant you quicker and easier access to all sites.
How long does it take to visit Pearl Harbor?
The visitor’s center suggests you arrive when Pearl Harbor opens at 7 a.m. and plan to stay all day. There are four sites, and each one takes approximately two hours to explore.
Where is Pearl Harbor located?
Pearl Harbor is located at 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96818.
If you are visiting Pearl Harbor from Waikīkī by car the trip typically takes about 45 minutes.
If you are coming by bus, a good starting point would be to depart from Waikīkī or the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Buses will take you straight to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. It will take about an hour to get there.
For the full bus schedule and stop locations, visit thebus.org.
Pearl Harbor Parking
There are multiple parking lots located along Arizona Memorial Place.
Parking costs $7 per day.
What island is Pearl Harbor on?
Pearl Harbor is located on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu.
When is the best time to visit Pearl Harbor?
December is the busiest month by far, so try and plan your trip any other time of year.
What is Pearl Harbor’s Hawaiian name?
The Hawaiian name for Pearl Harbor is Puʻuloa, or long hill. It is the largest natural harbor in Hawaiʻi and was renamed Pearl Harbor because you could once harvest pearl oysters from its surrounding waters.
