Pearl Harbor Tour a must for visitors to Oahu

An average of 4,000 visitors per day make Pearl Harbor one of the most popular Hawaii activities on any visit to Oahu. Pearl Harbor tours can include just a visit to the Arizona Memorial or can take in all four fascinating museums. Be sure to view our tips for what you need to know before you visit Pearl Harbor.

Arizona Memorial is a short boat ride from the museum.

Pearl Harbor is home to some of the most important World War II historic sites. A shuttle-boat takes visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial built over the sunken remains of the USS Arizona battleship. A short walk away from the Arizona visitor center is the USS Bowfin submarine museum, another interesting destination for those visiting Pearl Harbor.

The Battleship USS Missouri Museum and the Pacific Aviation Museum are located a short shuttle-bus away on nearby Ford Island. Visits to these two fascinating museums are recommended as part of a Pearl Harbor tour if time permits.

USS Arizona Memorial and Museum

This memorial is a moving tribute to the brave soldiers who lost their lives in the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. A visitor center and museum are the land-based portions of the memorial park. A free ferry takes visitors for the short boat ride to the memorial located over the sunken hull of the USS Arizona. Over 1.5 million people visit the Arizona Memorial every year.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum

Go on board one of the few WWII submarines still afloat and learn what life was like for a submariner. Adjacent to the sub is a fascinating museum focused on the US Naval submarines from the first in 1900 to the nuclear submarines of today. Numerous other submarines, torpedoes and missiles are located on the grounds around the Submarine Museum.

Battleship Missouri Memorial and Museum

The last of the great US battleships, the “Mighty Mo” took part in many battles during WWII and secured her place in history as the site of the surrender to Allied Forces that ended World War II. Learn what life at sea was like with tours throughout the ship, films, photos and artifacts at the Missouri Museum.

Pacific Aviation Museum

Numerous WWII planes, dioramas, historical movies, and fascinating true stories of heroes and villains make this museum entertaining as well as educational. You can even try your skills in a WWII dogfight in a flight simulator at the Pacific Aviation Museum.

All of these museums share the same parking lot. The stop for the shuttlebus that takes visitors to the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pacific Aviation Museum is located just outside the Bowfin Museum (vehicle access is restricted on Ford Island). The shuttlebus is frequent and free for museum ticket holders.

Books and Videos about the attack on Pearl Harbor

To learn more about the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we’ve selected several prominent books and a few DVDs. Have a look at our selection of books and videos about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Illustration of the new Pearl Harbor Visitor Center & Museum

The new Pearl Harbor Museum and Visitor Center is expected to be completed in December 2010.  The construction is being done in stages so that that portions of the museum can remain open and provide continuing access to the Arizona Memorial. Read more…

The Pacific Aviation Museum rolls out two days of family fun with the return of its popular aviation weekend on Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. Aviation enthusiasts will enjoy hours of remote control airplane action, aeobatics and dogfights featuring the Birds of Paradise Airshow Team. There also will be aircraft flyovers, candy “bombings,” food booths, prize drawings, a free concert and tours in Hangar 79.

Admission to the Biggest Little Airshow is free with your paid admission to the Pacific Aviation Museum.

Once a month, the Pacific Air Museum hosts an afternoon “Hangar Talk” featuring guest lecturers. Among them are aviation authors, pilots and World War II veterans whose topics cover the history of aviation as well as how aviation changed history. You can attend for free with your paid admission to the Pacific Air Museum, where you will find diorama exhibits; rare aircraft such as a Japanese Zero, an F4F Wildcat and a B-25 Mitchell Bomber; and combat flight simulators. To find out more about upcoming Hangar Talks, call 808-441-1012