October 3rd, 2007
Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin, & the Mighty Mo
USS Arizona Memorial
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is the first stop for visitors planning to tour the Memorial. Located within the Center are two theaters, where visitors view a 23-minute documentary film on the Pearl Harbor attack prior to visiting the Memorial.
Museum
The museum brings visitors closer to the sights and sounds of the December 7, 1941 attack on Oahu, with personal memorabilia, dramatic photographs, artifacts of the battle and other exhibits.
Bookstore
The Bookstore is filled with over 120 book titles relating to the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the Pacific War effort. There are over 50 videos relating to the subjects, audio tapes, posters and other mementos of the USS Arizona, the Pearl Harbor Attack and War in the Pacific that visitors can purchase as a reminder of their visit and to further educate themselves on the subject. The Arizona Memorial Museum Association, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide educational and interpretive materials, operates the bookstore and provides products related to the USS Arizona and the Pearl Harbor Attack. All proceeds from the bookstore go directly to the interpretive operation of the USS Arizona Memorial.
Exhibits
Near the water’s edge, the Interpretive Exhibit Panels invite visitors to imagine the experience of that tragic day, by superimposing descriptive images of Pearl Harbor as it was in 1941 across the panorama of the busy port as it appears today. Near the panels is the Remembrance Exhibit, which pays tribute to the men, women and children, military personnel and civilians who were not on the USS Arizona that fateful morning, but whose lives were extinguished during the attack.
Beyond the structural elements of the Visitor Center, there is a rich human subtext. Most days, one or more Pearl Harbor survivors can be found at the Visitor Center sharing stories and remembrances with visitors.
Interpretive Programs
When guests enter the Visitor Center, they are asked to line up for a numbered ticket, which provides free admission to the Memorial tour. While waiting for the tour to begin, many visitors take a self-tour of the Visitor Center and its many attractions. When the number that appears on their ticket is called, visitors are asked to assemble at the entrance to the theaters in preparation for the tour to begin.
The guided tour of the USS Arizona Memorial includes a 23-minute documentary film depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor, a short boat trip and a self-guided exploration of the Memorial. There is no restroom facility on the memorial.
Within the Memorial itself, visitors will see three distinct areas:
- The Entry Room holds flags of the nine states for whom the eight great battleships and the USS Utah were named. Today, the USS Utah still rests in Pearl Harbor.
- The Assembly Room is an open area where ceremonies are held and visitors may reflect and more closely examine the shadowy remains of the Arizona below.
- The Shrine Room holds the great marble plaque with the names of the 1,177 sailors and marines that perished on the Arizona. The Shrine Room also honors the USS Arizona survivors who have chosen to be interred along with their shipmates.
Visitors can expect up to a 3-hour delay for their program to begin during the summer months, but less during the fall, winter, and spring. It is important to arrive early to be assured of a program ticket. There are 30 scheduled programs daily with seating for 150 people in each program. The Memorial receives an average of 4,500 visitors per day and 1.5 million visitors annually.
Other Nearby Pearl Harbor Museums
Visitors may venture next door to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and the USS Missouri located on adjacent Ford Island which is accessible by trolly. Tickets for the USS Bowfin and USS Missouri can be purchased at the USS Bowfin.
*Cell phones, as well as all other electronic devices, must be turned off once the program begins in the theater, on the Navy shuttle boat, and at the Memorial.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park (next door to the Arizona Memorial)
· Submarine & Museum Adult tour is $10
· Special $7 rate is available for military, senior citizens, and Hawaii residents (with proper identification)
· For those who would like to visit the museum only, the admission fees are $5 for adults and $3 for children (ages 4 to 12).
Other Rates and tours:
$20 for a combined Bowfin-Missouri unguided tour (adult)
$16 for an unguided tour of Missouri (adult)
$10 for a combined Bowfin-Missouri unguided tour (child)
$8 for an unguided tour of Missouri (child)
$10 for an unguided tour of Missouri (adult - military with ID)
$5 for an unguided tour of Missouri (child - military parent with ID)
For a guided tour of USS Missouri - "The Chief’s Guided Tour" - add an additional $6.00 per person (both child and adult, all categories).
Submarine: Visitors are given a walkman-style cassette player that narrates their tour as they explore this historic WWII submarine to imagine what life on board must have been like for her 80-man crew. USS Bowfin was launched on 7 December 1942 and completed nine successful war patrols. For her wartime service she also earned both the Presidential Unit Citation and the Navy Unit Commendation. USS Bowfin was acquired from the U.S. Navy in 1979 and opened to the public in 1981. In 1986 she was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior. Dive into Bowfin’s War Patrols.
Museum: Explore the intriguing world of submarines, both past and present. Our 10,000 square foot Museum exhibits an impressive collection of submarine-related artifacts such as submarine weapon systems, photographs, paintings, battleflags, original recruiting posters, and detailed submarine models, all illustrating the history of the U.S. Submarine Service. Exhibits include a Poseidon C-3 missile that allows visitors to examine its inner workings. It is the only one of its kind to be on public display. Learn more about our Bowfin-related exhibits.
Mini-Theater: Relax and enjoy submarine-related videos in our Mini-theater, which seats approximately 40 visitors.
Waterfront Memorial: Within Bowfin Park stands a public memorial honoring the 52 American submarines and the more than 3,500 submariners lost during WWII.
USS Missouri – Mighty Mo
Each day the decks of the Mighty Mo are opened and she touches more lives: triggering the memories of veterans, illustrating the awesome talent of American ingenuity and reminding us of the great sacrifices made in the past to ensure peace for the future. Her contribution did not end when she was decommissioned. She now serves a rare tour of duty illustrated each day when she witnesses grandchildren looking at their fathers and grandfathers with an understanding and a respect gained while walking her decks.
The USS Missouri and USS Arizona Memorials serve as bookends marking the beginning of the U.S. involvement on the second world war and the end of four years of battle. It was on the USS Missouri the the document of surrender was signed by representatives of the allied nations and the government of Japan.