The Bowfin Submarine, a representative WW2 sub, and accompanying museum provide insight into the perhaps under-appreciated role of submarines in WWII.
This tour is certainly worth the price of admission (adults $12, lower rates for children, military, kama'aina, seniors). The free audio tour will help explain what you are looking at and is highly recommended if you have the time to listen. The museum (free audio self guided tour included), also included with the price of admission, is worth checking out. It is also possible to purchase stand-alone admission to the museum.
The Bowfin and museum are located adjacent to the Visitor Center. You do not need to board a boat or bus to visit either. There is also plenty to see around the Visitor Center itself for free.
You are probably leaving the Waikiki beach for the Arizona, but consider making a day of it and seeing at least one other attraction. Other major attractions at Pearl Harbor include:
- The ARIZONA MEMORIAL, in addition to serving as a place to remember and honor the ship's 1,177 casualties, symbolizes the U.S. entry into WW2 and marks the beginning of the development of the atomic bomb and the overnight replacement of the battleship as the preeminent naval weapon with the aircraft carrier.
- Some of the Arizona battleship is visible from the memorial, but you can tour an actual WW2 battleship, the BATTLESHIP MISSOURI, nearby on Ford Island, which is symbolic of the end of the war since Japan's official surrender occurred on its deck.
- The USS OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL is a beautifully symbolic way to remember those that were aboard the ship on December 7, 1941.
- The PACIFIC AVIATION MUSEUM captures the role of aircraft in the war (and a whole lot more) through its displays, vintage aircraft, and historic hangar structures.
You have to wait for a shuttle bus to access the Missouri, Oklahoma Memorial, and Aviation Museum.
If you book this and want to get the most out of the experience, I recommend booking at most just one other attraction in the area. If you book two or more additional attractions, you should plan on arriving at 7 am when the Visitor Center opens, staying until they close, taking no breaks, and possibly skipping lunch if you want to try to see everything in one day.
For visitors that want to see it all, the Passport to Pearl Harbor is a good option. Admission to all attractions for two days in a consecutive 7 day period is included, plus an upgraded audio tour of the Arizona Memorial (but don't forget to engage the on-site staff in discussion, as they are a wealth of knowledge). Cost is $65/adult, $35/children 4-12. Two days is a much more reasonable amount of time to see everything.
I do not see a kama'aina rate for the Passport and wasn't offered one. Therefore, if you live here I recommend visiting one or two attractions in a day and making multiple visits to see them all instead of cramming them all into one day. The total cost for basic kama'aina admission to all attractions (not including audio tour of Arizona) is $45, which is less than the Passport and this way you can spread the cost out over time and get the most out of each visit.
