If you've never been here before, you might be surprised to find that the central area of the visitor center is free. You can spend a couple of hours in this area alone. Also free is a boat out to the USS Arizona. You can book a ticket in advance which basically gives you a fixed time to go out to the wreck, or you can queue up and take your chances. When i was there, the queue was pretty small. There are also some paid exhibits which provide additional information and experience, but you can learn a lot about the events without paying. Be aware that, if you are spending a few hours here, the food and drink options are not good.

A wonderful day out, and a fitting tribute to all those brave people who endured so much during that infamous day. Entrance is free, but please be advised no bags are allowed inside, that includes rucksacks and ladies handbags. Parking is via scan code and is reasonable at $7 for the day. We bought the passports allowing us entry to all the museums, sadly despite spending the day there, we didn’t get to see everything. We headed first to the USS Missouri, moored facing the wreck of the USS Arizona. Beautifully preserved, you’ll need to allow a couple of hours at least. Next we went to the Air Museum this exceeded all our expectations. The beautiful restored aircraft on the flight line, the iconic control tower and the hangars still displaying bullet holes in the glass. Inside there is a restored Zero and Warhawk, a great gift shop for the essential souvenirs. We enjoyed lunch in the museum cafe, a lovely pulled pork wrap with pineapple coleslaw. So easy to recommend a full day here for the family.

This is an absolute must visit for everyone. From the moment you step onto the grounds you are transported back in time to that fateful day in 1941. The exhibits are meticulously curated, offering a comprehensive and respectful tribute to those who lost their lives. Walking through the museum, you are engulfed in the events leading up to and following the attack on Pearl Harbour. The artefacts on display are incredibly moving, each one telling a story of bravery, sacrifice and resilience. The highlight of the visit is undoubtedly the USS Arizona Memorial. It is a profoundly moving experience to stand above the sunken battleship, paying homage to the sailors who remain entombed within its hull. This is a 5 star experience that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Hawaii.

Finally made it to Pearl Harbor to tour the USS Arizona—such an important part of our history. This was part of a group tour and tickets/transportation already arranged for us. Ferry boat takes you out then back. Park staff and Rangers friendly and very organized for time and reminded all about being respectful on this final resting place of many servicemen. Photos limited. See Park website about what is allowed onboard. Wallet size restrictions given.

Pearl Harbor is a must see when visiting Oahu, but there is a lot to the park and you definitely don't have to do it all. We visited the Bowfin, USS Missouri, and USS Arizona Memorial. If you only have time for one, obviously the USS Arizona and its museums are the most important. If you have time to add one more stop, definitely recommend the USS Missouri. A lot of the suggested itineraries we saw online said to start your day at the USS Arizona, but tickets are limited and we ended up with 1 PM tickets. If you have late morning or early afternoon tickets, I suggest going straight to the USS Missouri (extra charge). When you are done with that, come back to the main part of the park and visit the museums and watch the movie (both free). Grab a snack and stop at the bathroom, and then line up when it's time for the Arizona. Then do the Bowfin (extra charge) or the aviation museum (extra charge) after if you still have time. We actually really liked our 1 PM timeslot for the Arizona because it was right after the crews lunch break, and when we got to the memorial, there was nobody else there. We did not have to push past the leaving group, and there was something extra impactful about arriving to an empty memorial. The reason for my 4/5 stars is I was not overly impressed with the museum and movie. I felt both did not really tell the story in a clear way. The movie especially was faded and very dated. It could use updating. Thankfully, we had watched the documentary "Attack on Pearl Harbor: Minute by Minute" (on Netflix) the night before and we felt like it was a great overview in advance of our visit.

I like to do a lot of research before i visit a place, and I was a little confused by some of the reviews and what to buy. Here are some thoughts to help avoid confusion. 1) We went in March - not crowded. I would check for when cruise ships will be in port and avoid those days for your visit. 2) You need to book a reservation to take the boat to the Arizona. This is the most critical thing to do prior to your visit. 3) When you get to Pearl Harbor you will park in the visitor lot. You will need your license plate # to complete the parking app. 4) Be prepared to carry no purses or other bags into the facility. There is food on site. 5) You can buy the Pearl Harbor Visitor pass ahead of time. This limits you to the day you can go and encompasses everything at Pearl Harbor. You can buy the pass at Pearl Harbor or just pick the things that you want to do (this is what we did) Once you arrive, there are several educational exhibits at Pearl Harbor to walk through prior to your visit of the Arizona Memorial. They are well done. There is a virtual experience that my wife and i did not do. There is a submarine museum and aircraft museum as well that we did not do. After seeing the exhibits and doing the Arizona (very moving and the main thing we wanted to see in Hawaii), we bought a ticket to go to the USS Missouri. This is HIGHLY recommended. There is a bus that runs from the National Memorial to Ford Island, where the USS Missouri is. I was a little confused by the National Park Website. The bus to Ford Island / the USS Missouri is available and you can take every 15 minutes or so.... The USS Missouri is really great and takes at least an hour to two to see. For the US, the war began with Pearl Harbor and ended on the USS Missouri - so it is fitting to see both. For us, seeing the exhibits, visiting the Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri, and the National Cemetery took the whole day. My son did the audio tour on his visit and really liked it. Another review recommended seeing the National Cemetery of the Pacific after Pearl Harbor. We did this and were so happy we did. Very happy to have remembered all those who sacrificed for us.

We toured Pearl Harbor shortly after the WWII museum in New Orleans so all of that emotional experience was still fresh in our minds. We didn't book a paid tour and took a chance on doing it our own. We really had no time seeing everything without the tour. I recommend the free guided tour on the Missouri as you learn so much about the role the ship played in ending the war. Also go to the Arizona first as we booked an afternoon slot (also free) but did stand as soon as we got there and didn't have to wait. We had also pre booked the Bowfin and the Aviation Museum which was a small cost. It was a very emotional day and the exhibits were all put together extremely well to help you learn as much as you can while you are there. Definitely a must visit while on the island.

We were there with a tour group and we only had a hour and a half in the park and thats not a lot of time to see everything. We saw the Arizona and the museum that goes with it but did not see the movie but I heard it was good. The only thing I did not like was you have to use an app to scedule a time for the Arizona. There were a lot of people very frustrated with it and when you get your time and you walk up to the entrance they put you in a line to wait. But it does go fast and they move people to the site very quickly. We also got to see the submarine and its museum, they both were very good. This is an active military base and most of the people working there are military so its very structured. If you decide to go dont go with a tour, they just do not give you enough time to see everything.

I would recommend making reservations through the National Park Service although they do have a standby line. You must pay a fee to park. You can’t take in any bags. We came when they opened an hour before our boat to the memorial so we could see the movie. The movie explained the attack well and I think it was better than the one they had 12 years ago. The memorial itself is a fitting tribute to all those that sadly lost their lives here. The museum and film are good as are the memorials. Gift shop is a bit high priced.

In the month of March I had no particular problems visiting. I hadn't booked anything but as soon as I entered I went to the left where you find the tablets to book for the visit to Arizona. In my opinion the free part is more than satisfactory for entering the atmosphere of the story (two museum rooms, theater and Arizona).