Four Pearl Harbor museums sit across Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Ford Island, and the whole set is doable in a single day with a little planning. The USS Arizona Memorial is free but timed tickets go in minutes, while the Missouri, Aviation Museum, and Bowfin charge separate admission. Here is what each site costs, how long to spend, and how to book before tickets sell out.
Key Highlights
- The USS Arizona Memorial is free to visit, but its timed boat tickets cost $1 to reserve on recreation.gov and release 56 days and 1 day ahead at 3:00 pm Hawaii time.
- The other three sites charge separate 2026 admission: the Battleship Missouri about $43-$45 per adult, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum $29.99, and the USS Bowfin $25.99, with reduced child pricing at each.
- The $99.99 Passport to Pearl Harbor bundles the three paid sites plus a VR experience, but buying the three separately can run $2-$7 per adult cheaper, so add up your day before you commit.
- Allow six to seven hours for the full set: about two hours each for the Arizona Memorial and the Missouri, one and a half to two for the Aviation Museum, and one to one and a half for the Bowfin.
- Bags that conceal contents are not allowed; clear bags are fine, and paid storage near the entrance runs about $6 (about $10 for large items).
USS Arizona Memorial
Start your day here. The memorial rests above the sunken battleship, where 1,177 crewmen were lost on December 7, 1941, and oil still seeps from the hull in slow drops more than eighty years later. The 45-minute program pairs a short documentary film with the Navy boat ride out to the memorial. Plan about two hours total once you add the visitor center galleries.
Tickets release on recreation.gov at 3:00 pm Hawaii time, both 56 days before your date and again the day before, and they go in minutes. Each ticket costs $1 and is non-refundable. No walk-up tickets are sold; the only backup is the standby line at the Pacific Historic Parks narrated-tour desk, so arriving around 7:00 am gives you the best chance. For the backstory before you go, the key facts about Pearl Harbor explain what happened on December 7 and why this site matters.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
The Missouri sits on Ford Island, and its surrender deck is where World War II formally ended on September 2, 1945. Admission runs about $43-$45 per adult and $19.99 for children ages 4-12, per the USS Missouri Memorial Association’s 2026 figures published on ussmissouri.org. The 35-minute guided tour is included, and the ship is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
You reach the ship only on the free Ford Island shuttle, which leaves the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center about every 15 minutes from 8:00 am to 4:05 pm. Allow about two hours aboard to walk the decks, stand at the surrender spot, and work through the below-deck exhibits. The ultimate guide to visiting Pearl Harbor lays out how the Missouri fits with the other three sites.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
The museum fills Hangars 37 and 79 on Ford Island with World War II aircraft, including planes tied to the December 7 attack. Admission is $29.99 per adult and $17.99 for children ages 4-12, with children under 3 admitted free and the audio tour included at no extra charge, per pearlharboraviationmuseum.org. Hours run 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, closed on the same three holidays. A companion history guide to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum walks through the hangars and their aircraft in more detail.
Plan one and a half to two hours here, and ride the same free Ford Island shuttle you use for the Missouri.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
The Bowfin is a real World War II submarine you walk through, compartment by compartment, which makes it one of the most hands-on stops of the day. Admission is $25.99 per adult and $14.99 for children ages 4-12, with the audio tour included, per bowfin.org. Children under 4 are not permitted on the submarine, and the steep ladders make the boat inaccessible for wheelchairs. The site is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, with last entry around 4:15 to 4:30 pm, closed on the three holidays, and no reservations are needed.
Allow one to one and a half hours, and pair the Bowfin with the Arizona Memorial since both sit at the visitor center with no shuttle required.
Pearl Harbor Tickets: Prices and the Passport Math
USS Arizona Memorial program: free, plus a $1 per-ticket reservation fee on recreation.gov.
Battleship Missouri: about $43-$45 per adult, $19.99 per child ages 4-12.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum: $29.99 per adult, $17.99 per child ages 4-12, free for children under 3.
USS Bowfin: $25.99 per adult, $14.99 per child ages 4-12; children under 4 not permitted on the submarine.
Passport to Pearl Harbor: $99.99 per adult (13+), $49.99 per child ages 4-12.
The Passport covers the Missouri, Bowfin, and Aviation Museum plus the Memorial’s multimedia tour and one VR experience, valid for one to two consecutive days with one visit per site, per pearlharborhistoricsites.org/tickets. It does not include the Arizona Memorial boat reservation, which is always booked separately. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial visitor guide covers the free side of the complex in more depth.
Now the math: about $43 plus $30 plus $26 comes to roughly $99, against $99.99 for the Passport. In practice the three bought separately can run $2-$7 per adult cheaper, so add up your day before you commit. The bundle only pays off if you value the VR experience and the multimedia tour.
How the USS Arizona Memorial Reservation System Works
The 56-day and 1-day releases. New tickets drop on recreation.gov at 3:00 pm Hawaii time, both 56 days before your date and again the day before. They sell out in minutes in busy season, so set an alarm. Each ticket costs $1, is non-refundable, and covers one seat on the 45-minute program, with boats running about every 15 minutes from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.
