Pearl Harbor National MemorialFree admission, the USS Arizona above her crew, and the moment America entered World War II

Pearl Harbor National Memorial preserves the events of December 7, 1941 — the surprise Japanese attack that killed 2,403 Americans and pulled the United States into World War II. The 17.5-acre site became a national memorial in 2019, after seventy-eight years under various Navy and NPS designations, and now welcomes more than 1.8 million visitors a year.

The white concrete USS Arizona Memorial spans the sunken battleship's hull without touching it; below the floor grates you can still see the ship's barbette, the gun turret, and a slow leak of fuel oil — the so-called "black tears" the ship has wept for over eight decades. The visitor center holds two free museums: "Road to War" covering 1920s–1941 Pacific tensions, and "Attack" with first-person testimony, recovered artifacts, and a 23-minute documentary that runs continuously in Theater 1.

Plan a half-day at minimum. The 45-minute Arizona Memorial program is free but requires an online reservation; arrive at the visitor center one hour ahead, bags get checked, and the U.S. Navy shuttle leaves on time regardless of who has shown up. Optional paid stops on Ford Island — USS Bowfin, Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum — are reached by separate shuttle and easily fill another four hours.