USS Arizona Memorial

First and foremost, you DO NOT need to pay to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. You CAN go at a reasonable hour (not 6 or 7 am) and get same day tickets. Don't fall for the tour company traps! Just the Visitor Center and the Arizona Memorial will take about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

If you want to see the Missouri or the Bowfin, you must purchase a ticket to enter. If you want to see the Missouri and you do not have a military id, you must purchase a tour so that you can get on to Ford Island.

Now that all of that is out of the way, if you come to Oahu and don't take the time to visit Pearl Harbor, you are doing it wrong. Granted, it is not the place for duck-lipped selfies and frivolity, but that doesn't make it any less stunning. Seeing the US flag through the skylights against the clear blue sky and the ship's tears (oil) still leaking is just incredible.

Go. Be respectful while there. Reflect.

This was a great trip through history. All was well done and very respectful of those who sacrificed their lives. My group got there early (for the free tickets - they only give out 1,000 per day, first come first served) and paid the extra $7 for the audio tour (by Jamie Lee Curtis! Ha!). There is a small museum on site and then you take the boat over to the Arizona memorial. The whole thing probably takes an hour.

If you’re just an average tourist I would NOT pay for an actual tour guide, like a few sites are offering. It seems unnecessary. I’m sure they give you a lot more info, but with the $7 audio headset rental I felt like I fully understood the surroundings.

This is a must see for anyone visiting the island. We got there a little before 7 am and were able to get on one of the first tours of the day, but most of their tickets are walk up only. They have some that are reserved 60 days and 1 day ahead, but I found these were extremely hard to get. You start with a film and then a boat will take you over to the memorial. Highly recommend the narrated tour, I found it very helpful. What we did was get our Arizona tickets first thing and then purchased the passport package of the Bowfin, USS Missouri, Pacific aviation museum, and the headset for narrated tour of the Arizona. This all made sense for us because we wanted to spend the whole day there, but if you only have a couple hours definitely see the USS Arizona. I’m not a history buff, but I could definitely appreciate the solemn sacrifice made on that day and the memorial is absolutely stunning. This is a must see on the island. The other museums are worth it as well and you learn quite a bit.

Even during the pandemic Pear Harbor was busy, the parking lots full, and many people in the standby line for the USS Arizona Memorial. You can reserve timed tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial up to 8 weeks in advance on the website for $1 per ticket. In addition to doing this I would recommend getting an early time as the parking lots do all fill up quite early. We arrived around 09:00 and the first two parking lots were already full. By the time we left around 13:00 they were all full and people were slowly driving around looking for spots to open up.

This memorial is very moving, seeing the resting place of 900 of our servicemen and learning more about what happened that day. The ranger with us was very knowledgeable and shared a very good story of the rescue of 4 men off the USS Arizona.

This was a bucket list activity and we were not disappointed. We got reservations online the first day they became available for the dates of our visit and the first two time slots were booked up even before we got online (this was on the afternoon of the first day they were opened for booking). Our time slot was at 2:30, allowing us to visit the Battleship Missouri before the Arizona. It takes a while to park and get into the park and one can’t bring bags in, requiring some planning about what to bring. To get to the Missouri on has to take a shuttle. We had to wait about 15 minutes for it to come and then about 15 minutes for the trip. We had purchased a ticket package that included the Missouri and got in line when we got off the shuttle. It turns out that we were supposed to get in the ticket line at the ship to receive an individual ticket from the passport and weren’t told that by the staff at the central checkin ticket window. It meant we got to the front of the line and then had to go back out to get the Missouri tickets. The free tour on the ship took about half an hour and was well worth it. The shuttle back to the main Arizona boarding area stopped at a second location so the shuttle back was at least a half hour. One needs to leave plenty of time for schlepping when visiting so as not to miss the reserved time on the Arizona. One only spends about 15 minutes on the actual memorial (there’s a movie first followed by the boat ride to the memorial) and it’s really a moving experience. It’s well worth the trip. One should leave the entire day for the experience.

