Pearl Harbor Museum, Hawaii (Review)

My last day in Hawaii was a day trip, including Pearl Harbor. I've shared about the tour operator separately, but this post I wanted to focus on the Pearl Harbor attraction itself. 

On walking in, there is a small welcome area which is beautiful. It's got the most perfectly placed palm trees and a little information board. There are some small shops and a cafe to eat at, but the priority here is the museum. 

Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and the site of a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941. The attack began at 7:48 AM local time on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The Japanese launched a wave of 177 aircraft to destroy or damage the US Pacific Fleet and its aircraft. The attack killed over 2,400 US servicemen and women, destroyed 188 aircraft, and sank or damaged 21 US warships. 

This memorial honours the service members and civilians who died in the attack and the resilience of those affected. The memorial includes the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits above the remains of the sunken battleship, and other memorials for other ships and their crews. The visitor centre has exhibits that include personal narratives, artefacts, and multimedia presentations.

I think the one part most people want to see the most is the USS Arizona and understandably why. It's a very regimented protocol followed to view it, and it's run as what feels like a military operation. You queue to start with a film. It gives a short 23 minute history and information of the story. Having not really been aware, this was really helpful for me. You then move into another theatre auditorium type room, and this one is led by a volunteer. He speaks so emotively and him tearing up, made me tear up and start crying. He made it very clear that it was not a fun experience but a memorial for those that had passed, honouring them. He also spoke about the burial service provided for returning survivors who more recently passed. I loved this insight and story, and the fact that they return to their family in arms. 

The boat ride was quick and smooth. It took about 5 minutes to get there. We walked in one side, as the previous group left the other. You then walk to the back for a short speech about the names and survivors. Sadly, too many brothers and father/son duos or triples passed collectively. Then you move back out and up the other side, queuing to leave as the next group arrive. 

Whilst it wasn't the most traumatic destruction of the day, the USS Arizona is the one most well preserved and left to where it rested. It's unique perspective provided allows you to fully appreciate what happened from a unique perspective. 

There was a lovely park area with more information boards, spread within the gardens. As well as monuments and sculptures showing different things. I actually loved this spread out area, because you could appreciate the scale of the events. The 2 small museum buildings provided deeper context and understanding, but were huge inside and to read and take everything in, would have honestly taken all day. 

At the end, there is an Aviation Museum which unfortunately you do need to pay extra for admission. Here you can walk inside and on planes and submarines. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have time to explore it so I decided to just see it from the outside. I loved the arch memorial as well. 

I absolutely loved the museum and location. It shares a remarkable story and an insight into the history of the USA and Hawaii itself. On top of that, they handle the story telling with such emotion and poise. Each area takes time to explore the journey, not rushed and giving each its own space. You could easily spend a full day taking everything in at each of the locations, and a lot of it is free.