Plan Your Visit

While it's possible to visit all four of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites in roughly 6 hours, the best way to experience Pearl Harbor - and not miss a thing - is to make a full day of it. There's an incredible amount to see and do and lots of family-friendly places to grab a bite to eat. Here are a few things to keep in mind while planning your trip.
A National Historic Landmark, Pearl Harbor is also an active military base. For security reasons, bags are not permitted at any of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. For $7 per bag, $10 oversize/luggage, visitors may store backpacks, purses, luggage, and shopping bags at the baggage storage area located in the front of the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Entry to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial is free. Parking is available for a fee.
Entry to the USS Arizona memorial is free. The National Park Service (NPS) offers daily programs that include a movie about December 7th, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and a boat ride to the USS Arizona Memorial. The boat tours start at 8:00am and go through 3:30 pm daily. Tours last approximately 45 minutes from the time you board your boat.
Reservations for the USS Arizona Memorial are available at recreation.gov. Limited amount of timed tickets are available through the website 56 days in the future. If there are no tickets available, additional tickets are released 3pm (HST) the day prior to visit. The National Park Service strongly recommends that visitors make advanced reservations as standby seats may not always be available.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park to Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is conveniently located within the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Climb aboard USS Bowfin for a close quarters look at life aboard a WWII-era submarine, and stroll among the many fascinating indoor and outdoor exhibits in the Pacific Submarine Museum. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours to get the most out of your visit.
Battleship Missouri Memorial and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are both located on Ford Island and are only accessible to the general public via the shuttle buses which depart from the Visitor Center every 15 minutes. The last shuttle back to the Visitor Center leaves at 5:00 p.m. from Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
Visitors with a valid military ID or contractors' permit are able to access Ford Island directly.
Guided tours of USS Missouri last anywhere between a half an hour and two hours, or explore the ship at your own pace on a self-guided walking tour that takes you above and below the decks of America's mightiest battleship.
Visitors to Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum can expect to spend two hours or more as they view the battle-damaged air field and control tower of historic Ford Island before setting foot inside the two WWII-era hangars that house the museum's impressive collection of vintage aircraft.
Tickets for these sites are available for purchase at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Ticket desk located in the courtyard of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and at the entrance of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, Battleship Missouri Memorial and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Discounts are available to local residents and military personnel with valid id.
