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USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor
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About Tours to the USS Arizona Memorial
Tours are available only through the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, which is located on Arizona Memorial Place, off Kamehameha Highway, about a quarter-mile south of Aloha Stadium. The center is adjacent to The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum. Tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Museum and the Battleship Missouri are available at the same location. All three attractions share a common parking area. After purchasing tickets, guests must board a shuttle boat to reach the USS Arizona Memorial, or a tram to reach the Battleship Missouri. The USS Bowfin is moored near the ticket office and can be reached via a short walk.
Admission to the USS Arizona Memorial is free, however, tours usually operate at maximum capacity (every seat filled) every day of the year except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. There are 30 scheduled programs daily with 150 seats per program, allowing 4,500 visitors per day, which results in 1.5 million visitors per year. Tickets cannot be reserved and are given out freely until the day's quota is met. So, plan to go early before tickets run out. Tickets bear a time stamp telling you when to assemble for your tour. Wait times for the later tours can be several hours and many guests use the time to explore the USS Bowfin and Battleship Missouri memorials. Visitor Center hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
Special Note: Because the USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri are located on Ford Island Military Base, special security measures are taken. Bags that offer concealment are forbidden, including purses, handbags, diaper bags, backpacks, fanny packs, camera bags or similar items. Storage lockers can be rented for a small fee from a private vendor located just outside the entrance to the ticket office. Each visitor may bring a camera and a camcorder. Visitors are urged to avoid leaving valuables in their vehicles. A few security officers monitor the parking lots but can be easily distracted or called away. Sadly, there are plenty of criminals in Hawaii who target tourists and their vehicles.
The USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri at Ford Island.