History
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is located on Oahu, Hawaii. The site is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and includes the USS Arizona Memorial; USS Utah and USS Oklahoma memorials; six Chief Petty Officer bungalows; and mooring quays F6, F7, and F8 (part of Battleship Row). Central to the NPS mission at Pearl Harbor is memorializing those who fell during the Japanese attack on Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941. The USS Arizona Memorial honors the 1,177 crewmen who died as a result of the attack. More than 900 sailors remain within the ship. The USS Oklahoma Memorial honors the 429 sailors killed when the ship capsized. The USS Utah Memorial commemorates its 58 dead. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center offers excellent opportunities to learn about the Pacific War, with two exhibit galleries, outdoor exhibits, an audio tour, and a bookstore. Visitors can also access the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
Specialties
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is comprised of the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Utah Memorials; six officer bungalows; three mooring quays, and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. The mission of the memorial is to preserve and interpret the stories of the Pacific War. The USS Arizona Memorial is currently closed for repairs. The memorial will reopen in the fall of 2019. However, programs are still operating. Entrance to the visitor center grounds and museums is free. The USS Arizona Memorial program is also free, but timed tickets are required. Tickets can be reserved online up to 60 days in advance via recreation.gov. Visitors can also get same-day walk-in tickets on a first come, first served basis at the visitor center, starting at 7:00 AM. Even though the memorial is closed, USS Arizona Memorial programs continue to run. The program includes a 25-minute documentary in the theater, followed by a US Navy boat ride through Pearl Harbor and very near to the memorial and wreckage of the USS Arizona. The program lasts about one hour. Programs begin every 15 minutes, the first at 7:30 AM and the last at 3:00 PM. No programs start at 12:15 or 12:30. Visitors may wish to explore the other Pearl Harbor Historic Sites available at the visitor center, including the USS Missouri Battleship, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.Tickets for these sites can be purchased at any time at the visitor center.