#19 USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu, HAWAII

In March 1950, Admiral Arthur W. Radford, the Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, originated the practice of displaying the National Ensign over the sunken remains of USS Arizona. The ship's midships structure, which remained above water level, came to be used as a platform for memorial services, and she was the object of passing honors rendered as Navy ships passed by.

During the later 1950s, efforts began to erect a suitable memorial over her hulk to commemorate the sacrifices of her more than 1100 dead crewmen, the other U.S. Servicemen killed in the Pearl Harbor attack and the personnel lost in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. Some of the Arizona's remaining midships superstructure was removed, and pilings were driven beyond the sides of her hull to support the Memorial, which spans but does not touch the sunken ship.

Dedicated in May 1962, the white open-air shrine contains the names of all the men lost with Arizona and has sufficient space for 250 people to attend services within it. One of Hawaii's most-visited historic sites, it is reached by boat from the USS Arizona Memorial exhibit area on the opposite side of the Pearl Harbor channel.

Pacific Historic Parks is on a mission. We know that history is important—that it needs to be protected, researched, preserved, and passed on to future generations. Through donations, memberships, and proceeds from our stores, we ensure this is accomplished.

We support the National Park Service at four sites throughout the Pacific—fromKalaupapa to the USS Arizona Memorial, from Guam to Saipan—and ensure that they have the funds they need for important education and interpretive programs.

Since the organization's founding in 1979, we've become a trusted NPS partner, providing our parks with countless hours of staff support and millions of dollars in aid. Our work touches the lives of school children, WWII veterans,Pearl Harbor Survivors, local communities, and a continually growing number of park visitors.

The USS Arizona Memorial is part of the recently dedicated WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The National Monument also includes sites on Ford Island: the USS Oklahoma Memorial, USS Utah Memorial, and several historic Battleship Row mooring quays and CPO bungalows. The National Monument is located about 2 miles west of the Honolulu Airport in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The USS Arizona Memorial is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and consists of a shoreside visitor center, where the tours begin, and the Memorial, located in Pearl Harbor. The Memorial is accessible only by the NPS tour from the visitor center. The other National Monument sites are only accessible via tours going to theBattleship Missouri Memorial and the Pacific Aviation Museum. Tickets are available for these sites within the Visitor Center.

The USS Arizona Memorial is built over the remains of the sunken battleship USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when their ship was bombed by Japanese Naval Forces. This loss of life represents over half of the Americans killed during the worst naval disaster in American history.

The Visitor Center is open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, seven days a week except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. Scheduled tours vary due to visitation, but generally begin every 15 minutes from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The tour programs are free and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. During busy summer and winter holiday periods, it is highly recommended that you arrive at the Visitor Center as early as possible as, often times, all tickets are given away before 12 noon. There are no age or size restrictions, but children under 5 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Appropriate dress is required, no swim wear or bare feet. Following the events of September 11, 2001, these security regulations have been implemented. No purses, handbags, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, or other items that offer concealment are allowed in the visitor center or on the Memorial tour.

The tour program consists of an excellent 23 minute film on the history of the Pearl Harbor attack. After viewing the film, visitors board a Navy operated launch for the Memorial. The entire program takes 75 minutes. Wait times for the tour may exceed 2 hours.

An excellent audio tour is recommended for those waiting for their tour to begin. The audio tour will guide you through the Visitor Center, backlawn interpretive displays, interpretive information on the shuttle boats and on the Memorial. Visit the Pacific Historic Parks bookstore where a wide range of materials on the Pearl Harbor attack may be purchased.