The USS Arizona Memorial is the white structure you see in the distance from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center. Accessible only by Navy shuttle boat, it sits just above the submerged USS Arizona — the resting place of most of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on December 7, 1941. This is what you come to Pearl Harbor to see. Most visitors pair it with the Battleship Missouri Memorial, where you can walk the deck on which Japan surrendered; together the two are known as the bookends of the Second World War.
What is the USS Arizona Memorial?
Designed by the Austrian-born architect Alfred Preis, the memorial is a 184-foot white structure spanning the sunken hull of the battleship. Its dipping centre and ascending ends were meant to evoke both the low point of the December 7 attack and the nation’s eventual victory.
From the memorial you can see the ship below. Gun turret number three breaches the water on the right; on the left, oil still rises from the wreck. The memorial honours the 1,177 sailors and Marines who died aboard that day, most of whom remain entombed within it, and a marble wall in the shrine room carries all of their names.
Many USS Arizona survivors asked for their ashes to be interred with the ship so they could rest with their shipmates. In each of those ceremonies a diver carried the urn down into the wreck while family and friends paid their respects from the memorial above. Lou Conter, the last surviving crew member, died in 2024.
Quick Facts
| Cost | Free — timed reservation required |
| Reserve at | Recreation.gov |
| Program length | About 45 minutes |
| Programs run | Every 15 minutes, 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. |
| Total time | ~2 hours including parking and security |
| Arrive | At least 1 hour before your slot |
| Getting there | Navy shuttle boat from the Visitor Center |
| Restrooms | None on the boat or at the memorial |
| Bags | Prohibited site-wide; paid lockers at the Visitor Center |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible; no strollers |
Why you should visit the USS Arizona Memorial
Everyone visiting Pearl Harbor should include the USS Arizona Memorial. If you serve, have family or friends who serve, or are simply interested in the Second World War, this is an important piece of both American and Hawaiian history — the effects of that day are still felt in Hawaiʻi.
Unlike the other Pearl Harbor sites, which are built to educate, the Arizona Memorial program is built to give you time to process and reflect. Expect to see people around you in tears; it is a heavy experience. For that reason, if you are travelling with very young children or working to a tight schedule, we would save it for a visit when you can give it your full attention.
The experience
The program runs every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and lasts about 45 minutes. Arrive at least an hour before your reservation to park and use the restroom before boarding — there are no restrooms on the boat or at the memorial.
Pearl Harbor runs on strict military time, which means that if you are on time, you are late. Be ready to board 10 minutes before your slot. Miss the shuttle and you go on standby, where a place on a later boat is not guaranteed.
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Check-in and security | 10 minutes |
| Navy boat out | 10 minutes |
| At the memorial | 15 minutes |
| Navy boat back | 10 minutes |
Afterwards you return to the Visitor Center, where you can see the free museums next door and watch the 23-minute documentary about the attack in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater — worth doing, and separate from the memorial program itself. You are then free to explore the other Pearl Harbor sites, including the Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin and the Aviation Museum.
USS Arizona history
The USS Arizona was moored off the south-east shore of Ford Island when the first wave of Japanese aircraft began the attack on December 7, 1941. She took a devastating hit at about 8:10 a.m., exploded, and sank within nine minutes, taking most of her 1,177 crew with her. The ship became a symbol of the freedom and the lives lost at Pearl Harbor.
Should I reserve a free ticket or book a tour?
Entry is free, but you must first reserve a free timed ticket at Recreation.gov. Tickets are limited and can be hard to get, so read our guide to how to get free USS Arizona Memorial tickets first. You can also try for a same-day place through the standby queue at the Visitor Center, though nothing is guaranteed.
If you would rather not take the chance and do not mind paying for certainty, a guided tour with guaranteed access handles the tickets for you.
Helpful tips
- Bags are not allowed anywhere at Pearl Harbor. Paid storage lockers are to the right of the Visitor Center entrance.
- Arrive early — at least an hour before your reservation — to park and clear security.
- Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. There is a lot of walking outside in the sun between the Visitor Center, the boat dock, the exhibits and the memorial.
- Bring a light jacket you can tie around your waist. It gets chilly in the theatre.
- Civilians should dress respectfully. Uniformed service members must wear Class B or higher; battle dress uniforms are not permitted.
- Stay quiet and respectful throughout.
- No strollers are allowed at the memorial. Families can still visit with children, but it is a place of remembrance and quiet behaviour is expected.
- The memorial is wheelchair accessible.
USS Arizona or Battleship Missouri?
If you can only see one site at Pearl Harbor, make it the USS Arizona Memorial. It is quiet and deeply moving, and it gives you room to reflect on the cost of war and pay tribute to those who paid it.
With half a day or more, add the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Where the Arizona is a place of remembrance, the Missouri is an educational space covering the history of the war, military innovation and life aboard. Standing beneath the 16-inch gun turrets gives you a sense of the scale of American naval power. Seeing both in one day gives you the war from beginning to end.
| USS Arizona Memorial | USS Missouri (“Mighty Mo”) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A memorial built directly above the sunken battleship and most of her crew. Oil still rises from the wreck. | A restored battleship, open to walk, where Japan formally surrendered to end the war. |
| Experience | Cross the harbour by Navy shuttle and stand above the hull. A wall of names records the lives lost. | Walk the surrender deck, explore crew quarters and stand beneath the gun turrets. |
| Cost | Free, operated by the National Park Service. | Paid admission, included in the Passport to Pearl Harbor. |
| Getting in | Reservation required via Recreation.gov; books out weeks ahead. | No reservation needed — buy on site or online ahead. |
| Time needed | About 2 hours including parking, security and the program. | 1–2 hours, self-led. |
| The mood | Quiet and solemn. An emotional experience for most visitors. | Immersive and hands-on, with plenty for families and history buffs. |
| Visit if | You would like to pay tribute to those who died. | You are a history buff or military enthusiast, or curious about life aboard a battleship. |
More Information
Last reviewed by Hawaii.com editorial on August 27, 2026