Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center
Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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A dream come true! What a way to go back in time. In order to visit the military base you can catch one of the buses in Waikiki. Number 20 and 42 stop at Pearl harbor. The ride costs you 3 dollars and it takes around 40 minutes to get there. There is also a parking lot. If you would like to explore everything you need to arrive early. There is a lot to see. You can buy a combo ticket for around 80 dollars which will give you access to all the places or you can buy individual tickets for each attraction. You can walk around without paying anything but you will only access the Arizona memorial and a free exhibition of how it all started. I only missed the visit to the battleship Missouri due to lack of time but I totally recommend to see everything because it is a lifetime experience. You can previously book the tickets to see the Arizona memorial but if you are not able to do it, once you arrived you can sign up on one of the terminals by the ticket office and you will be put on a waiting list. I waited less than an hour until I got the text message letting me know that I could go on board the boats to the memorial. The experience takes 45 minutes total. On the memorial you will see what is still left of the battleship. To visit the aviation museum you have to take a complimentary bus which is located by the maritime museum. The ride is short and there is a stop by the Missouri. The museum is awesome. You will see several planes used during World War II, including a Japanese one. There is also an outdoor exhibition of all types of military airplanes and helicopters. I do recommend visiting the maritime museum because it will give you access to visit the submarine USS Bowfin which fought in World War II and showed up on several movies like for example Midway. It is crazy to be able to go inside of it and feel how the crew lived there. It totally blew my mind away. Back packs and big purses are not allowed inside. You will have to pay 7dollars for a locker before entering the base. There is a small kiosk for food and drinks and snack bars on both museums. Souvenir shops are all around the place and all info is in English and Japanese.
ana tavaresana tavares
10
This was a very informative and moving experience. When visiting, you do not need to purchase an expensive guided tour. To visit the USS Arizona Memorial, you will need reservation tickets. These can be found on Reservation.gov. There is a $1.00 processing fee to purchase. Most tickets available for purchase are released well ahead of the current date. If there are no tickets available for your preferred date, more tickets are released at 3 pm each day for the following day. We were unable to get tickets this way, but they have an option for a waitlist. Sign up for this and check your email often. There were several more tickets released from cancelations, and we were able to get tickets for our available date. Parking is $7, and it's paid by QR code. Get there early before your departure time. They recommended an hour before, and we were able to visit the gift shop before the boat left. There is a standby line for the boat that takes you to the USS Memorial if you didn't get tickets, but there was no availability on the day we went, so I wouldn't count on that. I highly recommend the narrated self-tour. You get a phone and earbuds, and you can type in the code from the signs at each location to hear the story. Some of it is narrated by actual survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, and it is incredible to hear. The USS Memorial is a very solemn place. There is no social media allowed there, and voices must be low. You may take photos after the presentation of the Wall of Names. The time allowed at the memorial was about 15 minutes. It was just enough time to hear the presentation and take a few photos before lining up for the return boat. The museum back on the land was a must-see, and it is free to the public. There are also other museums that you can access from the visitor center, such as the USS Bowfin, the USS Missouri, and the Aviation Museum. There is a fee for these other museums, and tickets are available online.
