FULL DAY, FAMILIES
Pearl Harbor for History Enthusiasts
For the visitor who wants more than a great day, Pearl Harbor offers something extraordinary. The four sites together tell one of the most complete stories you can experience anywhere in the world: from the morning the bombs fell on December 7, 1941, to the afternoon the war ended four years later on the deck of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Every site has layers most visitors never reach. This itinerary is for the visitor who wants to reach them.
BEFORE YOU GO
Plan on a full day starting at 7am. The Passport to Pearl Harbor ($99.99 adults) covers admission to the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museumthe Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, plus the self-guided multimedia tour at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one VR experience at the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center, and is the most efficient way to manage the day. Book upgrade experiences in advance. The Captain's Tour and Chief Engineer's Tour at the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Guided Tower Tour at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, sell out, and you can't always get them same-day.
7:00 AM
Start with the Visitor Center Exhibits
Start here, not at the boat. The Road to War gallery covers the diplomatic and military events that led to December 7 in more depth than most visitors realize. The Attack gallery documents the assault itself with photographs, artifacts, and first-person accounts that are genuinely extraordinary. Give it a full hour. Everything you see at the other sites will mean more because of it. Before you head to the boat, pick up a multimedia tour device at the USS Arizona Memorial Narrated Tours desk. You'll use it here and aboard the memorial.
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8:15 AM
The USS Arizona Memorial
The 23-minute documentary is worth watching before you board. The National Park Service made it using actual footage from the attack, and it does something no other medium can. It makes December 7 feel recent.
The memorial itself is deliberately minimal. It was designed to create space for reflection, not interpretation. Spend time at the Wall of Remembrance. Notice the oil still rising slowly from the sunken hull below, what visitors call the black tears of the Arizona. Look at all 1,177 names. The boat program runs about 45 minutes from the start of your tour to when you return to the Visitor Center. When you're back, return your device at the Narrated Tour desk, and if you have time, step into the Virtual Reality experience near the Visitor Center for a 10-minute immersive view of December 7.
9:45 AM
Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
The USS Bowfin earned her nickname by sinking 44 enemy vessels across nine war patrols, more than almost any other US submarine in the Pacific. Moving through her from bow to stern gives you a visceral sense of what silent service warfare actually required. The torpedo room alone tells you everything about the conditions these 80-man crews operated in.
The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum building is worth your time too. Three galleries cover the full history of submarine warfare from the Civil War through nuclear-powered vessels, along with a memorial to the 3,505 submariners lost in World War II. Budget 90 minutes for both. The audio tour is included in 7 languages. For a guided experience led by a former US Navy nuclear submarine commanding officer, the Captain's Tour is available by calling 808-423-1341.
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11:15 AM
Lunch and the Shuttle to Ford Island
Jake's Street Food at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is a good stop before the shuttle. The Galley, a snack stand selling hot dogs and pretzels near the Ford Island shuttle entrance, is another option, open 10:00am to 3:00pm, no admission required. The complimentary shuttle to Ford Island departs every 15 to 20 minutes from the Visitor Center and takes about 10 minutes to get to the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Due to enhanced security, you may need to show your government-issued ID while boarding, since Ford Island is an active military base. International visitors should keep their passport on them.
11:45 AM
Battleship Missouri Memorial
This is where the Pacific War ended. On September 2, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur stood on this deck and accepted the Instrument of Surrender from representatives of Japan. World War II was over. Standing on the exact spot where that happened, the surrender deck, is one of the most historically significant things you can do anywhere in the United States.
For a deeper experience, the Captain's Tour (45 minutes) takes you through the command and navigation spaces as the ship's commanding officers would have experienced them. The Chief Engineer's Tour (60 minutes) goes into the engineering spaces that drove the Mighty MO, including a walk down Broadway, the longest passage on the ship. These tours are for guests ages 10 and up and require advance booking (non-refundable). Closed-toe shoes are recommended. Check in 15 minutes prior to tour time. Tours start on time, and late arrivals are not permitted. Budget two full hours with either upgrade. The Battleshop stocks an excellent selection of historical books and items if you're looking to go deeper after the visit.
2:00 PM
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
To fully understand the attack on Pearl Harbor, you need the aerial perspective, and this is the only site that gives it to you. You're inside the original Ford Island hangars that were strafed and bombed on December 7, 1941. The bullet holes are still in the windows. More than 50 aircraft tell the story of Pacific aviation from before the attack through the end of the war.
The Tower View Experience takes you 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower for a 360-degree view of the harbor and the battlefield, the same vantage point the attack was observed from in 1941. If you do one upgrade today, make it this. You'll understand the scale of the attack in a way that changes how you remember every other site you visited. Docent-led tours are also available on-site for additional depth. Budget 90 minutes plus time for upgrades. Last shuttle back to the Visitor Center leaves at 5pm.
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3:45 PM
Head Back
Head Back
Allow 30 minutes for the return shuttle. The site closes at 5pm.
Upgrade Experiences Worth Booking in Advance
Captain's Tour, Battleship Missouri Memorial: 45 minutes into the command and navigation spaces. Ages 10 and up. Closed-toe shoes recommended.
Captain's Tour, Battleship Missouri Memorial: 45 minutes into the command and navigation spaces. Ages 10 and up. Closed-toe shoes recommended.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
Chief Engineer's Tour, Battleship Missouri Memorial: 60 minutes in the engineering spaces. Ages 10 and up. Closed-toe shoes recommended.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
Fighter Ace Flight Simulators, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: Two 360-degree flight simulators. Available on-site. Minimum height 42" to ride with an adult.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
Captain's Tour, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum: Private guided tour with a former US Navy nuclear submarine commanding officer.
GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
A Few Practical Notes
Captain's Tour, Battleship Missouri Memorial: 45 minutes into the command and navigation spaces. Ages 10 and up. Closed-toe shoes recommended.
The Passport to Pearl Harbor ($99.99 adults) covers the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, plus the self-guided multimedia tour at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one VR experience at the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center. Book the USS Arizona Memorial separately at recreation.gov.
Tower View Experience, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: 168 feet up the Ford Island Control Tower with a 360-degree view of the harbor and battlefield. Accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches or less.
The USS Bowfin submarine is not wheelchair accessible. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum building is. The Battleship Missouri Memorial's main deck and surrender deck are accessible, though some interior areas are not. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is fully accessible. Tower View accommodates wheelchairs 24 inches or less.