During our vacation to Hawaii we went to Oahu and while there visited USS Arizona Memorial.

General information:

On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked. This was the culmination of years of bad relations between Japan and the United States. The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the 1,777 crew who died on that day.

Location, Parking, Hours and Fees:

The USS Arizona is located on the Pearl Harbor Navy Base. You have to go to the Visitor Center first which is located on the shoreline overlooking Pearl Harbor directly off State Highway 99 (Kamehameha Highway). It is about a 45-minute drive west of Waikiki. We took a shuttle bus from our hotel in Waikiki for $6.00 each round trip.
The most direct shuttle bus is #20. There are other commercial tour bus operators which we saw when we got there. If that interests you, their number is 808-422-0561.

There is free parking for about 250 cars.

The Visitor Center is open daily from 7:30am to 5:00pm. The last program begins at 3:00pm. The Visitor Center and Memorial are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

No reservations are taken. All tours are free and on a first come first serve basis. It was done exactly like the visitor platform at Ground Zero in New York. You want to get there early. We got there at 9:00. The line wasn’t that long and we were able to get on the 10:40 tour. You want to get there by 1:00 to make sure you get on a boat. During that time there is a museum and bookstore and plaques along the perimeter to read what you are looking at from across the water.

Necessary information:

Smoking, eating and drinking are not allowed in the Visitor Center’s theaters, on the boat that takes you to the Memorial or on the Memorial Structure.

Due to security, nothing but water and a camera can be brought in. They have set up an informal storage room for those of us who brought backpacks. You give you your items and they give you a number. This was easy to do and it was very quick to drop off my things and then to pick them up again. There is a charge of $1.00 a bag although our hotel told us that they had lockers and they were $5.00 each. Perhaps that is in the planning stages. We went in June 2002 and there was no sign of lockers being constructed.

For more information other than what I give you can call 1-800-422-0561, 1-808-422-2771 or write the Superintendent, USS Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI 96818-3145. It looks like a website is being constructed but at this time there is none.

When your time is called you will board a small but big enough for a bathroom boat that takes you to the Memorial. It is a very short trip. You will not need Dramamine or Bonine…I promise! Even if it is raining there is plenty of covered areas both while you are waiting and at the Memorial itself. You’ll spend about 20 minute on the USS Arizona.

What you will do while waiting for the boat:

There are many things to do. You will hear a talk by a National Park Service Ranger and then a 20-minute documentary film on the Pearl Harbor attack. In the center of the Visitor’s Center, which is actually a large area, you’ll find a central courtyard where you can sit on cement walls that protect the decorative water inside the center of those walls, you’ll find a small snack area where you can get a sandwich, drink, ice cream or cookies and a bookstore operated by the Arizona Memorial Museum Association where you can pick up the usual books and posters. I got a copy of the Honolulu Star Bulletin 1st Extra dated Sunday, December 7, 1941. It cost 5 cents back then. I paid $1.00 with headlines: WAR! Oahu Bombed by Japanese Planes. You will also find clean restrooms and a museum both inside and outside. You will see replicas of the boat, artifacts from the war, a 16 foot by 50 foot oil painting of the USS Arizona behind the information desk is by John Charles Roach and the lawn behind the visitor center is where you will get the excellent view I mentioned above of Ford Island and what is called Battleship Row which had 7 battleships tied up on the shore of Ford Island.

The USS Bowfin Sub marine Museum is next to the Memorial parking lot and you can tour this also while waiting, especially if you have a long wait. We did not have much of a wait so we had little free time before our time was called. This Submarine though, sank 44 enemy ships and a memorial as well as a museum are here so it might be something you want to do after you visit the USS Arizona.

What you will see at the Memorial:

This is really a very moving tribute but it is not intended to be sad. In fact, it was built to sag in the center but is strong at the ends which expresses initial defeat and then victory. You will find it very quiet at the Memorial. It is intended to be a place of serenity where you can feel your one response. As you approach you will see the United States flag flying from the flagpole which is attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship. I didn’t realize that not all of the ship is underwater. Some of it can be seen both from the Memorial and in areas under it where there are open spaces for viewing purposes.

I was so struck by a couple of things. One is that there is still oil spilling out from this ship. It can clearly be seen in the water. The second is a plaque that has names on it of people who have died recently. These are people who served on the USS Arizona who chose to be interned there. I get the chills just writing it!

You will also read some plaques with saying on it and of course; all the people on board have their names on the far wall. That is an area that is roped off. The Memorial is small and you will be done within 20 minutes. You will spend some of that time just looking off to the side of the boat and seeing some of it, which is out of the water, and thinking about the meaning of December 7, 1941. What you see out of the water is part of the Arizona’s Number 3-gun turret. My dad fought in World War II, so this was particularly meaningful for me, although he was never on this ship!

The tour, video and seeing the museum should take you over an hour but plan on spending over 2 hours with the wait and perhaps having a snack afterwards.

My final thoughts:

Well you certainly are not going to Oahu without seeing the USS Arizona. In fact I know people who have flown over from another island just to come here. It is more than a must do in the sense of what should I do on vacation. This is our history and if you miss this, you will regret it.

In spite of the reason for this Memorial: death, this is for everyone. If your child doesn't understand death, don't let that stop you from going. If he or she is too little to understand then it won't matter and if he is old enough to understand, this is a good way of talking about the casualties of war. (Just my opinion)


Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions. Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:


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Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview