Tour the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial

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Tour the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial

Hawaii burst into the pages of America’s history on Dec. 7, 1941, when it became the target of a Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor.The attack on Pearl Harbor, which claimed the lives of 2,388 military and civilian personnel and resulted in the damage or loss of 21 vessels and 170 planes, triggered U.S. involvement in World War II.

The USS Arizona was one of seven battleships tied up along Battleship Row on the southeast shore of Ford Island when the first wave of the Japanese attack began. The ship exploded at approximately 8:10 a.m. In less than nine minutes, she sank with 1,177 of her crew.

Today more than 1.5 million people a year pay tribute to the Arizona crew when they visit the USS Arizona Memorial located on the Pearl Harbor Navy Base about a 45-minute drive west of Waikiki.

A 23-minute film precedes the short jaunt to the memorial. The documentary offers a moving account of the events that led to the Japanese attack, which was intended to immobilize the Pacific Fleet so that the United States could not interfere with Japan’s plans. The audience is told that the principal architect of the attack was Adm. Isoruku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Though personally opposed to war with America, Yamamoto knew that Japan’s only hope of success was a quick and decisive victory, one that would catch America completely by surprise.

After the film ends, visitors board a Navy-operated launch for the short trip to the memorial, which was built to straddle the sunken hull of the battleship, the final resting place of many of the crew members who perished in the attack.

From the memorial, which was designed to encourage quiet contemplation, it is possible to see part of the Arizona’s No. 3 gun turret emerging from the oil-slick waters. The U.S. flag flies from a flagpole attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship.

The entire tour takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but visitors should allow about two and a half hours for the visit, as waits are common. Tours are free and no reservations are taken. Security regulations prohibit all bags including backpacks, fanny packs, purses, diaper bags, store bags, camera bags, large video cameras and luggage from the visitor center and the memorial.

The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum is located next to the Arizona Memorial parking lot and offers a way to fill time while waiting to tour the memorial. The Bowfin is nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger because it sank 44 enemy ships. A submarine museum and memorial also appear on the site.

The U.S. Arizona Memorial and Visitor Center are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tours begin on an average of every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. During busy summer and winter holiday periods, visitors should arrive before 1 p.m. to ensure getting a ticket.