Amy GrangerAmy Granger
00
This was the greatest experience to visit in Honolulu. I’ve been to Hiroshima, so to see the full circle of these historic events was a blessing. We bought the full passport and also booked entrance in advance for the USS Arizona. Arrived at 7am and it was worth it. Had the Bowfin Submarine to ourselves as we were first. The Audio guides were a great tool and would recommend getting these. No need for a human guide if you have these. Maybe just take your own wired headphones as their headphones weren’t the best fit for small kids ears especially. The museum at the Pacific Fleet was really really good and a must see. Then took a shuttle to The USS Missouri and it was a must visit. What an impressive battleship. Also took the free 30min guided tour and was well worth it! Walking though all the levels if the ship, listening to stories, seeing where the sailors slept, ate was really eye opening. This ship was impressive and the corndogs after wasn’t bad either. Then did the Aviation Museum and again used the Audio guided devices. Really really helpful. What an impressive display of planes and history. Hanger 79 with bullet holes were where the whole story really came together for me. Just wow!! Free Shuttles between the sights were well air conditioned and friendly drivers. Very convenient! Then did the Arizona museum again with Audio guides and spent lots of time here listening and reliving the events. The artefacts here on display was really impressive. Lastly we visited the USS Arizona and what a sight to behold. The atmosphere was really somber and even though we are not American, we felt really proud of the sacrifice these marines made for their country and for the world. Some notes: - Don’t take any bags they are not allowed - maybe take own headphones - take water - spend enough time at each attraction. Yes even 2 hours at each - take lots of pics - snacks in the grounds are expensive
AD VEAD VE
10
I visited the Missouri, air fields and memorial sites. The staff could improve a lot on the disorganization of the main hub. (The 4 stars are for the exceptionally excellent attractions, which if not implied I wish that there could be separate ratings for the management.) I arrived more than an hour before my Missouri tour (booked online). Parking is tight and have to wait to start. But unexpected was the 20+ minute wait for bag checking. Then at the entrance there are multiple lines and hard to find help on which line for your event. I found the Missouri tour counter with a long line, and some staff explained that although I booked online I have to wait in the ticket purchase line. By this point it was approaching the "30 minutes before" deadline to check in. So in desperation I cut to the front and explained the situation to the Missouri agent. She said "you're about to miss your bus" (what bus??, I thought.) and I quickly rushed with -1 minutes until the bus leaves and barely caught it. I was lucky and glad to have made the event, but would not be surprised if a lot of people missed their scheduled times due to the mismanagement. One other small thing for a separate place - the Arizona memorial boat visit. I see that the staff makes every effort to instruct people to have the best respect possible and not act as if it's a typical attraction by requesting people to not talk loud or text while visiting. Definitely appropriate. Also I sense that there may have been some bad guests in the past. But my feedback is it's not necessary to upfront talk harshly in such a strong condescending tone to mostly first time guests. I feel most people were a little uncomfortable. I think that a better way would be to simply explain the expectations in a clear but respectful manner and the guests are more than capable of following the expectations.
A GatorA Gator
40
I gave it a 5 because we were one of the first crowds or group to arrive. We didn’t make reservations. There is an option to reserve a date and time. We were part of the standby line. I visited from WA our weather is much dryer and cooler. We were done with our tour by 11 AM we arrive by 7:15AM. We were told by staff that the tour could get emotional for some and to be mindful and respectful. Cellphones must be silence and lower voices are encouraged. I became overwhelmed by emotion. Everything becomes real once you’re on site. Veterans hold a special place in my heart and life. I would have of not been able to take in the moment had I gone later in the day once the temperature and humidity increases and being in a large crowd would of made it difficult to take the moment in. So if you want to really take in the moment without being overwhelmed by over stimulation arrive early. I will never ever forget this visit, it was truly heartfelt. The submarine does emit a smell so if you’re sensitive to smells and are interested in the submarine tour take a mask. The gift shops have incredible gifts to bring back home. The proceeds are being used for restoration which I was told by the gift shop. You are given the opportunity to sponsor a meal for a Veteran after you purchase a gift. Then a pear is gifted to you for sponsoring a meal which you can add to a jewelry piece.
Nalina DLMNalina DLM
00
A great experience for anyone interested in history and the circumstances that propelled the US entering WWII. The entire experience is a collection of four different museums (including a guided audio tour from the visitor center) and a visit to the USS Arizona. Two of the museums (USS Missouri and the Aviation Museum) require a shuttle to get to. It’s about a 15-min journey from the visitor center to the Aviation museum and shuttle buses run every 15-20 mins. This is time-consuming. If you are planning on seeing everything here, expect to spend at least 7 hours. There is a lot to unfold. Entry is technically free, but access to the museums require tickets. There are different packages for tickets. It is not necessary to buy packages that include a driver, such as those you see on Viator or TripAdvisor, if you have a rental car or another means of transport that will get you there. There is a Pearl Harbor Passport you can purchase for about $90 that includes access to all museums and a VR experience. The USS Arizona is free, however, you do have to sign up for a time in advance. Be warned, this is an active base and so the navy will not operate the boat to the USS Arizona if wind conditions are bad. This is what happened to us. You do not get a refund if that’s the case, however, they should honor it if you return another day. Overall, a terrific experience.
James ThomasJames Thomas
00
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(6.7K reviews)
Phone
(808) 422-3399
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Website
pearlharborhistoricsites.org
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