The online instructions for booking tickets to pearl harbour were very confusing. If you are going in January or February, this is a low and slow time. There is no need to book in advance. You can experience THE memorial site for FREE or spend extra to experience the other exhibits offered.

If you don’t have reserved tickets , you will need to line up in the stand by line to get in to see the USS Arizona. People like up as early as 7am to ensure they can get in.

The showings start at 8am and run every 30 minutes. Reserved folks go in first and for all the no shows, they fill it with folks in the stand by line. We were in line at about 7am and made it to the 9am showing to give perspective on the stand by line.

Once you are in , the navy will operate a ferry to the USD Arizona Memorial. You get about 30 mins on the memorial until you have to take the ferry back and then you can explore the other areas of the memorial which include complimentary museums, etc. there are other areas that require a fee as well, like the submarine or battleship tour. We did not do those for this trip, but the guidance was to budget about 2 hrs for each site if you plan on exploring the other attractions.

Three stars is due to the wait of the standby line. Otherwise the memorial itself was well kept, but there are large crowds so stay safe and come early. I hear the reserved tickets are hard to get so if you want to do stand by , you need to come early.

One of the most moving memorials I've ever witnessed. To say it's a must is an understatement. This is where you go when visiting the island of Oahu. It's been almost five years and the memory of this day is still vivid.

My wife and I had planned our visit well in advance and the trip was part of a shore excursion on our Princess Cruise. The tickets for the tour are free, however you must plan ahead as this is an extremely popular attraction.

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred December 7th 1941. Long before most that were preparing to board and view was born. By the restrooms and gift shop were a few men that willing to share their own stories of that tragic day in U.S. history.

Once the ferry arrived at the USS Arizona Memorial our guide provided us additional information beyond what we heard in the film on shore. Visitors are free to ask questions. There are also headphones that can be purchased which we did and felt it was worth while. You may also bring flowers, I saw others toss in the water grave of the ships just mere feet from the surface,

There were probably around 35-45 on our tour. Once we entered the tube of the memorial it was silent. Names of the fallen are lined on the interior. The smell of oil is a sad reminder of the wreckage that lays beneath the clear water. Yes you can see the ship which shook me to the core.

The tour last approximately 30 minutes. If you want to stay longer you can join the next ferry. For me it was enough time and I could bare stand it any longer. It is one of the saddest places I can ever think of touring. Over 2,300 killed on that Sunday morning raid just before 8 AM. Over 1,100 were wounded.

I saw the memorial once and I do not care to return. This is something every American should see in there lifetime.

Very moving, chilling and emotional. Can’t express my gratitude enough to be able to visit this sacred memorial to pay my respects, definitely a humbling experience. May they all have eternal rest.

No big bags allowed, only small 4x8 purses (wallet size), water only and cloth masks (Covid restrictions) in order to enter. We booked our tickets online at recreation.gov to make sure we had tickets, however there is walk-on space available. Please silent your cell phones once boarded the navy vessel to head over to the Memorial. Your requested to speak in soft tones as this is sacred area.

I recommend seeing the submarine museum as well as its very informative on personal and submarines. Once finished with this tour. If you choose, take the free bus over to Ford Island to tour the USS Missouri, highly recommend doing so. This is one massive battleship with years of history from WWII to the Gulf War (Cher also performed a music video —“If I Could Turn Back Time”). Check it out. The bus also returns you back to the USS Arizona Memorial. Be respectful during all times.

This is the one must see exhibit/location on Oahu.

A key to make the visit most memorable. Find as many United States Park Rangers as possible and listen to their explanations of the events on that fateful day, December 7th, 1941.

The tour is actually free. You do not necessarily have to purchase an expensive tour from one of the many operators to park at the site and visit the memorial. Tickets however may be difficult to come by.

The one disappointing element of the visit was time management. Keep in mind that the remains of the Arizona have entombed in it the bodies of over a thousand sailors. It's important to be quiet and reverent and just pause to take in what happened and what remains. I felt the tours were a bit rushed and the location, for all its solemnity, was a bit too noisy.

Budget a fair amount of time pause to remember and think about the horrors of War.