An Incredibly Moving & Unforgettable Visit

In my opinion, this is the ultimate must-do experience in Honolulu. We came to town for the marathon and had some extra time the day before – and I'm so grateful we chose to spend it here. This is more than just a site; it's a profound historical journey. What an amazing monument and national memorial! You pay for parking, but everything else we did was completely free. We spent several hours walking the grounds and visiting the exceptional free museums (we missed the organized tour and the submarine museum and still felt completely satisfied). 🏛️✨ The museums are truly outstanding! They comprehensively cover the background of WWII, the Pearl Harbor attack itself, and what life was like in Hawaii before and after the war – absolutely superb curation! 📚🎥 The setting is also beautiful, nestled right on the harbor. Don't miss the film about the Pearl Harbor attack – it's powerful and sets the tone for your visit. We had booked our boat tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial online in advance ($1 per person) – definitely recommend securing your spot! The round-trip boat ride was very pleasant and took about an hour, including time at the memorial itself. 🚤💫 Pro tip: You can get the best photos of the memorial from the starboard (right) side of the boat on the way out! 📸 The entire experience was deeply meaningful. The memorial itself is simple yet beautiful – inspiring both awe and solemn reflection even after all these years. There's also a very good gift shop in the park with many tasteful, relevant souvenirs. 🎗️ Important note: Separate online reservations are required to visit the USS Oklahoma & USS Utah Memorials, and the Battleship Missouri on Ford Island. I've visited them before and they're absolutely worth the effort too, but we couldn't get reservations this time. #PearlHarbor #NeverForget #USSArizona #WWIIHistory #Honolulu #TravelTips #FreeMuseum