When we planned our Hawai’i trip, we knew that we definitely wanted to visit Pearl Harbor National Park. So much history there, so much sadness, and unimaginable sacrifice. As expected, it was very intense and sobering.
This post has been rewritten and expanded on December 2021, 80 years after the attack.
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Table of contents
Pearl Harbor: Infamy!
December 7th, 1941: a Rude Awakening
Imagine waking up on an early morning in December, and discovering that the Japanese had attacked our country. Although World War II was raging all over the planet, it was still far from our beds. Easy to imagine that we weren’t part of it.
The Pearl Harbor attack turned the war personal. The Japanese murdered many of our soldiers, destroyed our battleships, and wiped out a significant part of our Air Force planes.
Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Our visit to Pearl Harbor helped us to imagine and witness this tragic part of our national history. Read on and visit vicariously with us. Our visit was before the Covid-19 pandemic, so make sure to check local and regional travel regulations before planning a trip to this National Park.
Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
The sign explains why Japan chose Pearl Harbor. It was all a matter of location, location and location. Since Japan wanted to secure oil reserves and other resources, it was planning to invade vast areas of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. To keep America from interfering, Japan decided to first attack Pearl Harbor and cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Visiting Pearl Harbor
Here is an overview of high lights to hit on your visit to Pearl Harbor.
The Bowfin: A Historic Submarine
First, we visited the submarine Bowfin. We never had boarded a submarine, so it was very interesting to see the daily life of the sailors.
The USS Bowfin is a fleet attack submarine that fought in the Pacific during WWII. The Bowfin’s nickname is “the Pearl Harbor Avenger”, so it is fitting that her permanent home is at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i. Read all about the Bowfin’s military history.
Before boarding, we got a headset with an audio tour. While inside the submarine we used the corresponding numbers to hear the matching description. It was very well organized.
Climbing through the doors was a very weird experience, imagining all the men who must have climbed through them when she was on active duty. The doors are made in such a way that they can be closed tightly to keep compartments waterproofed.
Bowfin Museum
After the submarine tour, we had time for a quick visit to the small Bowfin museum. Filled with memorabilia and stories, it was a good overview of the history of the Navy.
Although I would have loved to spend more time at the museum, we were scheduled for more exploring on our visit to Pearl Harbor. So it was time to get ready for another experience: learning about the U.S.S. Arizona.
U.S.S. Arizona Memorial
Before boarding the boat to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, we got to watch a short movie. The movie summarized the happenings at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. How many lives were lost and how much destruction happened in a short time.
After watching the movie, we boarded a boat which got us to the memorial. Situated on top of the remains of the U.S.S. Arizona, many of the brave sailors still lie at rest.
Because the ship is still leaking oil, even after 80 years, you can see the oil spill on the water. Hard to imagine! It was an incredible experienc, a good remembrance of what never should be forgotten.
More Must-Sees at Pearl Harbor
Now it was time to go to the Pacific Aviation Museum and the USS Missouri.
Visit Pearl Harbor: Conclusion
I am glad we got to visit and assimilate some of the history of our country. Grateful for the sacrifice of so many brave sailors. It is hard to imagine, but visiting in person helped.
Have you been to Pearl Harbor? Please share your impressions and experience in the comments.
Accessibility for Pearl Harbor Visitors
ADA Access for the USS Bowfin and museum
Please be aware that the USS Bowfin is not wheel chair accessible. In addition, there are steep stairs getting in and out, and the doors require some climbing and body twisting, so be aware of that if you have mobility challenges. Children under 4 years old are not allowed to tour the USS Bowfin. The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park is wheelchair accessible.
ADA Access for the Arizona Memorial
The Arizona Memorial is wheelchair accessible and there is a ramp from the Navy shuttle boat to the memorial. For details, check out the accessibility page of the Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau.
Further Info about Pearl Harbor
- Five interesting facts about Ford Island. Do you know why the missionaries renamed it?
