Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial

What happens on the USS Arizona Memorial program?

It is a 45-minute round trip: a Navy boat from the Visitor Center dock, time on the memorial, and the boat back.

Boats leave every 15 minutes from 8 AM to 12 noon and from 1 PM to 3:30 PM, with up to 145 people each. Check in at the Ticket Validation Desk 10 minutes before your time. There are no restrooms on the boats or the memorial, so go before you board.

The boat and the memorial are wheelchair accessible. Strollers are not allowed on the boat.

What will you see from the memorial?

You look down through open windows onto the ship itself: parts of the hull and the rusted ring of a gun turret base lie just below the surface.

The long white hall has open windows along both sides, with room to stand at the railings. Look closely at the water and you will see small drops of oil rising and spreading in rainbow films. The Arizona still holds several hundred thousand gallons of Bunker C fuel oil, and it has been leaking slowly ever since she sank.

What is the shrine room?

The shrine room is at the far end of the memorial: a tall marble wall engraved with the names of the men killed on the Arizona.

It is the quietest part of the visit. Visitors stand back from the wall, and leis are often left below the names. Take your time here rather than at the railings: most people are on the memorial for only part of the 45 minutes.

How many people died on the USS Arizona?

1,177 of the 1,512 men aboard were killed; 335 survived. More than 900 remain entombed in the ship.

The first alert, "AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR THIS IS NOT DRILL", went out at 7:55 AM. Across the whole attack about 2,400 Americans died: the NPS Remembrance Circle lists 2,390 names, 2,341 service members and 49 civilians. The Arizona alone accounts for about half.

Who designed the memorial, and what does its shape mean?

Architect Alfred Preis designed it, and it was dedicated on Memorial Day 1962.

Preis described the structure as one that "sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends", which he said "expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory". The shape is easiest to see from the shoreline path or the boat on the way out.

How should you behave at the memorial?

As you would at a grave: quiet voices, no horseplay, and respectful clothing.

A guest on the flagship tour put it simply: be respectful, and skip the selfies over the water. Tour operators require a shirt and shoes on the memorial and no swimwear, and ask for smart casual clothes. It is windy on the water, so guests report hats blowing off: wear one with a strap or carry it.

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What is the film, and do you need to see it?

It is a 23-minute documentary shown in the Visitor Center theater, and it is not part of the 45-minute program.

Watch it before or after your boat time, whichever fits. It gives useful context, but it is optional. The Visitor Center galleries, Road to War and Attack, are free and worth at least half an hour. See how long to spend at Pearl Harbor for how to fit it all in.

What if wind cancels the boat?

The Navy can cancel or change boat trips for high winds, mechanical issues or safety, and no ticket or tour can override that.

Guests on tours, including the premium one, report wind cancellations. If it happens you still see the galleries, the film and the memorial from the shore. Boat trips were also paused from July to October 2025 for salvage work; normal service returned at the start of November 2025. For reservations, see Pearl Harbor tickets and reservations.

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