- jim
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- 5 out of 5
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Editor Pick
Visiting Pearl Harbor
- February 28, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
LAFRAGIA from WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina
Pearl Harbor
For anyone who gets the opportunity to go to Oahu, I would be sure to add Pearl Harbor as a top priority. I am 29years old and have knowledge of what occurred on December 7, 1941, but would surely say that you don’t get the surreal effect of it until you are actually there. I honestly felt the same emotions as I did when I visited the September 11 site a few years ago.
Events occurred decades apart but the feeling is much the same. We do not get the chance to journey to Hawaii that often therefore our children accompanied us on this trip. They are ages 7 & 9. There were no problems at all with them sitting through the documentary footage, watching ever so closely without as much as hardly blinking. There is one part of the footage where they have recorded the USS Arizona being attacked by bombs. With the surround sound in the theater you literally jump in your seats. My 7year old looked at me and asked, "Did that really happen?" I nod to him yes. Then at the end after the lights come on he ask, "So did we win?" I nod to him yes. You could see amazement in their eyes that they were in a real battle area. They were quiet on the boat ride over to the memorial and I was very impressed on how much they were really interested in the remains of the USS Arizona protruding from the water. My husband and I were very satisfied in deciding to share this experience with them.
We were debating on the options of taking the tours at $12.00 per child and $25.00 per adult or taking the bus for $2.00 per adult and $1.00 per child. When inquiring with our hotel guest services, he gave us a bus map and said from Waikiki Hotels you take bus number 20 or 42 and it’s a strait shot. We decided what the heck … you can’t really get lost on an island. We waited 10minutes for the bus and then with all the stops, it roughly took maybe 1.5hrs to get there and 45 minutes to get back. We started our journey right after check-out (noon-ish) and were back in Waikiki by 4:00pm
Pearl Harbor itself from beginning to end is about 1.5hours. There is a "no bag" policy and I would suggest not bringing any thing larger than a 35mm camera bag. If so you will be forced to walk across the parking lot to store it in lockers then walk back to enter the site.
Because it is a memorial site, it is free enter but donations are accepted. You will take a number and then walk around until yours numbers called to enter the theater. We didn’t even wait 5minutes and they called our number. I would also suggest getting as close as possible to the exit doors on the bottom right corner because after the movie you will exit those doors to the boat. We got great boat seats on the right hand side of the vessel which made our pictures approaching the memorial fantastic (especially for the out of date camera I was using.) When you are getting off the boat, they will not allow you to take pictures so if you want a picture of the huge battleship behind you; either snap them before you get off the boat or right before you board to leave the memorial. They allow you more than enough time to view what ever it is you need to see, then your back on your way.
If you do decide to take the bus back to Waikiki, it does not pick you up from the location is dropped you off from. You will need to walk across the street and up the hill. There is a bus station to the left. Bus number 8 is the bus back to Waikiki. I attached some photos and hope the review will help you enjoy Pearl Harbor to the fullest!
Pearl Harbor/USS Bowfin
- August 13, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Phil P from Bronx, New York
This was an intense thing to see. Being on Oahu, we couldn't miss this. We get to Pearl Harbour and had to get a number since the memorial can only handle one tour at a time. Our tour was in about 45 minutes so we sat on some benches by the Harbour and waited. Once our tour number was called, we were taken into a theater and were shown a 20-minute video on the attack on Pearl Harbour before we were loaded onto a boat and taken to the memorial.
The memorial was very powerful! It is the final resting place of 1000+ soldiers killed in the attack and you can see the USS Arizona in the water below you. A wall has the names of all the dead inscribed in it.
Lots has already been written about this so I will keep it short but if you are interested in US history or WWII, then you must go to Pearl Harbour.
One of the gems at Pearl Harbour is USS Bowfin Submarine, which is right next to the spot you go for the USS Arizona Memorial. The Bowfin fought in WWII also and was responsible for sinking many ships according to its history. On this tour ($10 per person), you could walk through the submarine, which is still maintained the way it was when it fought and you could see how sailors lived and worked. Definitely worth it!
