Discover for yourself what Pearl Harbor means to you

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

One of Hawaiʻi’s newest and most advanced virtual reality centers is located just inside the main entrance at Pearl Harbor National Memorial and seat up to 25 visitors simultaneously. Once inside the new center, visitors can experience one of four virtual-reality tours, including “Air Raid Pearl Harbor,” “Skies Over Pearl,” “Walk the Deck” and “Explore the USS Arizona Memorial Today.”

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum opened the Ford Island Control Tower to the public for the first time. The World War II icon is part of the new Top of the Tower tour that includes access to the historic Operations Building, the Firehouse Exhibit, historic pictures and videos of the upper cab, and an elevator ride to the upper cab of the control tower – the pinnacle of the tour with 360-degree views of the Pearl Harbor.

Called Pu'uloa, meaning "long hill," or Wai Momi, literally, "water of pearl," by early Hawaiians, Pearl Harbor, so named because of the abundance of pearls once found within its protected waters, is the largest natural harbor in the State of Hawaii and the number one visitor destination on Oahu.

Today, Pearl Harbor remains an active military base, Headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, and a National Historic Landmark that's home to four unique attractions: from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that started it all, to the surrender of the Japanese on the deck of the mighty Battleship Missouri, these four historic sites together tell the story of the War in the Pacific, commemorating the accomplishments of a previous generation.

Located on the island of Oahu, "The Gathering Place," halfway between Japan and the mainland United States, Pearl Harbor will always be a welcoming place where survivors of the attack can reflect on the events which led to the war and which had such a profound impact on the lives of an entire generation.

To those who fought in the war, to those whose lives were affected by the war, their children, grandchildren, and each succeeding generation, Pearl Harbor is a place where people from far-flung corners of the world can come together in peace to honor the memory of the fallen and to celebrate the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

USS Arizona Memorial

There is a reason that Pearl Harbor is the number one visitor destination in Hawaii and the USS Arizona Memorial is where your Pearl Harbor experience begins.

Millions of people from all over the world come to this majestic setting to see for themselves where World War II began for the United States on December 7, 1941.

The USS Arizona Memorial is a must-see destination for all individuals coming to Hawaii, drawing more than 1.7 million visitors each year from all over the world. Visitors are free to explore the grounds of the $65 million Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, which was expanded from the original 3 to 17 acres, in December of 2011.

USS Arizona Memorial

LOCATION: 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI, 96818
WEBSITE: pacifichistoricparks.org