Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, taking the lives of 2,500 people and sinking 21 ships, drawing the United States into World War II. And today, on this infamous day, nearly 1.4 million people gather each year to honor the lives lost by visiting the USS Arizona Memorial. The memorial is located right on the site of the sunken warship Arizona; visitors gaze at the ship’s wreck on the shoal that became a grave for 1,177 sailors. On shore, the NPS Visitor Center and Museum conducts 75-minute tours, showing a documentary and taking a boat ride to the Memorial. Tickets for the tour are released without securing a seat on the boat, and seats may no longer be available after noon. Come early to avoid waiting in line.
What to see
If you have to wait a long time, you can go to the nearby USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and see World War II relics and climb inside a submarine called the Pearl Harbor Avenger. There are buses from Bowfin Park to the USS Missouri, the warship memorial and the hangar-sized Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford’s Island. Interestingly, the famous “Almighty Mo” airplane that forced Japan’s surrender ended World War II.
.Tourists
- Buses 42 and 20 ($2.50. One hour) run from Waikiki to Honolulu to Pearl Harbor
- NPS Visitor Center and Museum (Tel: 808-422-3300; www.nps.gov/valr; 1 Arizona Memorial PI; admission and tour are free; 7 a.m.-5 p.m., boat departures 8 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park (www.bowfin.org; 11 Arizona Memorial Dr; museum and tour adult/child 4-12 years $10/4; 7 a.m.-5 p.m., admission until 4:30 p.m.)
- USS Missouri (Tel: 877-644-4896; www.ussmissouri.org; admission with tour adult/child 4-12 years $20/10, guided tour $45/22; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. admission)
- Pacific Aviation Museum (www.pacificaviationmuseum.org; adult/child 4-12 years $20/10, guided tour $30/20; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