From journal Hawaii in Style
Editor Pick
USS Arizona Memorial
On a Sunday morning, we trekked out to Pearl Harbor to visit the USS Arizona National Memorial. As both my husband and I studied World War II history, this memorial offered much to satisfy our intellectual cravings.
We arrived and immediately got in line at 7:30am for an 8am opening. The line had already formed all the way down to the end of the front lawn and began to wrap around the parking lot. We stood in line in order to get free tickets (one per person) to see the Pearl Harbor film and catch the ferry to the memorial, which floats off of Ford Island. Unfortunately, we could not obtain tickets for friends of ours, who arrived later. Visitors may only get tickets for themselves.
We could not bring any backpacks or bags with us. As parents of a toddler, we stuffed our pockets with clean diapers and wipes. The memorial also prohibits huge, professional camera lenses. Our standard 25-135mm camera lens posed no threat.
We obtained tickets for the second showing of the film, and ferry to the memorial. Each showing holds approximately 80 people. The film depicted how Pearl Harbor came under attack by Japanese bombers, and managed to tell a somewhat more objective story. After we emerged from the theatre, we gazed upon Battleship Row, still occupied with ships. Time seemed to stand still.
As we boarded the ferry, the memorial staff asked that we keep our voices down in reverence to the crew of the USS Arizona. We departed the dock and as the visitor center grew smaller behind us, the long, white, floating structure appeared in front of the ferry. The ferry pulled up to the dock and we disembarked. We filed into the memorial and peered out its sides down into the water. Below us lay the USS Arizona, which had entombed 1,177 when it sank on December 7, 1941. Now covered in barnacles and algae, the Arizona, barely distinguishable, extended from one side of the memorial, beneath the center of the observation deck, and past the other side.
At one end of the memorial, a marble wall engraved with the names of each of the fallen reminded us who sacrificed their life that day. A US flag flew above the memorial. Maps of the ship explained the layout. Two commemorative plaques on the wall near the exit of the memorial honored the dead.
From the memorial, we could also see the USS Missouri, docked nearby on Ford Island. We also saw the mooring block for the USS Nevada.
When we returned from the memorial site, we explored the museum at the visitor center. The center also featured a shop, snack shop, restrooms, and the outdoor Remembrance Memorial. From the garden, we could see visitors at the nearby USS Bowfin Submarine Memorial, which is a separate paid admission.
We thoroughly enjoyed visiting this memorial, which reminded us of how special Oahu is, for relaxation and for remembrance.
From journal A Haole Hanging in Oahu...With Locals
Editor Pick
USS Arizona Memorial
- May 15, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
britalo from Salt Lake City, Utah
The morning that we went to Pearl Harbor was really somber. It was raining lightly which really added to the serious nature of the Memorial. We arrived early and were in the second group to go out the the USS Arizona.
I was most surprised by how emotional I was during that morning. I have learned about the bombing before but it was so powerful to be there and to see survivors working there. The museum and kiosks tell stories about the men and women who were there and it was heartbreaking to read letters they sent to their loved ones. It was also very interesting to see their belongings and to compare them with the things we have today. The memorial is beautiful. It is very crowded but it is always moving so you'll be able to see everything in a short amount of time.
One unique thing about the USS Arizona is the oil that still bubbles to the surface. It is a sad reminder of the loss that occurred that day. I am so glad we went because it gave us a new respect for the men and women who serve our country and a renewed feeling of patriotism.
On a lighter note, if you take children be prepared for them to not understand the serious nature of the memorial. I am a young adult and was thinking that if I had gone when I was younger I probably would have gotten bored looking through the museum. Go earlier than it opens because the line begins to form early. We arrived about 10 minutes before it opened and we were in the second group of the day. We noticed that about 15-30 minutes after we got there that people were already holding cards for the 8th group of the day! That is a long time to wait!
From journal Oahu for Two
Pearl Harbor - USS Arizona Memorial
- May 7, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
megankayd from Hope, Kansas
As with most things in Honolulu, go early. The memorial opens at 7:30am. At 6:45am when we got there there were already 200 or so people in line. Not much of a gift shop, but there is one there.
From journal 10 Days in Oahu