What to do if tickets are gone. Head to the Pacific Historic Parks narrated-tour desk for the standby line; arriving around 7:00 am gives you the best shot. Even without a boat seat, the visitor center galleries, Remembrance Circle, and shoreline views of Battleship Row are free and open to all.
Getting There: Buses, Rail, Parking, and the Ford Island Shuttle
TheBus Route 42 runs from Waikiki to the memorial area in about an hour, and the Skyline rail reaches Pearlridge, from which a short bus ride or rideshare covers the last leg. If you are still choosing a base, our guide to which island Pearl Harbor is on explains the Oahu logistics in plain terms.
Drivers should use 1 Arizona Memorial Place. The visitor center is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm and the parking lots from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm, per the NPS 2022 compendium published on nps.gov/perl. Parking fees vary across sources, so check the current parking guidance on nps.gov/perl before you go.
The free Ford Island shuttle leaves the visitor center for the Missouri and the Aviation Museum about every 15 minutes from 8:00 am to 4:05 pm. Visitors cannot drive themselves onto Ford Island.
Security, Bags, and What to Bring
Bags that conceal their contents are not allowed past the entrance. Clear bags are permitted, and small wallets or clutches are fine. If you arrive with a backpack, paid storage near the entrance runs about $6, or about $10 for larger items.
Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat you can remove at the memorial. Leave drones at home, since they are not permitted over the site.
Half-Day vs Full-Day Plan
For the full day, start with your timed Arizona Memorial slot in the morning, walk through the Bowfin before lunch since no shuttle is needed, then ride the Ford Island shuttle to the Missouri and finish at the Aviation Museum. The whole set takes six to seven hours at a comfortable pace.
With only a half day, pair the Arizona Memorial with the Bowfin and the visitor center galleries. If the memorial is the priority and you want just one paid site, make it the Missouri for the surrender deck.
Nearby Things to Do
Two more free memorials sit on Ford Island near the shuttle stops: the USS Oklahoma Memorial and the USS Utah Memorial. Back at the visitor center, the Remembrance Circle and the shoreline view across Battleship Row cost nothing and deserve twenty unhurried minutes.
Practical Tips
This is an active memorial, so dress and behave accordingly: quiet voices, hats off inside the Arizona Memorial, phones silent. Beachwear reads as disrespectful here. For the history behind the site, our account of the attack as a devastating turning point in history gives the full context.
The entire complex closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, so do not build a trip around those dates. Book the Arizona Memorial tickets first, then build the rest of the day around that time slot.
Bottom Line
Do all four sites in one full day if you can. The Arizona Memorial’s timed ticket is the anchor, so secure it on recreation.gov first and plan everything else around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to visit Pearl Harbor?
Admission varies by site. The USS Arizona Memorial is free apart from a $1 per-ticket reservation fee on recreation.gov. The paid sites, at 2026 rates, run about $43-$45 for the Battleship Missouri, $29.99 for the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and $25.99 for the USS Bowfin, with reduced child pricing at each. The Passport to Pearl Harbor bundles the three paid sites for $99.99 per adult.
How do I get tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial?
Book on recreation.gov. Tickets release 56 days and 1 day before your visit at 3:00 pm Hawaii time, cost $1 each, and typically sell out within minutes. Each ticket covers the 45-minute program, which pairs a short film with the Navy boat ride to the memorial. If tickets are gone, a standby line runs through the Pacific Historic Parks narrated-tour desk, and arriving around 7:00 am gives you the best shot.
Is the Passport to Pearl Harbor worth it?
It depends on your plan. The $99.99 adult Passport covers the Missouri, Bowfin, and Aviation Museum plus a multimedia tour and one VR experience, valid for one to two consecutive days. Adding the three separately costs roughly $43 plus $30 plus $26, or about $99, which can run $2-$7 per adult cheaper than the Passport. If you will visit all three paid sites, run the math before you buy; it does not include the Arizona Memorial boat.
How long does it take to see all four sites?
Plan six to seven hours for the full set. The Arizona Memorial program takes 45 minutes, but allow about two hours with the visitor center galleries. The Battleship Missouri takes around two hours, the Aviation Museum one and a half to two hours, and the Bowfin one to one and a half hours. With a half day, pair the Arizona Memorial with the Bowfin, since both sit at the visitor center with no shuttle required.
Can you visit Pearl Harbor for free?
Yes, the most moving parts cost nothing. The USS Arizona Memorial program itself is free aside from the $1 reservation fee, and the visitor center galleries, Remembrance Circle, and shoreline views of Battleship Row are free. On Ford Island, the USS Oklahoma and USS Utah memorials are free to visit. You only pay if you board the Missouri, tour the Aviation Museum, or enter the Bowfin.
What is the bag policy at Pearl Harbor?
Bags that conceal their contents are not allowed inside. Clear bags are permitted, and small wallets or clutches are fine. If you arrive with a backpack, paid storage near the entrance costs about $6, or about $10 for larger items. Pack light, bring water and sunscreen, and leave drones at home, since they are not permitted over the memorial.