Pearl Harbor National Memorial

Pearl Harbor National Memorial on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, commemorates the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet that brought the United States into World War II. The memorial site at 1 Arizona Memorial Place encompasses several distinct historic sites spread across the western portion of Pearl Harbor, administered jointly by the National Park Service and the US Navy. The USS Arizona Memorial is the site's emotional and symbolic core: a white concrete structure built over the submerged hull of the battleship Arizona, which sank within nine minutes of being hit, taking 1,177 crew members with it. Access is by a Navy-operated shuttle boat; the open-air memorial straddles the wreck and visitors look down through the water at the hull still resting on the harbor floor, with oil seeping slowly to the surface — a phenomenon that has continued for more than 80 years. Tickets to the shuttle boat are free but must be reserved online in advance through the National Park Service website; same-day availability is rarely sufficient. The Visitor Center, operated by the National Park Service, contains a 23-minute documentary film shown before the boat departure. Additional paid attractions at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites complex include the Battleship Missouri, on whose deck the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed in September 1945; the USS Bowfin submarine museum; and the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. The full Pearl Harbor Historic Sites campus requires a full day; the Arizona Memorial alone occupies half a day including wait times and the visitor program.