Battleship Missouri Memorial

After learning that the U.S.S. Missouri was one of the last commissioned battleships, as well as where WWII came to an end, we knew we wanted to visit the museum. If you have military base access, you can drive through the gate and directly to the parking lot here. If not, then you park at the pearl harbor visitor’s center and a bus will take you to drop you off and pick you up to bring you back. They have military pricing for tickets. We arrived about one hour before they closed and we were assured we would have enough time. They mentioned that a guided tour was included upon purchasing admission, but as we entered, the folks welcoming us just directed us to go on the self guided tour. I did see a couple of other tour guides around the ship giving tours, or just posted about (I assume to answer any questions you have or give you directions). We did the recommended loop which was to go to towards the front to the bow (Where there is a great view of the U.S.S. Arizona and the rest of Pearl Harbor) and then walk around the top deck, around to the surrender deck, and around and up to the bridge. The top deck had some informational signs and were mostly about the Japanese kamikaze pilots. The surrender deck was super interesting and had the area roped off where the actual document was signed. There is also case of the document (I assume it’s the actual one). There are many historical photos to see, to picture how it was back then. The bridge was the best part, as they had the open air bridge and then the enclosed bridge. They had information about the navigational charts that they did and you could see all of the controls and the ships wheel. Then you go down into the battleship and walk around the 1st level. You get to see the crew mess hall, the kitchen, and the various levels of crew quarters and offices. You wind in and around through different doors, stairs and rooms to see the different exhibits they have set up with some memorabilia, photos, and loads of information. Since we knew we only had an hour, we weren’t able to dive through absolutely everything, but we got to see and learn most of it. As it was we were some of the last people through, as the security guard was following behind us and closing and locking doors as we went through. Every employee we encountered was friendly and welcoming. It is definitely sunny on that top deck so bring sunscreen or a hat and some water. Overall, we were able to walk through at a decent pace and get through it in an hour, although we could have easily spent more. If you aren’t a fan of tight spaces or stairs, then this adventure isn’t for you. As this is a battleship, there are lots of doorways to step over and through and lots of tight hallways to walk down and lots of steep stairs with low ceilings. It was very cool to see something like this and stand in historical places and learn so much about the ship and how it operated! I would highly recommend this to those who love history or military, or are just looking to say that you have been on a battleship before.

My friend and I took the Heart of the Missouri tour while our spouses took the main tour. I have been on the Missouri before but much of the below deck spaces were not yet open the last time I was there. In the Heart of the Missouri tour you will go several decks below main, get inside one of the forward 16” 50 cal gun turrets, go down the length of the ship on Broadway, go into a fire (boiler) room, engine room, gun plot and a ton of other spaces. Our guide knew extremely intimate details of every aspect of the Missouri and also of what life was like during time on duty and off duty while aboard. Learning about the 30” space between the splinter deck and the overhead of Broadway and what sailors had to do to train for escape and for emergency conditions made me appreciate even more their service. Our guide also identified the many redundant systems for electrical, fire fighting, targeting and survival that the untrained eye would have completely missed in a self guided tour. It was also very interesting to see how so much analog equipment (in a digital world perspective) worked to such extreme precision. The Heart of the Missouri tour requires the ability to step over obstacles, go up and down extremely steep ladders and watch your head. It is very well lit and the pace at 90 minutes is just right. This is a must do when at a Pearl Harbor

Seeing the Missouri should be on everyone’s bucket list! The history regarding this battleship & the whole Pearl Harbor National Memorial Park is truly a must see & experience. Plan to spend the whole day at Pearl if you want to see everything, because there is so much to see & do. You can walk around & tour the battleship on your own or you can take a free guided historical tour around the deck of the Mighty Mo, which is what I would recommend as it was so informative. If you get the park all inclusive pass, which covers everything in the park (other than trying one of the flight simulators at the air museum), the cost is very reasonable at $75 USD.

You can walk around self guided and/or take a 30 minute guided tour. There are 3 levels that you can explore on the self guided tour. If it gets too windy, then you won't be allowed to explore the upper areas. We paid $25 more to go on a small group tour that went below deck in areas that you could not go on the self guided tour. It only takes 10 people every hour, so you have to plan a little ahead. They have a marker on the spot that the surrender documents were signed. The gift shop had a lot of items that were not available at the other gift shops. It was really neat to walk around on an actual battleship that was used in conflicts and to learn about how it operated.

