The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor — a solemn place where WWII began for America.
Photo: DoD photo by: PH3(AW/SW) JAYME PASTORIC, USN · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
On December 7, 1941, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II — and nowhere is that morning felt more deeply than at the USS Arizona Memorial. The gleaming white memorial straddles (but never touches) the sunken battleship, where 1,177 sailors and Marines died and roughly 900 remain entombed to this day. It is an active war grave, and the wreck still weeps a faint sheen of oil — the 'Black Tears of the Arizona' — rising to the surface. (Note: the Pearl Harbor sites were renamed Pearl Harbor National Memorial in 2019, splitting off from the former World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.)
A visit starts free at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, whose two museums walk you through the road to war and the attack itself. From there, a short, free U.S. Navy shuttle boat carries you out to the memorial over Battleship Row, where the Oklahoma and Utah memorials and the historic mooring quays mark the rest of the fleet. The boat program is free but runs on timed reservations released on Recreation.gov — they go fast, so book ahead, and use the standby list at the visitor center if you missed them.
It sits about 20–30 minutes west of Waikiki off H-1, and the NPS site costs nothing (parking is a few dollars). A strict no-bags security rule applies — use the lockers. And remember the tone: this is a cemetery, visited quietly and respectfully. Several neighboring attractions (the Battleship Missouri, the Aviation Museum, the Bowfin submarine) are excellent but separately ticketed and not part of the free memorial.
The free starting point — the 'Road to War' and 'Attack' museum galleries and a documentary set the context before you head out to the memorial.
Insider tipArrive at least an hour before your boat time for parking, bag storage, and the museums.
Plan a trip to this spot →The white memorial resting over the sunken battleship where 1,177 died — about 900 still entombed below — with the oil 'black tears' still rising from the deck.
Insider tipThe program runs every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3:30 p.m. and takes about 45 minutes end to end — safety briefing, boat out, 10 to 15 minutes on the memorial, boat back. Check in ten minutes before departure. Be quiet and respectful; it's a war grave.
Plan a trip to this spot →On Ford Island, honoring the 429 lost when the Oklahoma capsized in the attack — a field of white marble standards.
Insider tipReached via the Ford Island bus tour from the visitor center.
Plan a trip to this spot →On the quieter northwest shore of Ford Island, marking the sunken USS Utah (58 lost).
Insider tipAlso part of the Ford Island tour — fewer visitors, deeply moving.
Plan a trip to this spot →The moorings along Ford Island where the fleet lay at anchor on December 7 — interpretive markers overlay historic photos on the modern view.
Insider tipLook for the Remembrance Circle by the visitor center for the wider story.
Plan a trip to this spot →The Battleship Missouri ('Mighty Mo,' where Japan surrendered), the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and the USS Bowfin submarine — excellent, but paid and not part of the free NPS memorial.
Insider tipEasy same-day add-ons if you have time and budget — buy those tickets separately.
Plan a trip to this spot →Tropical and warm year-round (highs ~80–89°F, lows in the 60s–70s), with a drier summer and a wetter winter. It's an outdoor, on-the-water visit with little shade, so sun, heat, and the trade-wind breeze — not cold — are what to plan for.
Free NPS site west of Honolulu — but the USS Arizona boat program needs a free, timed reservation.
About 20–30 minutes west of Waikiki off H-1; parking is $7 a day, paid by app. The visitor center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, closed only Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. The site is free; the USS Arizona Memorial program is free too but needs a timed ticket on Recreation.gov, released at 3 p.m. Hawaii time in two batches — 56 days out and again one day out — with a $1 non-refundable booking fee and a limit of ten tickets. If you miss both, register at the Standby Callback tablets on arrival and you may still get on, though the wait can run hours in peak season. Bags bigger than a small wallet are not allowed; clear backpacks are, and there are paid lockers for everything else.
No lodging at the memorial — a Honolulu/Oahu day trip.
The full range of hotels, dining, and beaches, about 20–30 minutes east via H-1.
Booking tipMost visitors base here and pair the memorial with the rest of Oahu.
Is it free?
Yes — the memorial, museums, and grounds are free, and the USS Arizona Memorial boat program is free, though a timed ticket on Recreation.gov carries a $1 non-refundable booking fee. Tickets drop at 3 p.m. Hawaii time, 56 days ahead and again the day before, and can be gone in minutes. No ticket? The Standby Callback system at the visitor center texts you when a space opens.
How do I get there?
About 20–30 minutes west of Waikiki off H-1 — drive (parking ~$7/day), take TheBus, or join a tour/shuttle.
Can I bring a bag?
Almost nothing. Anything larger than a small wallet is prohibited, so purses and ordinary backpacks stay behind; clear backpacks are the exception. Bring a wallet, phone, camera, clear water bottle, and any medication you need, and use the paid lockers for the rest. There are no restrooms on the boat or on the memorial itself.
How long should I plan?
Two to three hours or more — longer if you add the Ford Island bus tour or the paid neighbor attractions.
What's free vs. paid?
Free: the NPS visitor center, museums, film, and the USS Arizona boat program. Paid (not NPS): the Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and USS Bowfin submarine.
How should I behave there?
It's an active military cemetery — over 900 sailors remain entombed in the Arizona. Keep quiet, dress appropriately, don't swim, and follow staff guidance.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
