

There are several components to the Pearl Harbor historic area, and they, of course, all open at different times. Bring a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face and neck. Sun Protection: It is always hot and usually sunny in Hawaii.It’s ok to let little ones run across the grass at the visitor center and have a good time while you explore, but just be respectful, particularly when visiting the USS Arizona. Thousands of men died in this harbor, many of them still trapped inside the USS Arizona. Be Respectful: This area is a battlefield.You can visit the other sites before they get crowded and come back for your ferry time. Go early, even if your USS Arizona ferry ticket isn’t until later in the day. Go Early to Avoid Crowds: Pearl Harbor is one of Hawaii’s top 3 most popular things to do.The USS Bowfin and Submarine Museum, the USS Missouri, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are all separate, paid attractions. You should reserve tickets ahead of time, and there’s a $1 reservation fee. The USS Arizona Memorial ferry ride is almost free. Free* Entry: This historic area is made up of several different sites, not all owned by the National Park Service and not all free.This is run by the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, not the National Park Service. Baggage storage is available at the entrance, including luggage.
#Pearl harbor tickets full#
Read the NPS full policy for the few exceptions. No purses, camera bags, diaper bags, etc. Strict bag policy: no bags unless clear/transparent or smaller than 1.5”x2.25”x5.5”.Top 5 Tips to Know Before You Go to Pearl Harbor If you’ve got elementary-age kids or tweens in tow that aren’t quite ready to comprehend the complexities of geopolitical history, they’ll still find exploring a real-life battleship and/or submarine to be one of the coolest things ever. The open lawn is a good spot for little ones to run around.

#Pearl harbor tickets free#
The free NPS exhibits do a very good job of explaining the background, the repercussions that led to war, and the healing process that’s taken place since the 1940’s. The shuttle to Ford Island is also free, but the USS Bowfin & museum, the USS Missouri, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum are not maintained by the NPS and are not free. The National Park Service (NPS) visitor center and the USS Arizona Memorial are FREE to visit, and we understand how appealing FREE activities are when you’re on a family vacation and budget. Pearl Harbor is still worth visiting, even with kids. This site is now a memorial for all those lost that could not be recovered from the wreckage.

The USS Arizona is one of the three ships that was so badly damaged it was left where it lies, mostly submerged at its dock where it exploded and sank during the attack. War was declared the next day, and four years later it would end with the signing of the Japanese surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The US was later able to salvage and repair all but three ships, but the effect on the American psyche was instantaneous and irrevocable. Only 8 US pilots made it into the air to fight back. Twenty-one ships were sunk or damaged, most on Battleship Row, and three-quarters of the 400 US aircraft in the area were damaged or destroyed in just 1.5 hours.

Two waves of Japanese fighter pilots dropped bombs and torpedoes and fired on airfields and other facilities. The destruction to the US Pacific Fleet docked in Pearl Harbor was overwhelming. The two countries were not at war, and were, in fact, in the middle of peace negotiations to avoid war, when the Japanese attacked early one Sunday morning in December 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan took the US completely by surprise. It’s one of Hawaii’s top 3 most visited sites every year! Visiting Pearl Harbor is hands-down one of the top experiences in Oahu that you really can’t miss. It would be a shame to miss it when we’re so close. It was such a pivotal moment in US history, and we’ve already flown halfway across the Pacific Ocean to Oahu. History buffs, like moi, would never dream of missing a chance to visit this site.