Visited on Friday, Dec. 3rd as part of a bus tour package which limited our time that we could stay. Still, we were able to see most of this Iowa class battleship which included visiting the upper decks and below decks. While there, there was a band playing music in preparation for the 80th anniversary events. The battleship has the designated area where the terms of surrender were signed by Japan. The ship was well preserved, but while touring, you have to be careful walking up and down the steep metal stairs where you can fall or hit your head. Also, it can be windy on the upper decks so make sure your hat is secure. We were there for about 1 1/2 hours, but you can easily spend 2-3 hours if you read all the info. on the displays and exhibits and take a lot of photos. I was impressed with how well preserved the ship was and would recommend a visit during your stay.

This was part of the rec.gov self guided passport package.
Although the weather was a mess we made the most of our day at Pearl Harbor. Dan gave an amazing tour and shared his passion for the US military including his personal accounts Of the the Missouri and the end of WWII with the surrender treaty signing. He was very considerate of our family’s needs with our older mother who was in a wheelchair. Thank you for a great day.

Moored across from the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri is an Iowa-class battleship with a career that has spanned over 75 years and three wars along with 11 battle stars. The ship was decommissioned in 1992 and donated to its current guarantor, the USS Missouri Memorial Association, in 1998. Along with the Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, it is one of the main attractions at Pearl Harbor. It was closed and undergoing refurbishment (paint and sealing of leaks) during my first visit to the area in December of 2009. During my current trip, I blocked off an entire day to spend here and it was well worth it.

Access to the ship is on the same shuttle as the Aviation Museum; after purchasing my ticket it was a quick walk and about a 10-minute ride to the site. Given adjustments necessitated by COVID there were no guided tours available but docents were scattered about and as always knowledgeable and friendly. A small pamphlet handed out at the ticket counter described the three main parts of the ship accessible to us: above decks, main deck, and second (below) deck. Most of us started on the main deck where the Kamikaze Deck is the main attraction. Visits to the bow and main gun batteries are a must; the flight deck/stern was not accessible due to a wedding (!). The Surrender Deck was next and clearly a focal point as well. A plaque and instruments of surrender are prominently displayed, and again docents were hovering around able to explain everything in detail. After the main deck, most of us travelled to the second deck where most of the “learning” about the ship and its daily life occurred. Interspersed among exhibits on kamikazes, the building of the ship, and the life of a Chief Petty Office are bunk beds for the sailors, enlisted and officer mess halls, dental facilities, and the post office among innumerable others. A visit above decks completed the tour with the navigation bridge, Tomahawk deck, and Combat Engagement Center being the highlights. Total time spent on site was probably four hours.

Overall, my visit here was a superb experience. Obviously I have an interest in this type of attraction, but this truly is a site that can be appreciated by those with even a passing curiosity. The ship is easy to access from the harbor, it’s relative compactness leads to an efficient visit, and the customer service overall was superb. Even those pressed for time can simply visit the Surrender Deck, Kamikaze Deck, and then quickly run below to get a sense of what life is like for those men and women who serve on board these vessels. It’s an attraction that’s definitely kid-friendly as well; the children I saw seemed to be in awe of the sheer size of the “museum” as the adults listened and read for a more didactic experience.

Choose your phrase: highly recommended, thumbs up, essential visit for history buffs, superb, etc.

We had previously seen the Missouri, along with the Arizona Memorial and the Aviation Museum, on a bus tour but wanted to do a longer tour of the Missouri so went again on its own. My tip would be to allow plenty of time - we arrived about midday and were finished just before closing time at 4pm, and needed every bit of that. It is possible to go through quicker, but all the displays were very interesting so we wanted to look at it all. For those interested, a trip to the Missouri is excellent.

Two adults visited here on a Thursday in early February and thoroughly enjoyed it. We used the GoOahu card for tickets.

Took one of the free guided tours of the main deck that lasted about 30 minutes. Rest of tour was self-guided both below and above the main deck. Believe you can also rent audio tours of the ship but we didn't have time.

Incredible to be on the ship exactly where WW II was ended and where Japan signed the surrender documents. Lots of history here.

We just visited the USS Missouri, everting was great except it was a very windy day.over 30 miles per hour. Even with the strong wind we had a good time. Going below deck and seeing sleeping, eating, cooking area was one of the highlights of the tour.