Free tickets that sell out, a strict no-bags rule and four sites spread across a working naval base. How to plan a calm, unhurried day at Pearl Harbor.
A quiet boat ride
The navy launch leaves the dock, swings out past the shoreline of Ford Island and slows beside a long white building that seems to float on the water. Nobody on board says much. When you step inside the USS Arizona Memorial and look down, you can see the rusted outline of a gun turret just under the surface, and every so often a few drops of oil rise and spread in a rainbow film.
More than 900 of the sailors and marines killed aboard the battleship on 7 December 1941 are still entombed below. That is why a visit here feels so different from any other sight on Oʻahu, and why it rewards a little planning. This guide is about the practical side: tickets, bags, timing and the other sites. For the story of the attack itself, read our history of Pearl Harbor.
What there is to see
"Pearl Harbor" is really a group of sites, run by different organisations, around the visitor centre at the edge of an active military base.
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial (National Park Service): the visitor centre, two free museum galleries, the 23-minute park film and the USS Arizona Memorial programme, which includes a safety briefing, the boat ride, time on the memorial and the return trip. The national memorial also covers the USS Oklahoma and USS Utah memorials on Ford Island.
- Battleship Missouri Memorial: the "Mighty Mo", on whose deck Japan's surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. She is moored on Ford Island, so the start and end of the Pacific War lie within sight of each other.
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: two historic hangars on Ford Island that still carry damage from the attack, with aircraft from the Second World War onwards.
- USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park: a wartime submarine you can climb through, next to the visitor centre, launched exactly one year after the attack.
The Missouri, the Aviation Museum and the Bowfin charge separate admission. Ford Island is part of the base, so you reach the Missouri, the Aviation Museum and the Oklahoma Memorial on a shuttle bus from the visitor centre area rather than by car.
USS Arizona Memorial tickets (as of October 2026)
The Arizona programme is free, but it runs to a timetable and boats fill up. Details below were checked on the National Park Service site in October 2026.
- Where to book: recreation.gov only. There is a non-refundable $1 booking fee per ticket, and everyone needs a ticket, including infants.
- When to book: timed tickets are released daily at 3 pm Hawaiʻi time, in two batches: eight weeks (56 days) ahead and 24 hours ahead. If the long-range batch is gone, set an alarm for 3 pm the day before.
- Group size: up to 10 tickets per reservation.
- No ticket? Sign up at the free Standby Callback tablets at the visitor centre. You get a text with your place in line and another when it is your turn. On busy days the wait can be several hours.
- Times: boats leave every 15 minutes from 8 am to noon and from 1 pm to 3.30 pm. The visitor centre is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm and closed on Thanksgiving, 25 December and 1 January.
- Arrive early: allow an hour before your programme time for parking, bag storage and the walk to the theatre.
Combination tickets for the paid museums are sold by Pacific Historic Parks and the individual museums. The Passport to Pearl Harbor bundles the Missouri, the Aviation Museum and the Bowfin (about $100 for adults in 2026), but it does not include an Arizona Memorial reservation, which you still book separately on recreation.gov. Our guide to reservations to make in advance lists the other Hawaiʻi sights with similar systems.
The bag policy and other rules
This catches out more visitors than anything else. Bags that can conceal their contents are not allowed in the visitor centre, on the shuttle or on the memorial: that includes backpacks, purses, handbags, camera bags and bum bags (fanny packs). Small clear bags, wallets, phones, cameras and water bottles are fine.
A paid bag storage facility sits near the entrance, at around $7 to $10 per bag depending on size, but it can get busy at peak times. The simplest plan is to leave bags locked out of sight in the car boot or, better still, at your hotel.
Strollers cannot go on the memorial boat. Dress as you would for any memorial rather than for the beach. On the memorial itself, voices drop naturally, and that is the right instinct. Parking at the national memorial costs $7 a day, paid by app or QR code.
How to plan the day
You can see the Arizona Memorial and the visitor centre in about two to three hours. Add the Missouri and you need most of a day; adding the Aviation Museum and the Bowfin as well makes a long, full day.
A good order
- Early morning: arrive at opening, store bags, watch the park film and take an early Arizona programme while it is cool and calm.
- Late morning: walk through the free museum galleries, then the Bowfin and its submarine museum next door.
- After lunch: take the shuttle to Ford Island for the Missouri, and the Aviation Museum if you still have energy.
Morning is the best time overall. Traffic from Waikīkī is lighter, the parking is easier, and the harbour is often at its calmest before the trade winds pick up. Remember that the memorial is closed on three holidays a year and that the anniversary on 7 December brings a commemoration ceremony, much bigger crowds and changes to the usual schedule.
Getting there
Pearl Harbor lies west of downtown Honolulu, off the H-1 freeway near the stadium. Allow 30 minutes from Waikīkī with no traffic and 45 or more at rush hour. Many tour operators run shuttles from Waikīkī hotels, and city buses also stop near the visitor centre.
Pearl Harbor works well with children old enough to sit quietly through the film and the boat ride, usually from about eight upwards. The visitor centre and museums are wheelchair accessible, and the Arizona Memorial boats and memorial can be reached by wheelchair users; ask staff at the theatre if you need help boarding. Bring a hat and water: much of the site is outdoors, and the Missouri's decks get hot by midday.
If you book a tour, check exactly what it includes. Some include only the outside of the site, others include a guaranteed Arizona Memorial time, and some combine it with a city tour of downtown Honolulu.
Combine it with Honolulu's other history
Pearl Harbor makes the most sense as part of a wider story. Downtown, ʻIolani Palace explains the Hawaiian Kingdom that existed here before the United States, and why the harbour mattered so much to American strategists. Our articles on ʻIolani Palace, Japanese Americans in Hawaiʻi during the war and the best historic sites in Hawaiʻi fill in the rest. If you want to go deeper, The History of Hawaii in the Discover Hawaii history series covers the war years in detail.
For an easy afternoon after a morning at the harbour, head to Waikīkī for a swim or up Diamond Head, or browse more ideas in things to do on Oʻahu.
Quick answers
How do I get tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial?
Book on recreation.gov. Tickets are free with a $1 booking fee and are released at 3 pm Hawaiʻi time, eight weeks ahead and again 24 hours ahead. Without a booking you can join the Standby Callback list at the visitor centre (as of October 2026).
Can you bring a bag to Pearl Harbor?
No bags that conceal their contents are allowed, including backpacks, purses and camera bags. Small clear bags, wallets, phones and cameras are fine. Paid bag storage is available near the entrance.
How long do you need at Pearl Harbor?
Allow two to three hours for the visitor centre and the USS Arizona Memorial programme. Add the Battleship Missouri and you need most of a day; all four sites make a full day.
Is Pearl Harbor free to visit?
The visitor centre, museum galleries and USS Arizona Memorial programme are free apart from the $1 recreation.gov booking fee. The Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and USS Bowfin charge separate admission.
What is the best time of day to visit Pearl Harbor?
Early morning. Arrive when the visitor centre opens at 7 am, take an early Arizona Memorial programme and visit the paid museums afterwards.
Facts checked October 2026. Reservations, fees, opening hours and trail or road closures change often in Hawaii, so confirm with the official source before you go.
