A trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, is not complete without visiting Pearl Harbor. The site of the 1941 attack that catapulted the United States into World War II.
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is now operated by the National Park Service. The grounds, visitor center, museums, & national memorial are free but you need a ticket for tours.
When you plan your visit to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, no bags of any sort are allowed. You are permitted to take in a wallet, camera, and water bottle but you need to carry them.
USS Arizona
A visit to the USS Arizona can be done by tour. They begin at 8 a.m. and run every 15 minutes until 3 p.m. Tickets (free) are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The USS Arizona Memorial tour lasts 75 minutes and includes a 23-minute video, and then a boat ride to visit the Memorial itself. You can even see the oil coming off the sunken ship.
Next to the Visitor Center sits the USS Bowfin submarine. A ticket to tour the USS Bowfin will cost you $20 and adjoining is the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum.
While on Ford Island you can also visit the USS Oklahoma Memorial and a visit to the Pacific Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is a must for history lovers.
Pearl Harbor remains an active military base today and is only closed to visitors 3 days a year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. I'd recommend going early to avoid crowds.