Pearl Harbor
Set in a bay where Hawaiians once harvested clams and oysters (hence the “pearl” connection), the infamous World War II site is still a key military base. The harbor’s relics and memorials, which incorporate the resting place of the doomed battleship Arizona and final berth of the historic USS Missouri, are visited by 1.6 million people each year. A museum of military aviation is also nearby.
1. Battleship Row
The U.S docked the workhorses of its Pacific fleet along the shore of Ford Island. Vulnerably positioned, the ships sustained the full force of the attack on the morning of December 7, 1941.
2. USS Arizona Visitor Center
Thousands of people pass daily through the center, which is the gateway to the offshore memorial. Arrive early: free, timed tickets for the movie and boat ride are gone by noon on busy days.
Visitor Center • 1 Arizona Pl. • www.nps.gov/usar • 422 0561 • 7am–5pm • free
3. USS Arizona Museum
This collection of interpretive exhibits and artifacts is one place to visit during the time you’ll inevitably spend waiting for the boat.
4. Historical Film
The 23-minute documentary film shown at the Visitor Center gives viewers a broad outline of the forces that led up to the Pearl Harbor attack and the main events of that fateful day.
5. USS Arizona Memorial
The stark white structure, floating above the ship that became a tomb, is a place to solemnly peruse the names of the dead inscribed on the wall.
6. USS Bowfin Park
This park, entryway to the submarine museum, plays host to a display of weaponry, including a deadly looking Poseidon C-3 Missile and a Japanese human torpedo.
7. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum
If the Arizona is representative of the attack on the U.S., the Bowfin helps visitors understand how the country responded. Nicknamed Pearl Harbor Avenger, SS-287 has tales to tell of wartime patrols and conditions for submariners.USS Bowfin Submarine Museum • 11 Arizona Memorial Dr. • www.bowfin.org • 8am–5pm daily • adm $10 • no children under 4
8. USS Missouri
Twenty stories high and three football fields long, this vessel has earned its nickname, Mighty Mo. Approximately half of the ship is open to visitors.USS Missouri • www.ussmissouri.com • 9am–5pm daily • adm for self-guided tours ($22 adults/$11 children), additional fees for special tours, such as the Battle Stations Tour ($25 adults/$12 children)
9. Battle Stations Tour
This expensive but highly recommended 90-minute tour of the Missouri is the most comprehensive tour available. It focuses on stories of the ship’s many battles. Children must be aged 10 or over.
10. Deck of Surrender
A bronze floor plaque in the teak deck on the USS Missouri marks where a mess table was set up for Japanese ministers to sign the Instruments of Surrender in Tokyo Harbor in 1945.
“A Day That Will Live in Infamy”
That was how President Roosevelt described December 7, 1941, when the Japanese made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The bombers crippled U.S. military installations on O’ahu, sinking or severely damaging 18 battleships at rest in Pearl Harbor, destroying or disabling nearly 200 aircraft, and killing 2,390 officers and men. The U.S. officially entered World War II after this event.
Tip: Security measures are in place, and bags may have to be secured in lockers. Carry only what you need and, of course, nothing that might qualify as a weapon. Tip: The attractions of Pearl Harbor may be too much for small children — too much waiting and walking.