- Follow the USS Missouri from the Japanese surrender to a museum ship. Includes original new coverage of the Japanese surrender and many interesting tidbits about the battleship;
- Not all Japanese were our enemy. Some brave ones fought for us! The story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
- Moments of Infamy – Learn more about the Pearl Harbor history. Short videos by the National Park Service
- Hoku Hawaii Tours : The tour company we used for our visit to Pearl Harbor, we highly recommend them!
- Visit Pearl Harbor for free – Instead of taking an expensive bus tour, you can plan a free visit. This National Park Service site tells you how.
The Best Things to Do on Oahu
- Hiking Diamond Head in Hawai’i: ten tips to help you succeed at this iconic hike; Even if you are out of shape or live with a chronic illness;
- Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail: Whales for the Win; Check out this relatively easy trail with epic views! The trail is fully paved, so wheel chair and stroller accessible;
- Manoa Falls Hike with MS: celebrating failure! A much harder hike, especially after a big rain. Not wheelchair or stroller accessible;
- Snorkeling and Dolphin Watching in Honolulu: for me, swimming is way easier than hiking;
- Surfing at Waikiki Beach Go surf at the Birth Place of Surfing! Great teachers available at Dave’s Big Waves!
- Beginners Birding Guide to Hawai’i. Discover how most of these pretty birds are actually invasive pests!
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Comments
20 responses to “Infamy! Why You Should Visit Pearl Harbor For Sure”
I guess this answered my previous comment. You were able to visit the Memorial. The experience was surreal to me. Incredibly humbling.
Yes, it was very humbling and surreal. I am so happy we had the opportunity to visit it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Whenever I visit any such historically important place, I feel I am living a part of history. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you, Suktara. Yes, that is a good way of describing it, we definitely felt like we were living a part of history. A part we knew about, but never seen this up close!
This is on my list of places I want to visit in the states. I’m sure in was humbling. I’m glad you got the chance to go.
I hope you will get to visit. It is mindblowingly impressive. The Pearl Harbor anniversary is coming up soon, so I have been thinking about it a lot and imagining the terror people must have felt when it happened.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Hawaii is one of the places I’d like to go on my travel bucket list and I’d really like to see Pearl Harbour because I really enjoy History and I feel this is very important and holds a strong place in history.
I hope you get to visit Pearl Harbor one day, Chloe. It is mind blowing and so humbling. Hard to imagine the destruction until you see it for yourself.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
[…] When we visited Pearl Harbor, we also had the opportunity to visit the USS Missouri. The “Mighty Mo” as she was called, is relatively narrow for a battle ship, so that she could fit through the Panama Canal. […]
[…] we visited Pearl Harbor, I had never even heard of Ford Island. It turns out Ford Island is at the heart of Pearl Harbor. […]
[…] a lot of things differently than I should have. So my first “official MS travel” was to Hawai’i, and that also was the first time I brought injectable medication and hiking […]
Hawaii is definitely on the list of places to get to soon, and the fact it is filled with so much history is a great reason to go too. That is quite a lot you were able to see!
Hope you will make it some day. After the plague, I guess, or once we can travel freely again! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
[…] we visited Pearl Harbor, I had never heard of Ford Island. Now I know that Ford Island is at the heart of Pearl Harbor. […]
It’s been years since we visited Pearl Harbor. Thank you for bringing the memory back. Great post.
You are very welcome. It is such an amazing and humbling experience!
Someday I would love to visit Pearl Harbor. Thank you for letting me visit through the lens of your camera.
Hope you make it some day, it is an experience that really brings home some of the destruction and infamy of World War II.
[…] When we visited Pearl Harbor, we also boarded the USS Missouri. During that visit we found out that this ship hosted the signing of the Japanese surrender in 1945. Knowing that fact made us appreciate our visit even more. The USS Missouri is close to the USS Arizona Memorial, together signifying the start and the end of the second world war for the United States. […]
[…] Infamy! Why You Should Visit Pearl Harbor For Sure […]