Is the USS Arizona worth seeing?

Many visitors say this is a must-do attraction, and recommend reserving your free ticket well in advance since availability is so limited due to high demand. A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial is free, but you have to reserve a time slot on Recreation.gov in advance for the boat tour.



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The USS Arizona, named in honor of our state's acceptance into the Union, was a major casualty in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This exhibit commemorates the 75th anniversary of that tragic event and honors the 1177 crewmen and officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

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The memorial sits overtop the wreckage, where more than 900 bodies are still entombed in the ship's hull. While you can visit all of the above on your own and free of charge, you still have to reserve tickets and find your way around – which is why guided tours of Pearl Harbor are so popular.

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You need a full day minimum to visit the Park and the Arizona. It can be done in less, but you will be rushed and have to pick and choose. Reservations in advance are recommended, especially for the Arizona. Visit the National Park Service site for Pearl Harbor.

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But the majority of the ship is seen today only by those who dive to see it. Divers do not go inside the ship out of respect for the fallen sailors and marines but are able to see what's on the inside of the ship through a remotely operated vehicle.

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“It was an environmental disaster here,” said Daniel Martinez, historian with the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor. It's believed between 14,000 and 64,000 gallons of oil have leaked from the USS Arizona since the attack, and the National Park Service estimates it could continue to leak for 500 years.

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For uniformed military servicemen and women visiting Pearl Harbor, you will be required to wear Class “B” dress, or better, to board the shuttle to the USS Arizona. You are not permitted to wear battle dress uniforms on the USS Arizona, but are free to dress as a civilian on your visit to Pearl Harbor.

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If you plan to go on your own, you can buy the Passport to Pearl Harbor which is a self-guided tour. Are strollers allowed at Pearl Harbor? Strollers are allowed in the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, but they are not allowed inside the theater or on the shuttle that will take you to the USS Arizona Memorial.

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A 10-minute US Navy boat ride over to the USS Arizona Memorial. The duration of the complete program is 1 hour and 15 minutes (23-minute documentary film on the actual attack, 10 minute-boat ride to and from the Memorial and the time spent at the Memorial).

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A total of 1,177 of 1,512 Arizona crew members died in the attack. While 105 bodies were recovered and identified following the attack, 1,072 are unaccounted for. As many as 985 of the dead are entombed in the hull of the Arizona, which is part of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

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Of the 1,177 USS Arizona sailors and Marines killed at Pearl Harbor, more than 900 could not be recovered and remain entombed on the ship, which sank in nine minutes. A memorial built in 1962 sits above the wreckage. Sixty died on the Utah, and three have been interred there.

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The displays in the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center aren't meant to be touched and other locations, specifically the USS Arizona Memorial, require quiet and respectful behavior from everyone.

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Our Hangar Café is the only sit-down restaurant with A/C, food, and adult beverages you'll find at any of the Pearl Harbor destinations throughout your day of site-seeing. Members of the Museum, military and kamaaina will receive a discount of 20% off their orders.

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Today, Pearl Harbor shows little traces of the destruction that took place in 1941. There is a no bag policy at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, you can bring in your wallet, camera, phone and bottled water.

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Wednesdays often see several school groups visiting at once, and Monday and Friday traffic can be a bit worse than the other weekdays. In any case, be sure to book your Pearl Harbor tour well in advance, to ensure you can experience this enormously significant site in American history.

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