Last week I was blessed to get to spend some time on the beautiful island of Oahu. This was my second trip to the island and I was thrilled to get to have time on this trip for a visit to Pearl Harbor. I had not done too much research on visiting Pearl Harbor and assumed that you would need to pay to do any and everything there. I found out from my friend who I was traveling with that the first 2,000 people to arrive at Pearl Harbor will receive free tickets to go to the Arizona Memorial. We got to Pearl Harbor around 6:45am and there less than fifty people in front of us. We were given the free tickets for the Arizona and decided to purchase tickets to go on the USS Bowfin submarine museum and the Battleship Missouri. AAA members will receive a discount on the Missouri tickets.
When you receive your ticket for the Arizona memorial it will have a time stamped on it. Before loading onto the boat to head to the memorial you will be lead into a theatre to watch a short film on the Pearl Harbor attack. Afterwards you will head out to the Arizona. You are able to purchase audio equipment for your visit, I chose not to but its only about $8 so its worth it if that would interest you. Your time at the memorial is very limited so I would encourage you to make good use of your time there.
A few minutes after we got into the memorial a young man started telling stories about the Arizona but I decided to finish exploring and take all the pictures I wanted before I stopped to listen to him. I’m glad that I chose to do what I wanted first because as soon as he was finished speaking he said it was time for us to reload onto the boat. The memorial rests above the Arizona and it was a shock to me that you can still smell the oil from the ship and will see it in the water below.
After we finished at the Arizona we loaded onto a shuttle and headed to the Battleship Missouri. I have visited the Midway in San Diego and it was a similar experience but I did really like that the Missouri offers a 30 minute tour as part of your ticket admission. Our tour guide was really knowledgable and after he finished the tour we were able to explore the ship on our own. Visiting the Missouri after the Arizona is quite special because you can see where the United States involvement in WWII began and where it ended. The Missouri is where Japan surrendered putting an end to the war.
We explored for a little under an hour and headed back to where we started so that we could explore the USS Bowfin. You do have an option to purchase a ticket for an aviation museum. Before your visit I would encourage you to visit the Pearl Harbor website so that you have an idea of what you want to do before you get there. I would also encourage you to allow about two hours to visit the Missouri and around thirty minutes to visit the Bowfin.
The USS Bowfin
You are not able to bring bags into any of the Pearl Harbor locations. I had an extremely small purse and was made to put it back in the car. Anything that would be large enough to conceal a weapon is forbidden. Also I would encourage you if you can to bring snacks with you or pack a cooler in the car as the food options are very limited. By the Arizona and Bowfin you can get a hot dog or nachos and drinks. Over by the Missouri you can get shave ice and a few other snacks. If you are not interested in seeing the Missouri or the Bowfin and are willing to wake up early in the morning you can visit the Arizona for free! And the earlier you get there the more of your day you will have to spend somewhere else.
I would love to see Pearl Harbor one day. I love history!
I love history and being able to visit Pearl Harbour would tick off another thing on the bucket list!
Five years ago, my two sons and I went to the Pearl Harbor. It was heartbreaking for me. I love to go there again next Summer.
Now if I can just get free plane tickets. I would love to visit this.
I really, really want to go there someday!
I have always wanted to travel to Hawaii!
That’s an awesome opportunity to get to see more of Pearl Harbor’s rich history. I think it’s great that they give people the chance to see it for free. I would love to visit it someday. Thanks for sharing!
These photos are beautiful! I would love to visit Pearl Harbor one day :)
what an exciting trip I would love one day to visit any of the great stops
these are great tips. My husband and I have not been there in ages. We went when we were first married. Just watch another special about it the other night on tv
I would love to visit. What history. Thank you for sharing.
Memorials as significant as these should be free! Glad to hear it.
I would love to visit Pearl Harbor someday! Very historic and the views are great! :)
I live too far for a visit to be free but it would be awesome to visit. :)
I didn’t know you could do this for free! Nice! I have been to Pearl Harbor, but not for a long time and I’ve never done the Missouri. I’ll have to keep these tips in mind for next time. I’m glad you had a nice trip :).
I’ve always wanted to go there. I love exploring historical places.
This is incredibly helpful information. I didn’t realize how limited the time was on the Arizona!
I would love to visit this place! It’s on my bucket list.Love history
I’ve only been to Oahu once and we didn’t make it to Pearl Harbour! I would love to go see it now though it looks so interesting
I would love to go. What a great place to spend Veterans Day!