Battleship Missouri Memorial

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is a museum ship moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, at 63 Cowpens Street. The USS Missouri is the last battleship the United States Navy built, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on its deck on September 2, 1945, ending World War II. The ship is berthed within sight of the USS Arizona Memorial, so the two sites frame the war's beginning and end in the Pacific. Visitors reach the ship by shuttle bus from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, where ticket-holders board near the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites ticket office. On board, visitors walk the wooden main deck past the massive 16-inch gun turrets, find the bronze plaque marking the surrender site on the starboard veranda deck, and explore interior spaces including the officers' quarters, the galley, the crew berthing areas, and the navigation bridge. Exhibits cover the ship's service in World War II, Korea and the Gulf War, along with the 1945 surrender ceremony. The Captain's Tour and Chief Engineer's Tour are paid upgrades that open restricted areas and run with a guide. Best vantage points include the bow for views across the harbor toward the Arizona Memorial and the upper decks for views of the Ko'olau mountains and Honolulu in the distance. Photographers favor the surrender-deck plaque and the long view down the 887-foot deck. A typical visit takes two to three hours, longer with a guided upgrade. Morning is the best time of day; tour-group buses tend to arrive later, so arriving by about 9:00 AM keeps the decks and stairways less crowded. Midday brings the heaviest crowds and the strongest heat on the exposed steel deck, so a hat and sunscreen are useful. Admission is $44.99 for adults and $19.99 for children ages 4 to 12.