The Day of Infamy that launched an epic conflict with Japan took place here in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941. The tranquil aquamarine waters of Pearl Harbor were forever disrupted by the tides of war. The USS Arizona and 1,117 of her crew were among the first casualties of the Pacific War; today the USS Arizona Memorial stands above the sunken vessel and her fallen sailors, serving to remind us all of their sacrifice and commitment.
The USS Missouri, also known by her nickname Mighty Mo, was the last battleship ever constructed by the United States. It is also the only ship in the naval fleet to have fired her guns in both World War II and Persian Gulf Wars. Most significantly, however, was her role in bringing the Second World War to its conclusion; the Empire of Japan formally surrendered to the United States on her decks on September 2, 1945.
Commissioned May 1, 1943, the USS Bowfin submarine served an illustrious career in the Pacific War. In nine separate combat patrols in Japanese waters, she sunk a total of 38 ships and small craft and racked up nearly 100,000 nautical miles traveled before being decommissioned in 1947. In addition to her combat duties, she and her crew performed lifeguard missions, rescuing downed pilots who had bailed out in the ocean.
The Pacific theater of World War II introduced a major paradigm shift in naval warfare, as the battleship ceded its dominance of the oceans to the aircraft carrier. Air power over the seas was crucial to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor; naval aviation too led to U.S. victory. It is here in a former hangar on Ford Island that the Pacific Aviation Museum preserves the history of the warbirds of the Pacific War.
Choose the Hawaiian Island You are Coming From
Visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial
Tour 7A
Oahu Circle Island Tour with Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center USS Arizona Memorial Oahu's North Shore Waimea Bay & Sunset Beach Dole Pineapple Plantation Oahu's South Shore Lunch Included
$84.99
Hawaii's Most Complete Pearl Harbor Tour
Best Value
Tour 2A
The Complete Pearl Harbor Tour
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center USS Arizona Memorial USS Bowfin Submarine USS Missouri Battleship Pacific Aviation Museum Historic Honolulu City Tour Punchbowl National Cemetery
$119.99
Tour 8
Battleships of World War II Morning, Mid-Morning, & Afternoon Departures Available
USS Arizona Memorial USS Missouri Battleship Historic Honolulu City Tour Punchbowl National Cemetery
The Japanese thought that the battleships were the primary source of the United States strength, but they failed to realize that the aircraft carriers and submarines would be sufficient enough to stop them in the end.
Pearl Harbor “No Bags” Policy
Due to increased security measures, all purses, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and/or any other type of bag that can conceal an object are not permitted inside Pearl Harbor, the Visitor's Center, or to any of the attractions. A storage facility is available at $3 per bag at the entrance to the National Park. Cameras and camcorders are permitted.
Parking
Rental Car parking is restricted at Pearl Harbor due to construction over the next few months. The National Park Service highly encourages those wishing to visit Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri and other Pearl Harbor Historic Sites to utilize commercial tours. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Pearl Harbor Memorial History
In 1939, concerned over Japan’s ambitions, President Roosevelt cancelled the US trade agreement with Japan. In 1940, he imposed a trade embargo, halting exports to Japan of petroleum products including gas and lubricants, iron and steel scrap. In July 1941, Roosevelt ordered the freezing of all Japanese assets in the United States, ending all trade between US and Japan, as well as threatening Japan’s continued existence as an industrial nation. Negotiations ensued between the two nations, however a resolution was not reached.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was serving his third presidential term in office. Roosevelt had pledged the US to the "good neighbor" policy, entering into agreements for joint action with allied nations against aggressors. Although he hoped to avoid war, Roosevelt provided extensive support to the British war effort. After the attack, which pulled the U.S. into the fighting, critics blamed Roosevelt for leaving Pearl Harbor unprepared.
On December 8, 1941, Roosevelt addressed the members of Congress asking for the issuance of a declaration of war against the Japanese Empire. In his speech, he referred to the bombing of Pearl Harbor as “a date which will live in infamy” – and so it has!
Specialty Tours and Pearl Harbor Tours from the Neighbor Islands
